Paediatric anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Nov 2015
Autistic children and anesthesia: is their perioperative experience different?
Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are an increasingly common patient population in the perioperative setting. Children with ASD present with abnormal development in social interaction, communication, and stereotyped patterns of behavior and may be more prone to elevated perioperative anxiety. The perioperative experience for these patients is complex and presents a unique challenge for clinicians. ⋯ Other than a significant difference in the premedication type and route, we found that children with ASD seemed to have similar perioperative experiences as non-ASD subjects. It was especially interesting to find that their postoperative period did not pose any special challenges. There is much to be learned about this unique patient population, and a more in-depth prospective evaluation is warranted to help better delineate the best approach to caring for these patients.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Nov 2015
Changes of epidural blood flow after epidural administration of epinephrine in young rats.
For caudal epidural analgesia, the needle is inserted at a site where vessels are abundant. To avoid complications related to intravascular administration of the local anesthetic, epinephrine is usually added, but there is no evidence about the safety of epidural administration of epinephrine in pediatric patients. The objective of this study was to assess the changes in epidural blood flow after epidural injection of epinephrine in young rats. ⋯ Administration of epinephrine into the epidural space was safe in young rats. While reduction of epidural blood flow was observed, there was no spinal ischemia.