Paediatric anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Jul 2016
Observational StudyThe STBUR questionnaire for identifying children at risk for sleep-disordered breathing and postoperative opioid-related adverse events.
Children with symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) appear to be at risk for perioperative respiratory events (PRAE). Furthermore, these children may be more sensitive to the respiratory-depressant effects of opioids compared with children without SDB. ⋯ Children presenting for surgery with SDB symptoms are at increased risk for PRAE. Children undergoing airway-related procedures also appear to be at increased risk for ORAE. Furthermore, regardless of the preoperative assessment of risk using the STBUR questionnaire, children received the same doses of opioids postoperatively. Given the increased incidence of postoperative oxygen desaturations among children with SDB symptoms, it would seem prudent to consider titration of opioid doses according to identified risk.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Jul 2016
Pediatric perioperative adverse events requiring rapid response: a retrospective case-control study.
Perioperative pediatric adverse events have been challenging to study within and across institutions due to varying definitions, low event rates, and incomplete capture. ⋯ Decreased age, increased comorbidities, multiple (vs single) surgical services, operating room (vs nonoperating room) location, and decreased staff experience were associated with increased risk of AN! events, which were predominantly respiratory in origin.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Jul 2016
Perioperative management of living-donor liver transplantation for methylmalonic acidemia.
Methymalonic acidemia (MMA) is a hereditary metabolic disorder characterized by a defect of the methylmalonyl-CoA mutase that breaks down propionate. The efficacy of liver transplantation for MMA was recently reported. However, the anesthetic management of liver transplant for MMA is not clear. ⋯ Their renal function was also worse than others and they were already experiencing metabolic decompensation before induction of anesthesia. Based on our experience of these 14 cases, we have established an anesthetic algorithm for patients with MMA undergoing liver transplant or other procedures. There are three important points in our experience: propofol should be avoided, dextrose infusion therapy should be continued to prevent metabolic decompensation, and liver transplant or other procedures should be avoided during metabolic decompensation.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Jul 2016
Observational StudyAnalgesic management after thoracotomy for decortication in children: a retrospective audit of 83 children managed with a paravertebral infusion-based regime.
It is important that postoperative analgesic management after thoracotomy is very effective in order to optimize postoperative recovery. A regional technique such as an epidural or a paravertebral catheter with an infusion of local anesthetic may be supplemented with systemically administered analgesic drugs in order to achieve satisfactory analgesia. ⋯ Analgesic outcomes with this regimen appear to be very satisfactory. It compares favorably with an epidural-based regimen.