Psychological and behavioral effects of chloral hydrate in day-case pediatric surgery: a randomized, observer-blinded study.

Background/purpose: This prospective, randomized, and observer-blinded study was performed to evaluate the effects of oral chloral hydrate on perioperative psychological and behavioral phenomena in children.

Methods: In total, 100 boys (age, 1-5 years) scheduled for day-case unilateral orchiopexy were randomly allocated into 2 groups and orally administered either 40 mg/kg of chloral hydrate (CH group) or placebo (control group) 30 minutes before surgery, followed by assessment of anxiety, induction compliance, emergence delirium, postoperative pain, and maladaptive behavioral changes.

Results: Anxiety scores were significantly lower in the CH group compared with the control group (45.

Effect of anesthetic methods on cerebral oxygen saturation in elderly surgical patients: prospective, randomized, observational study.

Background: Intraoperative cerebral oxygen desaturation was reported to be associated with postoperative cognitive dysfunction in elderly patients. The effect of the anesthesia method on regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO(2)) is still a question under debate. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of three common anesthesia methods on intraoperative rSO(2) changes in elderly patients.