Respiratory Adverse Events After LMA® Mask Removal in Children: A Randomized Trial Comparing Propofol to Sevoflurane.

BACKGROUND: The removal of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA®) in children may be associated with respiratory adverse events. The rate of occurrence of these adverse events may be influenced by the type of anesthesia. Studies comparing total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with propofol and sevoflurane are limited with conflicting data whether propofol is associated with a lower incidence of respiratory events upon removal of LMA as compared to induction and maintenance with sevoflurane. We hypothesized that TIVA with propofol is superior to sevoflurane in providing optimal conditions and improved patient's safety during emergence. METHODS: In this prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial, children aged 6 months to 7 years old were enrolled in 1 of 2 groups: the TIVA group and the sevoflurane group. In both groups, patients were mechanically ventilated. At the end of the procedure, LMAs were removed when patients were physiologically and neurologically recovered to a degree to permit a safe, natural airway. The primary aim of this study was to compare the occurrence of at least 1 respiratory adverse event, the prevalence of individual respiratory adverse events, and the airway hyperreactivity score following emergence from anesthesia between the 2 groups. Secondary outcomes included ease of LMA insertion, quality of anesthesia during the maintenance phase, hemodynamic stability, time to LMA removal, and incidence of emergence agitation. RESULTS: Children receiving TIVA with propofol had a significantly lower incidence (10.8.% vs 36.2%; relative risk, 0.29; 95% CI [0.14-0.64]; P = .001) and lower severity ( P = .01) of respiratory adverse outcomes compared to the patients receiving inhalational anesthesia with sevoflurane. There were no statistically significant differences in secondary outcomes between the 2 groups, except for emergence agitation that occurred more frequently in patients receiving sevoflurane ( P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Propofol induction and maintenance exerted a protective effect on healthy children with minimal risk factors for developing perioperative respiratory complications, as compared to sevoflurane.

Ultrasound-guided arterial cannulation in the paediatric population.

BACKGROUND: In arterial line cannulation in children and adolescents, traditional methods of locating the artery include palpation and Doppler auditory assistance. It is unclear whether ultrasound guidance is superior to these methods. This is an update of a review originally published in 2016. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the benefits and harms of ultrasound guidance compared with traditional techniques (palpation, Doppler auditory assistance) for assisting arterial line placement at all potential sites in children and adolescents. SEARCH METHODS: We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science from inception to 30 October 2022. We also searched four trials registers for ongoing trials, and we checked the reference lists of included studies and relevant reviews for other potentially eligible trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing ultrasound guidance versus other techniques (palpation or Doppler auditory assistance) to guide arterial line cannulation in children and adolescents (aged under 18 years). We planned to include quasi-RCTs and cluster-RCTs. For RCTs with both adult and paediatric populations, we planned to include only the paediatric population data. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently assessed the risk of bias of included trials and extracted data. We used standard Cochrane meta-analytical procedures, and we applied the GRADE method to assess the certainty of evidence. MAIN RESULTS: We included nine RCTs reporting 748 arterial cannulations in children and adolescents (under 18 years of age) undergoing different surgical procedures. Eight RCTs compared ultrasound with palpation, and one compared ultrasound with Doppler auditory assistance. Five studies reported the incidence of haematomas. Seven involved radial artery cannulation and two involved femoral artery cannulation. The people performing arterial cannulation were physicians with different levels of experience. The risk of bias varied across studies, with some studies lacking details of allocation concealment. It was not possible to blind practitioners in any case; this adds a performance bias that is inherent to the type of intervention studied in our review. Compared to traditional methods, ultrasound guidance probably causes a large increase in first-attempt success rates (risk ratio (RR) 2.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.64 to 2.46; 8 RCTs, 708 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) and probably causes a large reduction in the risk of complications such as haematoma formation (RR 0.26, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.47; 5 RCTs, 420 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). No studies reported data about ischaemic damage. Ultrasound guidance probably improves success rates within two attempts (RR 1.78, 95% CI 1.25 to 2.51; 2 RCTs, 134 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) and overall rate of successful cannulation (RR 1.32, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.59; 6 RCTs, 374 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). In addition, ultrasound guidance probably reduces the number of attempts to successful cannulation (mean difference (MD) -0.99 attempts, 95% CI -1.15 to -0.83; 5 RCTs, 368 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) and duration of the cannulation procedure (MD -98.77 seconds, 95% CI -150.02 to -47.52, 5 RCTs, 402 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). More studies are needed to confirm whether the improvement in first-attempt success rates is more pronounced in neonates and younger children compared to older children and adolescents. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: We identified moderate-certainty evidence that ultrasound guidance for arterial cannulation compared with palpation or Doppler auditory assistance improves first-attempt success rate, second-attempt success rate and overall success rate. We also found moderate-certainty evidence that ultrasound guidance reduces the incidence of complications, the number of attempts to successful cannulation and the duration of the cannulation procedure.

