A comparison of pediatric liver transplant anesthesia practices with new organ procurement and transplant network pediatric policy requirements: A report from the society for the advancement of transplant anesthesia and the society for pediatric anesthesia.

Introduction: Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) pediatric policies on knowledge and skill requirements for key personnel failed to address the Director of Anesthesia for Pediatric Liver Transplantation. A Joint Committee representing the Society for the Advancement of Transplant Anesthesia and Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA) surveyed all pediatric anesthesia liver transplant practices to determine if practices were aligned with policies and what changes would be needed for compliance.

Methods: A survey of the Director or equivalent at each program collected data about specialized knowledge and skill sets.

Respiratory physiology at high altitude and considerations for pediatric patients.

Over 150 million people, including many children, live at high altitude (>2500 m) with the majority residing in Asia and South America. With increases in elevation, the partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) is reduced, resulting in a hypobaric hypoxic environment. Fortunately, humans have evolved adaptive processes which serve to acclimate the body to such conditions.

Error traps in pediatric regional anesthesia.

Ultrasound-guided nerve blocks have revolutionized the way we provide regional anesthesia. By providing effective perioperative pain control, regional anesthesia reduces opioid consumption, decreases length of stay, and increases patient/parental satisfaction. However, error traps (circumstances that lead to erroneous actions) can defeat its inherent benefits and may result in adverse outcomes.

Variation in pediatric local anesthetic dosing for peripheral nerve blocks: an analysis from the Pediatric Regional Anesthesia Network (PRAN).

Background: Variation of local anesthetic dosing has been reported for adult peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) and infant caudal blocks. As higher doses of local anesthetics (LA) are potentially associated with increased risk of complications (eg, local anesthetic systemic toxicity), it is important to understand the source of LA dose variation. Using the Pediatric Regional Anesthesia Network (PRAN) database, we aimed to determine if variation in dosing exists in pediatric single-injection PNBs, and what factors influence that variation.

Pediatric Airway Management in COVID-19 Patients: Consensus Guidelines From the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia's Pediatric Difficult Intubation Collaborative and the Canadian Pediatric Anesthesia Society.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) pandemic has challenged medical systems and clinicians globally to unforeseen levels. Rapid spread of COVID-19 has forced clinicians to care for patients with a highly contagious disease without evidence-based guidelines. Using a virtual modified nominal group technique, the Pediatric Difficult Intubation Collaborative (PeDI-C), which currently includes 35 hospitals from 6 countries, generated consensus guidelines on airway management in pediatric anesthesia based on expert opinion and early data about the disease.

Pediatric airway management education and training.

Education in medicine, informed by research findings, is moving away from the traditional apprenticeship model and increasingly embraces new, active learning methodologies. In this article, we will review these methodologies along with adult learning theories; we explore the available evidence on acquisition and maintenance of pediatric airway management skills, including technical and nontechnical skills. We recall the elements of a competency-based curriculum and how they can be applied in pediatric airway skill training and suggest mapping strategies based on research evidence.

Variation Between and Within Hospitals in Single Injection Caudal Local Anesthetic Dose: A Report From the Pediatric Regional Anesthesia Network.

Background: Given that variation exists in health care utilization, expenditure, and medical practice, there is a paucity of data on variation within the practice of anesthesia. The Pediatric Regional Anesthesia Network (PRAN) data lend itself to explore whether different medical practice patterns exist and if there are nerve blocks with more local anesthetic dosing variation than others. The primary aim of this study was to quantify variation in single injection caudal block dosing, and the secondary aim was to explore possible causes for variation (eg, number of blocks performed versus geographic location).

Thoracoscopic Posterior Tracheopexy Is a Feasible and Effective Treatment for Tracheomalacia.

Posterior tracheomalacia is characterized by collapsibility of the posterior trachea and is often present in patients with congenital esophageal atresia (EA) with or without tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF). It can lead to a variety of symptoms from mild expiratory stridor and difficulty clearing secretions to severe respiratory distress, especially in the setting of increased work of breathing. Depending on the severity of symptoms, treatment ranges from medical therapy, including airway clearance techniques, aerosolized medications, and steroids to surgical treatment.

