Clonidine administration during intraoperative monitoring for pediatric scoliosis surgery: Effects on central and peripheral motor responses.

Objective: To study the effect of clonidine administrated as a co-analgesic during scoliosis surgery, on the neuromonitoring of spinal motor pathways.

Methods: Using standardized intraoperative monitoring, we compared the time course of peripherally and transcranially electrically evoked motor potentials (TcEMEPs) before and after injection of a single bolus of clonidine in children under total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA). MEP data were obtained from 9 patients and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) were obtained from 2 patients.

Crystalloid versus Colloid for Intraoperative Goal-directed Fluid Therapy Using a Closed-loop System: A Randomized, Double-blinded, Controlled Trial in Major Abdominal Surgery.

Background: The type of fluid and volume regimen given intraoperatively both can impact patient outcome after major surgery. This two-arm, parallel, randomized controlled, double-blind, bi-center superiority study tested the hypothesis that when using closed-loop assisted goal-directed fluid therapy, balanced colloids are associated with fewer postoperative complications compared to balanced crystalloids in patients having major elective abdominal surgery.

Methods: One hundred and sixty patients were enrolled in the protocol.

Ultrasound guided internal jugular vein access in children and infant: a meta-analysis of published studies.

Introduction: Central venous catheter placement is technically difficult in pediatric population especially in the younger patients. Ultrasound prelocation and/or guidance (UPG) of internal jugular vein (IJV) access has been shown to decrease failure rate and complications related to this invasive procedure. The goal of the present study was to perform a systematic review of the advantages of UPG over anatomical landmarks (AL) during IJV access in children and infants.