Reduction of Nonoperative Time Using the Induction Room, Parallel Processing, and Sugammadex: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: An important variable in the operating room is the nonoperative time (NOT), the time between skin closure on a previous case and skin incision on the following case. Mismanagement of NOT can result in significant financial losses and delays in the operating room (OR) schedule, which can negatively impact efficiency and patient, surgeon, and staff satisfaction. NOT includes general anesthesia induction time (IT), emergence time (ET), and turnover time (TOT), and can be calculated by adding the 3 components. OR efficiency can be increased by applying parallel processing for general anesthesia induction and OR cleaning and reversal of neuromuscular blockade with sugammadex to reduce the 3 components of NOT without compromising patient safety. METHODS: This is a prospective, randomized study of 111 patients 18 to 75 years of age, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I-III, undergoing surgery requiring general anesthesia and muscle relaxation. Patients were randomly assigned to the control group (traditional linear processing for induction of anesthesia and OR cleaning and neuromuscular blockade reversal with neostigmine/glycopyrrolate) and the active group (parallel processing for induction of anesthesia and OR cleaning and neuromuscular blockade reversal with sugammadex). The primary outcome measured is the difference in the NOT. The secondary outcomes are surgeon and patient satisfaction. RESULTS: NOT was significantly shorter in patients who underwent the parallel processing strategy and received sugammadex compared to the patients in the control group (25.0 [18.0-44.0] vs 48.0 [40.0-64.5] minutes; Cliff' delta = 0.57; P < .001). After excluding the cases in the experimental group that were put into sleep in the OR (ie, the first case of the room), IT, ET, TOT, and NOT were further reduced and remained statistically significantly lower than the control group. Satisfaction scores from surgeons were significantly higher in the active group than in the control group (P < .001). There was no significant difference in the satisfaction scores of patients between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that interventions, such as parallel processing during induction of anesthesia and room cleaning instead of linear processing and the use of the faster-acting sugammadex instead of the combination of neostigmine and glycopyrrolate for the reversal of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade, resulted in shorter IT, ET, TOT, and therefore NOT, in addition to higher surgeon's satisfaction.

Automated versus conventional perioperative glycemic control in adult diabetic patients undergoing open heart surgery.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative glycemic variability is associated with increased risks of mortality and morbidity and an increased incidence of hyperglycemia after cardiac surgery. Accordingly, clinicians tend to use a tight glucose control to maintain perioperative blood glucose levels and therefore the need to develop a less laborious automated glucose control system is important especially in diabetic patients at a higher risk of developing complications. METHODS: Patients, aged between 40 and 75 years old, undergoing open heart surgery were randomized to either an automated protocol (experimental) or to the conventional technique at our institution (control). RESULTS: We showed that the percentage of patients maintained between 7.8-10 mmol.l-1 was not statistically different between the two groups, however, through an additional analysis, we showed that the proportion of patients whose glucose levels maintained between a safety level of 6.7-10 mmol.l-1 was significantly higher in the experimental group compared to control group, 14 (26.7%) vs 5 (17.2%) P = 0.025. In addition, the percentage of patients who had at least one intraoperative hyperglycemic event was significantly higher in the control group compared to the experimental group, 17 (58.6%) vs 5 (16.7%), P < 0.001 with no hypoglycemic events in the experimental group compared to two events in the control group. We also showed that longer surgeries can benefit more from using the automated glucose control system, particularly surgeries lasting more than 210 min. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the automated glucose control pump in diabetic patients undergoing open heart surgeries maintained most of the patients within a predefined glucose range with a very low incidence of hyperglycemic events and no incidence of hypoglycemic events. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT # NCT03314272 , Principal investigator Roland Kaddoum, date of registration: 19/10/2017).

