Paediatric anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Apr 2011
Case ReportsPreventing venous thrombosis in critically ill children: what is the right approach?
The incidence of venous thromboembolic (VTE) events in children has increased in recent years (J Neurosurg, 101, 2004, 32; J Thromb Haemost, 1, 2003, 1443) yet there is currently no consensus as to what VTE prophylaxis, if any, should be applied to the pediatric population. ⋯ There is no consensus in England and Wales as to which VTE prophylactic measures should be applied in patients <18 years of age. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines apply to adults only. Given the rarity of VTE events in children, it is unlikely that randomized controlled trials will provide the answer. We therefore propose that simple empirical measures be formally implemented in critically ill children to reduce the risk of developing this important but under-recognized condition.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Apr 2011
Feasibility and efficacy of placement of continuous sciatic perineural catheters solely under ultrasound guidance in children: a descriptive study.
Placement of sciatic catheters with ultrasound and stimulating catheters is known. Literature regarding catheter placements with only ultrasound is limited. We aimed to investigate the feasibility of performing continuous sciatic nerve block exclusively with ultrasound guidance and minimal equipment. ⋯ We conclude that in children, continuous sciatic catheters can be accurately and efficaciously placed with minimal equipment with ultrasound alone.
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We aimed to review the pain management in 100 episodes of severe mucositis in children and determine the incidence of associated side effects. ⋯ Children with severe mucositis who have escalating morphine requirements may benefit from the addition of ketamine to their morphine PCA.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Apr 2011
Letter Case ReportsUnexpected foreign bodies in larynx: two cases report.
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Pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) modeling has elucidated aspects of developmental pharmacology of value to the anesthetic community. The increasing sophistication of modeling techniques is associated with pitfalls that may not be readily apparent to readers or investigators. While size and age are considered primary covariates for PK models, the impact of birth on clearance maturation is poorly documented, dose in obese children is poorly investigated, pharmacologic implications of physiologic changes poorly portrayed, disease progression on drug response poorly depicted and the impact of metabolites on effect poorly illustrated. This review identifies some of these pitfalls and suggests ideas to circumvent or investigate these hazards.