Neuraxial anesthesia is associated with lower rates of perioperative transfusion in patients undergoing bilateral total hip replacement when compared to general anesthesia, although not significantly with other post-operative outcomes.
Dexmedetomidine may reduce post-operative delirium and at one month post-operative cognitive decline in elderly patients, associated with changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
Children who are exposed to multiple general anaesthetics before age three demonstrate deficits on neurosphycological testing, although not children with a single exposure.
In women receiving a remifentanil PCA for labour analgesia, detectable hypoxia occurs in 25% of women and neonatal CPR potentially related to remifentanil in 1 in 300 babies.
Opioid anti-tussive pholcodine is a potent IgE stimulator, increasing the risk of perioperative anaphylaxis, and possibly contributing to observed regional variations in rocuronium anaphylaxis.