Paediatric anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Nov 2020
A Simple Screening Test of Filtration Efficiency for Protecting the Gas Sampling Line from CoronavirusUsing Fluorescent Microspheres.
During the coronavirus pandemic, preventing contamination of the anesthesia machine, critical to avoid cross-contamination between patients, has proven challenging when treating premature infants and neonates. While attaching a HEPA filter to the endotracheal tube will protect the anesthesia machine and the gas sampling line from contamination, this contribution to the dead space makes ventilation of these small patients challenging. Direct filtration of the gas sampling line eliminates this problem; however, appropriate filters are not readily available. ⋯ Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the Flat Epidural Filter for use as an anesthesia machine gas filter, our simple challenge test suggests that it could be used to effectively filter the anesthesia gas sampling line.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Nov 2020
Observational StudyThe use of LungUltrasoundcompared to Chest X-raytodiagnose Pneumothorax following the NussProcedure for Pectus Excavatum Repair in Children.
Pectus Excavatum is the most common deformation of the skeletal chest wall, and the Nuss procedure is used to correct this deformation. Residual pneumothorax is a frequent postoperative complication after thoracoscopy. Primary aim of this prospective observational study was to compare the level of agreement among readers using lung ultrasound and chest X-ray. ⋯ Our results support the use of lung ultrasound to diagnose pneumothorax after Nuss procedure. We found that the inter-reader accuracy was better with ultrasound compared to X-ray at our institution.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Nov 2020
Preventing inadvertent Endobronchial intubation: Upper incisor to manubriosternal joint length as a predictor of airway length in children.
Malpositioning of the endotracheal tube within the airway can lead to serious complications. The estimated insertion depth of the endotracheal tube should be accurate and reliable. ⋯ The upper incisor-carina length shows a positive correlation with the patient's upper incisor-manubriosternal joint length and the patient's standing height, while the degree of maximum head extension has no significant bearing on this relationship. The upper incisor-manubriosternal joint length can be used as a predictor of airway length and the depth of insertion of endotracheal tube in children.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Nov 2020
Evaluation of the Relationship Between Airway Measurements with Ultrasonography and Laryngoscopy in Newborns and Infants.
A difficult laryngoscopy in young children can be a stressful situation for the pediatric anesthetist. In recent years, several measurements have been used to obtain difficult laryngoscopy markers in children. However, there is no prospective study in which ultrasonography is expected to be used for this purpose, particularly in the newborn and infant age groups. ⋯ The risk of a difficult laryngoscopy increases in children under the age of one. The preoperative airway assessment tools and body mass index had acceptable negative predictive values. We believe that all measurements could be used as markers for difficult laryngoscopy in newborns and infants.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Nov 2020
The evolution of pediatric sedation and anesthesia patient safety: An interview with Dr Charles J. "Charlie" Coté.
The career of Dr Charles J. Coté covered a period of major advances in pediatric anesthesia patient safety. ⋯ Based on a series of interviews with Dr Coté, this article reviews the career of this Robert M. Smith Award winner through the lens of improvements in pediatric sedation and anesthesia patient safety.