Seminars in pediatric surgery
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Fetal surgery pushes the limits of knowledge and therapy beyond conventional paradigms by treating the developing fetus as a patient. Providing anesthesia for fetal surgery is challenging for many reasons. It requires integration of both obstetric and pediatric anesthesia practice. ⋯ Work is needed to study possible neurotoxicity caused by exposure of the developing brain to anesthetic agents. The effects of stress on the developing fetus also must be further delineated. Anesthetic techniques vary by institution, and prospective studies to determine optimal anesthetic regimens are warranted.
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The management of neonatal surgical problems continues to pose considerable challenges, particularly in low-resource settings. The burden of neonatal surgical diseases in Africa is not well documented. The characteristics of some neonatal surgical problems are highlighted. ⋯ Proper training of all staff involved in neonatal health care coupled with community awareness must be vigorously pursued by all stakeholders. Various governments throughout the continent of Africa, in conjunction with international donor agencies, must not only provide an adequate budget for health care services and improve infrastructures, but must also deliberately encourage and provide funding for neonatal surgical care and research across the continent. The well-established pediatric surgical training programs, particularly in North and South Africa, should hold the moral responsibility of training all possible numbers of young surgeons from other African countries that do not have any existing pediatric surgical training programs or those countries suffering from remarkable shortage of trained pediatric surgeons.
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Semin. Pediatr. Surg. · Nov 2010
ReviewMassive transfusion and blood product use in the pediatric trauma patient.
Hemorrhagic shock in the pediatric trauma patient is an uncommon but fundamental problem for the treating clinician. Current management of hemorrhagic shock involves initial resuscitation with crystalloid fluids followed by infusion of blood components as necessary. In management of the adult trauma patient, many institutions have implemented massive transfusion protocols to guide transfusion in situations requiring or anticipating the use of greater than 10 U of packed red blood cells. ⋯ Adult trauma transfusion protocols can be applied to children until a pediatric protocol is validated. Here, we attempt to identify certain principles of transfusion therapy specific to pediatric trauma and outline a sample pediatric massive transfusion protocol that may be used to guide resuscitation. Also, adjuncts to transfusion, such as colloid fluids, other plasma expanders or hemoglobin substitutes, and recombinant activated factor VII, are discussed.
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Semin. Pediatr. Surg. · Nov 2010
ReviewDisaster and mass casualty events in the pediatric population.
Recent disasters involving pediatric victims have highlighted the need for pediatric hospital disaster preparedness. Although children represent 25% of the U. ⋯ To establish an effective hospital and community-based pediatric disaster management system, administrative and hospital leadership are key. Disaster planners and hospital leadership should establish and improve their management of pediatric victims in the event of a disaster through staff training, family reunification planning, and use of available pediatric disaster management tools.
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Semin. Pediatr. Surg. · Nov 2010
ReviewCurrent issues in the diagnosis of pediatric cervical spine injury.
Cervical spine injury in pediatric trauma occurs rarely; however, there is significant potential for considerable morbidity when it does occur. Screening for cervical spine injuries has been shown to be most sensitive in adult trauma centers when combined with reliable physical examination findings. ⋯ In addition, we examine the literature currently available in each population and derive consensuses on the issues that are important in managing the pediatric cervical spine. We hope to provide a framework that trauma centers can use to develop safe and effective cervical spine clearance protocols.