Paediatric anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Oct 2022
ReviewInduction of anesthesia with sevoflurane in children: curiosities & controversies.
Inhalational inductions with sevoflurane (up to 8% inspired concentration) have been the standard for inducing anesthesia in children for over three decades. However, when sevoflurane was first introduced, clinicians reported isolated cases of unexpected myoclonic jerking movements during the induction in children without epilepsy. ⋯ More recently, a shift away from the use of nitrous oxide has prompted some to question whether sevoflurane has a role as an induction agent in children. The preponderance of evidence supports the practice of safely inducing anesthesia with 8% sevoflurane with or without nitrous oxide in children but recommended strategies to mitigate against epileptiform discharges may be more harmful than beneficial.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Oct 2022
Randomized Controlled TrialIntravenous ondansetron reduced nausea but not pruritus following intrathecal morphine in children: interim results of a randomized, double-blinded placebo-control trial.
This study's purpose was to determine if ondansetron can prevent pruritus after administration of intrathecal morphine in children, as has been demonstrated in adults. ⋯ This study found no evidence for intravenous ondansetron as an effective preventative for pruritus following intrathecal morphine in children. However, this RCT did find that the rate of pruritus following intrathecal morphine administration may be significantly higher than previously thought. Nausea and vomiting (a secondary outcome) were reduced significantly in the treatment group. The negative findings of this study reinforce the potential dangers of extrapolating the drug effects seen in adults onto pediatric patients.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Oct 2022
ReviewInteractions of the Protease Inhibitor, Ritonavir, with Common Anesthesia Drugs.
The protease inhibitor, ritonavir, is a strong inhibitor of CYP 3A. The drug is used for management of the human immunovirus and is currently part of an oral antiviral drug combination (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) for the early treatment of SARS-2 COVID-19-positive patients aged 12 years and over who have recognized comorbidities. The CYP 3A enzyme system is responsible for clearance of numerous drugs used in anesthesia (e.g., alfentanil, fentanyl, methadone, rocuronium, bupivacaine, midazolam, ketamine). ⋯ That anesthesia approach denies children of drugs with considerable value. It is better that the inhibitory changes in clearance of these drugs are understood so that rational drug choices can be made to tailor drug use to the individual patient. Altered drug dose, anticipation of duration of effect, timing of administration, use of reversal agents and perioperative monitoring would better behoove children undergoing anesthesia.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Oct 2022
Reflecting back to move forward: Lessons learned about COVID-19 safety protocols from pediatric anesthesiologists.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about the immediate need for enhanced safety protocols in health care centers. These protocols had to evolve as knowledge and understanding of the disease quickly broadened. ⋯ The findings of this study highlighted the importance of listening to and empowering anesthesiology staff working in the field during crises, the implications of shifting from patient-centered care to community-centered care, and the fine line between sharing as much emerging information as possible and overwhelming staff with information.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Oct 2022
Randomized Controlled TrialInvasive and non-invasive assessment of macro- and microcirculatory effects of vasopressors during sevoflurane anesthesia in a pediatric experimental model: a randomized trial.
While non-invasive assessment of macro- and micro-circulation has the promise to optimize anesthesia management, evidence is lacking for the relationship between invasive and non-invasive measurements of cardiac output and microcirculatory indices. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that non-invasive cardiac output measurements may not accurately reflect changes in macrocirculation after hemodynamic optimization by vasopressors. Due to the incoherence between macro- and micro-circulation, monitoring microcirculation is essential to guide patient management.