Intraoperative hypotension in neonates: when and how should we intervene?

Purpose Of Review: Organ hypoperfusion remains an important cause of postoperative morbidity in neonates. Blood pressure (BP) is frequently mistakenly used as a surrogate of organ perfusion and the predictive value of BP for outcome is unclear. The current article will focus on the role of BP in the optimization of organ perfusion during anaesthesia in neonates.

Use of unannounced spaced telephone testing to improve retention of knowledge after life-support courses.

Background: Life-support courses improve knowledge and skills but attrition of factual knowledge is considerable. There is evidence that retention can be improved by spaced testing.

Aim: To investigate the effect of spaced testing on retention of knowledge after a life-support course.

The effect of the APLS-course on self-efficacy and its relationship to behavioural decisions in paediatric resuscitation.

Aims: Self-efficacy may predict performance following life-support training but may be negatively influenced by experiences during training. To investigate both this and the use of self-efficacy in self-assessment we investigated the relationship between self-efficacy and measured performance during a simulated resuscitation, and the effect of death of a simulated patient on self-efficacy.

Materials And Methods: Consultant and trainee paediatricians and anaesthesiologists scored their self-efficacy for paediatric resuscitation skills before taking an unannounced simulated resuscitation test and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE)-tests of chest compressions and bag- and mask-ventilation.

A practical approach to paediatric emergencies in the radiology department.

Acute life-threatening events involving children in the radiology department are rare. Nonetheless, radiologists should be competent in the relatively simple procedures required to maintain or restore vital functions in paediatric patients, particularly if their practice involves seriously ill or sedated children. This article gives a practical overview of the immediate management of paediatric emergencies that the radiologist is likely to encounter, using a structured (ABCD) approach.

Continuing medical education in pediatric anesthesia--a theoretical overview.

The importance of continuing medical education (CME) as a method of improving the quality of care of children undergoing anesthesia is universally recognized. This article, which is based on a presentation at the FEAPA European Conference on Paediatric Anaesthesia in September 2007 in Amsterdam, gives a theoretical overview of continuing education and introduces some generic educational concepts, such as the CRISIS-criteria and Kirkpatrick's evaluation model, which are as relevant to pediatric anesthesia as to other areas of medical practice. The terms CME and continuing professional develop are described.

The effect of the Advanced Paediatric Life Support course on perceived self-efficacy and use of resuscitation skills.

Background: Perceived self-efficacy is a predictor of behaviour and therefore an important dimension of resuscitation training which may have consequences for patient care. The Advanced Paediatric Life Support (APLS) course makes use of techniques which would be expected to increase self-efficacy. We examined the effect of this course on perceived self-efficacy in respect of resuscitation skills and on the use of these skills.