Anesthesia for children with anterior mediastinal masses.

Children with an anterior mediastinal mass may have cardiopulmonary compromise that can be exacerbated under general anesthesia. Signs and symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, stridor, orthopnea, accessory muscle use, a history of respiratory arrest, and the presence of a pleural effusion and upper body edema are predictive of perioperative complications. A larger mediastinal mass on imaging is predictive of perioperative complications.

Comparison of the Cobalt Glidescope video laryngoscope with conventional laryngoscopy in simulated normal and difficult infant airways.

Aim: To evaluate the new pediatric Glidescope (Cobalt GVL Stat) by assessing the time taken to tracheal intubation under normal and difficult intubation conditions. We hypothesized that the Glidescope would perform as well as conventional laryngoscopy.

Background: A new pediatric Glidescope became available in October 2008.

An evaluation of pain and postoperative nausea and vomiting following the introduction of guidelines for tonsillectomy.

Background: Tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy have a high incidence of postoperative pain, and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Pain is traditionally controlled with morphine but this increases the risk of PONV and may cause respiratory depression. Antiemetics reduce PONV but their routine use has been questioned on safety grounds.

Efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of levobupivacaine with and without fentanyl after continuous epidural infusion in children: a multicenter trial.

Background: Levobupivacaine, the levo-enantiomer of bupivacaine, is as potent as bupivacaine but less toxic. Therefore, the authors investigated the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of perioperative epidural levobupivacaine with and without fentanyl in children.

Methods: After Research Ethics Board approval and informed written consent, 120 healthy children aged 6 months to 12 yr who were scheduled to undergo urologic or abdominal surgery were randomized in a double-blinded and concealed manner to receive one of four epidural solutions as a continuous infusion for 24 h: 0.

Pharmacokinetics of propofol infusions in critically ill neonates, infants, and children in an intensive care unit.

Background: Propofol is a commonly used anesthetic induction agent in pediatric anesthesia that, until recently, was used with caution as an intravenous infusion agent for sedation in pediatric intensive care. Few data have described propofol kinetics in critically ill children.

Methods: Twenty-one critically ill ventilated children aged 1 week to 12 yr were sedated with 4-6 mg.