Paediatric anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Apr 2012
Does topical lidocaine before tracheal intubation attenuate airway responses in children? An observational audit.
The use of topical lidocaine, applied to the airways with various administration techniques, is common practice in pediatric anesthesia in many institutions. However, it remains unclear whether these practices achieve their intended goal of reducing the risk of perioperative respiratory adverse events (PRAE) in children undergoing elective endotracheal intubation without neuromuscular blockade (NMB). The relative frequency of PRAE (laryngospasm, coughing, desaturation <95%) associated with no use of topical airway lidocaine (TAL), with TAL sprayed directly onto the vocal cords, and TAL administered blindly into the pharynx was assessed. ⋯ The incidence of desaturation was higher in patients receiving TAL compared with children who did not. This association should perhaps be considered when contemplating the use of this technique.