Articles: child.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Jul 2014
ReviewSpinal clearance in unconscious children following traumatic brain injury.
Spinal clearance in unconscious children following traumatic brain injury is an area of controversy. The risk of significant injury in this high-risk group needs to be balanced against that of prolonged spinal immobilization and all its implications. ⋯ This article reviews traumatic spinal injury in children looking at prevalence, risk factors, anatomical considerations, and radiological investigation. Spinal immobilization is discussed along with the use of appropriate and targeted radiological investigations to aid clearance.
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Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am · Jul 2014
ReviewMeditation and mindfulness in clinical practice.
This article describes the various forms of meditation and provides an overview of research using these techniques for children, adolescents, and their families. The most researched techniques in children and adolescents are mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, yoga meditation, transcendental meditation, mind-body techniques (meditation, relaxation), and body-mind techniques (yoga poses, tai chi movements). Current data are suggestive of a possible value of meditation and mindfulness techniques for treating symptomatic anxiety, depression, and pain in youth. Clinicians must be properly trained before using these techniques.
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Intranasal medication administration in the emergency care of children has been reported for at least 20 years and is gaining popularity because of ease of administration, rapid onset of action, and relatively little pain to the patient. The ability to avoid a needle stick is often attractive to practitioners, in addition to children and their parents. ⋯ This article reviews the use of intranasal medications in the emergency care of children. Particular attention will be paid to anatomy and its impact on drug delivery, pharmacodynamics, medications currently administered by this route, delivery devices available, tips for use, and future directions.
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Review
Can ω-3 fatty acids and tocotrienol-rich vitamin E reduce symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders?
The incidence of childhood neurodevelopmental disorders, which include autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders, and apraxia, are increasing worldwide and have a profound effect on the behaviors, cognitive skills, mood, and self-esteem of these children. Although the etiologies of these disorders are unclear, they often accompany genetic and biochemical abnormalities resulting in cognitive and communication difficulties. ⋯ The purpose of this review is to provide a scientific rationale based on cellular, experimental animal model, observational, and clinical intervention studies for incorporating the combination of ω-3 fatty acids and tocotrienol-rich vitamin E as complementary nutritional therapies in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Should this nutritional combination correct key clinical or biochemical outcomes and/or improve behavioral patterns, it would provide a safe, complementary option for these children.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2014
ReviewAnesthesia and ventilation strategies in children with asthma: part I - preoperative assessment.
Asthma is a common disease in the pediatric population, and anesthetists are increasingly confronted with asthmatic children undergoing elective surgery. This first of this two-part review provides a brief overview of the current knowledge on the underlying physiology and pathophysiology of asthma and focuses on the preoperative assessment and management in children with asthma. This also includes preoperative strategies to optimize lung function of asthmatic children undergoing surgery. The second part of this review focuses on the immediate perioperative anesthetic management including ventilation strategies. ⋯ To minimize the considerable risk of perioperative respiratory adverse events in asthmatic children, a good understanding of the underlying physiology is vital. Furthermore, a thorough preoperative assessment to identify children who may benefit of an intensified medical treatment thereby minimizing airflow obstruction and bronchial hyperreactivity is the first pillar of a preventive perioperative management of asthmatic children. The second pillar, an individually adjusted anesthesia management aiming to reduce perioperative adverse events, is discussed in the second part of this review.