Paediatric anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Apr 2014
Case ReportsVasovagal syncope and severe bradycardia following intranasal dexmedetomidine for pediatric procedural sedation.
We report syncope and bradycardia in an 11-year-old girl following administration of intranasal dexmedetomidine for sedation for a voiding cystourethrogram. Following successful completion of VCUG and a 60-min recovery period, the patient's level of consciousness and vital signs returned to presedation levels. Upon leaving the sedation area, the patient collapsed, with no apparent inciting event. ⋯ The primary abnormality found was persistent bradycardia, and she was admitted to the hospital for telemetric observation. The bradycardia lasted ~2 h, and further cardiac workup revealed no underlying abnormality. Unanticipated and previously unreported outcomes may be witnessed as we expand the use of certain sedatives to alternative routes of administration.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Apr 2014
Historical ArticleBreaking the glass ceiling: an interview with Dr. Shirley Graves, a pioneering woman in medicine.
Shirley Graves M. D., D. Sc. (honorary) (1936), Professor Emeritus of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics at the University of Florida, was one of the most influential women in medicine in the 1960 and 1970s, a time when the medical profession was overwhelmingly male-dominated. ⋯ Graves was a pioneer in the fields of pediatric anesthesia and pediatric critical care medicine. She identifies her development of the pediatric intensive care unit and her leadership in the Division of Pediatric Anesthesia at the University of Florida as her defining contributions. Through her journal articles, book chapters, national and international lectures, and leadership in the American Society of Anesthesiology and the Florida Society of Anesthesiology, she inspired a generation of men and women physicians to conquer the unthinkable and break through the glass ceiling.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Apr 2014
Is there an alternative to continuous opioid infusion for neonatal pain control? A preliminary report of parent/nurse-controlled analgesia in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Continuous opioid infusion (COI) remains the mainstay of analgesic therapy in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Parent/nurse-controlled analgesia (PNCA) has been accepted as safe and effective for pediatric patients, but few reports include use in neonates. This study sought to compare outcomes of PNCA and COI in postsurgical neonates and young infants. ⋯ Results suggest PNCA may be a feasible and effective alternative to COI for pain management in postsurgical infants in the NICU. Results also suggest PNCA may provide more individualized care for this vulnerable population and in doing so, may potentially reduce opioid consumption; however, more studies are needed.