Paediatric anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Feb 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyComparison of buccal and nasal dexmedetomidine premedication for pediatric patients.
Alpha-2 adrenergic agonists are used to premedicate pediatric patients to reduce separation anxiety and achieve calm induction. The clinical effects of clonidine are similar whether via the oral or nasal route. However, oral dexmedetomidine is not preferred because of its poor bioavailability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of nasal versus buccal dexmedetomidine used for premedication in children. ⋯ These results suggest that intranasal administration of 1 μg·kg(-1) dexmedetomidine is more effective than buccal administration of 1 μg·kg(-1) dexmedetomidine for premedication in children.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Feb 2013
Comparative StudyA comparison of three methods that assess tracheal tube leakage: leak conductance, fractional volume loss, and audible assessment.
When intubating a child's trachea with an uncuffed tracheal tube (TT), it is current practice in anesthesia and intensive care to use the leak test to assess TT fit. The aim of this study is to compare three measures of assessing leak around uncuffed tracheal tubes in the PICU. ⋯ On admission to the PICU, values of leak conductance are more strongly associated with audible assessment than with fractional volume loss. Throughout PICU stay, leak conductance is associated with fractional volume loss. This study demonstrates that leak conductance, calculated from routinely available pressure and flow signals, has the potential to represent the characteristics of the leak interface between a TT and the trachea.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Feb 2013
Outcomes of general anesthesia for noncardiac surgery in a series of patients with Fontan palliation.
To describe the experience of a single, tertiary care institution in the care of patients with Fontan physiology undergoing anesthesia for noncardiac surgery. ⋯ It may be more appropriate for Fontan patients to undergo anesthesia for noncardiac surgery in a tertiary institution, particularly patients with an ejection fraction of <30%. Intraoperative arterial blood pressure monitoring and overnight admission are likely appropriate for most cases.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Feb 2013
The validity of the Computer Face Scale for measuring pediatric pain and mood.
The aim was to assess the validity of the Computer Face Scale. ⋯ The results support the validity of the Computer Face Scale. The mean ratings of pain and mood followed the expected pattern from pre- to postsurgery, and there was a significant association between ratings obtained by different methods. The Computer Face Scale provides a simple-to-use scale with more resolution and electronic capture, which may provide advantages in numerous clinical and research applications.