Multicenter Survey on Staff Understanding of Preoperative Fasting Guidelines.

Purpose: To assess the knowledge of nursing staff regarding pediatric preoperative fasting in a tertiary pediatric center and a general hospital.

Design: Anonymous electronic survey with nine questions modified to each institution.

Methods: This was a prospective quantitative study.

Surgical practice and outcome in 711 neonates and infants undergoing hernia repair in a large multicenter RCT: Secondary results from the GAS Study.

Background: The GAS study is an international RCT to evaluate neurodevelopmental outcome comparing general plus regional anesthesia versus regional anesthesia alone in 722 neonates and infants who had inguinal hernia repair up to 60 weeks of postmenstrual age. This paper comprises a secondary descriptive analysis of hernias, aspects of surgery and outcomes.

Methods: The incidence of unilateral and bilateral hernias, side preponderance, predictive factors for bilateral hernias and surgical approaches were collated.

The severity and duration of postoperative pain and analgesia requirements in children after tonsillectomy, orchidopexy, or inguinal hernia repair.

Objectives: To provide parents of children with accurate information regarding postoperative pain, its management, and functioning following common surgical procedures.

Background: The increasing prevalence of pediatric day-case procedures demands a more thorough understanding of the recovery profiles associated with these operations.

Aim: To document postdischarge pain profiles, analgesia requirements, and functional limitation in children following tonsillectomy, orchidopexy, or inguinal hernia repair (IHR).

Postoperative mortality in children after 101,885 anesthetics at a tertiary pediatric hospital.

Background: Mortality is a basic measure for quality and safety in anesthesia. There are few anesthesia-related mortality data available for pediatric practice. Our objective for this study was to determine the incidence of 24-hour and 30-day mortality after anesthesia and to determine the incidence and nature of anesthesia-related mortality in pediatric practice at a large tertiary institution.

Critical incidents and mortality reporting in pediatric anesthesia: the Australian experience.

Since 1960, the collection and analysis of mortality data for anesthesia in Australia has been of significant benefit to practising anesthetists. These figures include pediatric deaths which fortunately have been rare and often inevitable because of severe underlying disease and patient risk factors. The reporting of critical incidents and serious morbidity, on the other hand, has been far less impressive.

Biphasic DC shock cardioverting doses for paediatric atrial dysrhythmias.

Objective: To determine cardioversion doses of biphasic DC shock for paediatric atrial dysrhythmias.

Design: Prospective recording of energy, pre-shock and post-shock rhythms.

Setting: Paediatric hospital.

Study to assess the laryngeal and pharyngeal spread of topical local anesthetic administered orally during general anesthesia in children.

Background: Topical local anesthesia of the airway of anaesthetized children has many potential benefits. In our institution, lignocaine is topically instilled blindly into the back of the mouth with the expectation that it will come into contact with the larynx. The volume and method of application varies between clinicians.

External and internal biphasic direct current shock doses for pediatric ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia.

Objective: To determine energy dose and number of biphasic direct current shocks for pediatric ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT).

Design: Observation of preshock and postshock rhythms, energy doses, and number of shocks.

Setting: Pediatric hospital.

Pressure-created communication between lumens of a multilumen venous catheter.

Objective: To describe the inadvertent creation of a connection between lumens of a multilumen catheter by use of an in-line intravenous hand pressure pump.

Design: Case report.

Setting: Operating theater.

Polyflex stenting of tracheomalacia after surgery for congenital tracheal stenosis.

Polyflex self-expanding stents (Rüsch, Germany) were used in three young children who had presented with life-threatening long-segment tracheal stenosis with bronchial stenosis in two cases. Two children had slide tracheoplasties and subsequently aortic homografts and another tracheal resection and autotracheoplasty. However, in all cases persistent lower tracheal malacia necessitated stenting.

Developmental haemostasis. Impact for clinical haemostasis laboratories.

Developmental haemostasis is a concept, now universally accepted, introduced by Andrew et al. in the late 1980's. However, coagulation analysers and reagents have changed significantly over the past 15 years.

The cardiac analgesic assessment scale (CAAS): a pain assessment tool for intubated and ventilated children after cardiac surgery.

Background: This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the Cardiac Analgesic Assessment Scale (CAAS) as a postoperative pain instrument for children after cardiac surgery.

Methods: Two prospective studies included 69 children (aged 0-16 years) admitted to the intensive care following cardiac surgery with a sternotomy incision. Four concurrent observers performed paired observations with the CAAS or a visual analogue scale (VAS) for 32 patients.