Paediatric anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia · May 2014
Case ReportsUnusual presentation of postdural puncture headache requiring repeat epidural blood patch in a 4-year-old child.
We present the case of a 4-year-old child who required two epidural blood patches (EBPs) to treat a delayed onset postdural puncture headache (PDPH) caused by lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drain. The first EBP was unsuccessful with 0.41 ml·kg(-1) of blood injected. A second EBP with 0.76 ml·kg(-1) of blood was performed 2 days later with the complete resolution of symptoms. The volume of blood necessary for effective treatment for symptomatic cerebrospinal fluid leaks in children remains controversial, and a repeat EBP may be required for resolution of symptoms.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · May 2014
Case ReportsManagement of mediastinal syndromes in pediatrics: a new challenge of ultrasound guidance to avoid high-risk general anesthesia.
Adverse events associated with anesthetic management of anterior mediastinal masses in pediatrics are common. To avoid an extremely hazardous general anesthesia, the use of real-time ultrasonography offers an effective alternative in high-risk cases. We report the anesthetic management including a light sedation and ultrasound guidance for regional anesthesia, surgical node biopsy, and placement of a central venous line in two children with an anterior symptomatic mediastinal mass. For pediatric patients with clinical and/or radiologic signs of airway compression, ultrasound guidance provides safety technical assistance to avoid general anesthesia and should be performed for the initial diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · May 2014
Case ReportsAnesthetic management of bronchial rupture following extraction of a fishbone from the bronchus after 5 months.
Bronchial rupture occurred during bronchoscopic visualization and extraction of a fishbone from the bronchus in a 2-year-old male patient with a 5-month history of foreign body aspiration. Emergency thoracotomy was scheduled for examination and surgical repair of the bronchus. ⋯ An endotracheal tube was inserted into one of the main bronchi. Peripheral oxygen saturation improved from 60% to 90%, and subsequent surgery was performed without complications.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Apr 2014
Review Meta AnalysisSafety of the breast-feeding infant after maternal anesthesia.
There has been an increase in breast-feeding supported by the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization. An anesthesiologist may be presented with a well-motivated breast-feeding mother who wishes to breast-feed her infant in the perioperative period. Administration of anesthesia entails acute administration of drugs with potential for sedation and respiratory effects on the nursing infant. ⋯ The aim should be to minimize the use of narcotics and benzodiazepines, use shorter acting agents, use regional anesthesia where possible and avoid agents with active metabolites. Frequent clinical assessments of the nursing infant are important. Available literature does suggest that although the currently available anesthetic and analgesic drugs are transferred in the breast milk, the amounts transferred are almost always clinically insignificant and pose little or no risk to the nursing infant.