Paediatric anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia · May 2021
Cuffed endotracheal tubes in neonates and infants of less than 3 kg body weight - A retrospective audit.
Large prospective clinical studies have shown that modern cuffed pediatric tracheal tubes can be used safely, even in children weighing ≥3 kg. There is a growing interest in their use in children weighing <3 kg so that they, too, can benefit from the potential advantages, particularly the high probability of these tubes fitting into and sealing the pediatric airway at the first intubation attempt. This study aimed to find a cut-off body weight for procedures requiring a cuffed tracheal tube to seal the airway in children weighing <3 kg and to evaluate the frequency and predictive factors for the requirement to place a cuffed instead of an uncuffed tracheal tube. ⋯ Half of the children weighing 2000-2999 g received a Microcuff® PET 3.0 mm ID, especially those with a body weight above 2700 g. Because of the anatomical dimensions in patients with a body weight of 2000-2999 g, cuffed tracheal tubes with smaller outer diameters may be required to better fit their airways.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · May 2021
ReviewStatistics in Quality Improvement: Measurement and Statistical Process Control.
Data are used in healthcare quality improvement endeavors to measure and determine whether the changes made in the course of the work have made the desired impact. The methods used to analyze data in quality improvement differ slightly from those used in classical statistics. Run charts and statistical process control charts are the most common types of graphical representations used to visualize data collected for quality improvement. This review provides a basic introduction to measurement in quality improvement and explains the use of run charts and statistical process control charts with real-life examples.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · May 2021
Cerebral autoregulation in infants during Sevoflurane anesthesia for craniofacial surgery.
Data on cerebral pressure-flow autoregulation in the youngest children are scarce. We studied the correlation between mean arterial pressure and cerebral tissue oxygen saturation (rSO2 ) by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in patients undergoing nose, lip, and palate surgery. ⋯ During sevoflurane anesthesia in the youngest pediatric patients, cerebral perfusion is pressure-dependent, suggesting that the efficiency of the cerebral blood flow autoregulation is limited.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · May 2021
Study to evaluate the optimal dose of remifentanil required to ensure apnea during magnetic resonance imaging of the heart under general anesthesia.
Magnetic resonance (MRI) scanning of the heart is an established part of the investigation of cardiovascular conditions in children. In young children, sedation is likely to be needed, and multiple controlled periods of apnea are often required to allow image acquisition. Suppression of spontaneous ventilation is possible with remifentanil; however, the dose required is uncertain. ⋯ The ED80 for this indication was 0.184 µg/kg/min (95% CI 0.178-0.190). This is different from optimal dosing identified for other indications and dosing of remifentanil should be specific to the clinical context in which it is used.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · May 2021
Regional Anesthesia in Pediatric Patients with Preexisting Neurological Disease.
Preexisting neurological disease in pediatric patients presents unique challenges to the anesthesiologist. In-depth knowledge of the disease processes and awareness of sequalae that uniquely influence the risks and benefits of anesthetics are needed to make informed decisions. ⋯ The following discussion is not intended to be a full review of each disease process, but rather provides a concise, yet thorough, discussion of the available literature on regional anesthesia in the more common, but still rare, pediatric neurological disorders. We aim to provide a framework for pediatric anesthesiologists to reengage in a healthy discussion about the risks and benefits of utilizing regional anesthesia in this vulnerable population.