Neurodevelopmental outcome at 5 years of age after general anaesthesia or awake-regional anaesthesia in infancy (GAS): an international, multicentre, randomised, controlled equivalence trial.

Background: In laboratory animals, exposure to most general anaesthetics leads to neurotoxicity manifested by neuronal cell death and abnormal behaviour and cognition. Some large human cohort studies have shown an association between general anaesthesia at a young age and subsequent neurodevelopmental deficits, but these studies are prone to bias. Others have found no evidence for an association.

Anesthesia in the Pediatric Patient.

Improvements in anesthetic drugs and monitoring techniques over the past several decades have significantly reduced the anesthetic risks for pediatric patients. Neonates and infants are at increased risk for cardiovascular and pulmonary complications, and recent reports have led to concern that these young patients may be at risk for long-term detrimental neurodevelopmental effects as well. Although studies are currently under way to answer the question of anesthetic neurotoxicity in children, surgeons and anesthesiologists must work with parents to determine the best course of action for these vulnerable patients.

Virtual reality for lumbar puncture in a morbidly obese patient with leukemia.

Virtual reality is an immersive technology that can provide distraction and anxiolysis during painful procedures. While it has been shown to be effective in less invasive procedures, it is underutilized in more invasive procedures. We describe using virtual reality for a morbidly obese patient with leukemia undergoing lumbar puncture.

Multiple surgeries in pediatric otolaryngology patients and associated anesthesia risks.

Objectives: To determine the risk of healthy children undergoing tympanostomy tubes of an additional surgery prior to age three and associated risk factors.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of pediatric patients at a tertiary metropolitan children's hospital who underwent tympanostomy tube insertion procedure before age of three from January 2010 through March 2015. We determined patient demographics, indication for tympanostomy tube insertion, as well as information about additional procedures requiring general anesthesia before the age of three years.

Complications in Pediatric Regional Anesthesia: An Analysis of More than 100,000 Blocks from the Pediatric Regional Anesthesia Network.

What We Already Know About This Topic: WHAT THIS ARTICLE TELLS US THAT IS NEW: BACKGROUND:: Complications in pediatric regional anesthesia are rare, so a large sample size is necessary to quantify risk. The Pediatric Regional Anesthesia Network contains data on more than 100,000 blocks administered at more than 20 children's hospitals. This study analyzed the risk of major complications associated with regional anesthesia in children.

Pediatric tracheomalacia and the perioperative anesthetic management of thoracoscopic posterior tracheopexy.

Tracheomalacia is a broad term used to describe an abnormally compliant trachea that can lead to exaggerated collapse and obstruction with expiration. We describe the perioperative management of a complex pediatric patient undergoing a posterior tracheopexy which is a relatively new surgical treatment, with a novel surgical approach-thoracoscopy. This procedure has competing surgical and anesthetic needs and presents unique challenges to the physicians involved in caring for these patients.

Estimating pediatric general anesthesia exposure: Quantifying duration and risk.

Introduction: Understanding the duration of pediatric general anesthesia exposure in contemporary practice is important for identifying groups at risk for long general anesthesia exposures and designing trials examining associations between general anesthesia exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis to estimate pediatric general anesthesia exposure duration during 2010-2015 using the National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry.

Results: A total of 1 548 021 pediatric general anesthetics were included.

Videolaryngoscopy versus Fiber-optic Intubation through a Supraglottic Airway in Children with a Difficult Airway: An Analysis from the Multicenter Pediatric Difficult Intubation Registry.

Background: The success rates and related complications of various techniques for intubation in children with difficult airways remain unknown. The primary aim of this study is to compare the success rates of fiber-optic intubation via supraglottic airway to videolaryngoscopy in children with difficult airways. Our secondary aim is to compare the complication rates of these techniques.