Half dose sugammadex combined with neostigmine is non-inferior to full dose sugammadex for reversal of rocuronium-induced deep neuromuscular blockade: a cost-saving strategy.

BACKGROUND: Sugammadex reverses the effect of rocuronium more rapidly and effectively than neostigmine, at all levels of neuromuscular blockade (NMB). However, its cost is prohibitive. The combination of half dose sugammadex with neostigmine would be non-inferior to full dose sugammadex for the reversal of deep NMB. This approach would reduce the cost of sugammadex while preserving its efficacy. METHODS: Patients were randomly allocated to receive sugammadex 4 mg/kg (Group S) or sugammadex 2 mg/kg with neostigmine 50 µg/kg and glycopyrrolate 10 µg/kg (Group NS) for reversal of rocuronium deep NMB. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients who recovered to 90% Train of Four (TOF) ratio within 5 min. The non-inferiority margin was set at 10%. RESULTS: Twenty eight patients were enrolled in each group. The number of patients who reached 90% TOF ratio within 5 min was 27 out of 28 (96%) in group S versus 25 out of 28 (89%) in group NS by intention-to-treat (difference: 7%, 95% CI of the difference: -9% to 24%). The number of patients who reached 90% TOF ratio within 5 min was 26 out of 26 (100%) in group S versus 23 out of 25 (92%) in group NS by per-protocol (difference: 8%, 95% CI of the difference: -6% to 25%). CONCLUSIONS: Sugammadex 2 mg/kg with neostigmine 50 µg/kg was at worst 9% and 6% less effective than sugammadex 4 mg/kg by intention-to-treat and by per-protocol analysis respectively. Hence, the combination is non-inferior to the recommended dose of sugammadex. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT 02375217 , registered on February 11, 2015.

Causes of cancellations on the day of surgery at a Tertiary Teaching Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Cancellation of elective scheduled operations on the day of surgery leads to an inefficient use of operating room (OR) time and a waste of resources. It also causes inconvenience for patients and families. Moreover, day of surgery (DOS) cancellation creates logistic and financial burden associated with extended hospital stay and repetitions of pre-operative preparations as well as opportunity costs of lost time and missed income. The objective of this study is to establish the rate of elective surgical cases cancellations on the day of surgery and the reasons for these cancellations stratified by avoidable versus unavoidable within a tertiary care teaching hospital in Beirut, Lebanon as well as recommend appropriate solutions. METHOD: This is a prospective audit of the operation theatre list over a period of eight months (January 1, 2013-August 30, 2013). All patients scheduled to undergo elective surgeries at the hospital from January-August 2013 were included. An assigned OR staff recorded the cancelled cases in real time. The assigned staff confirmed the cancellation reason and added additional explanation if necessary by calling patients or through direct inquiry of clerical and/or clinical staff the following day. A Pareto chart was constructed to prioritize the reasons that accounted for 80 % of the avoidable surgical cancellations. RESULTS: For the given study period, 5929 elective surgeries were performed, of which 261 cases (4.4 %) were cancelled on the day of surgery. 187 cases (or 71.6 %) were judged as potentially avoidable cancellations versus 74 (28.4 %) that were judged as unavoidable. Of the 187 potentially avoidable cancellations, lack of financial clearance, incomplete medical evaluation, patient not showing up for surgery, and OR behind schedule accounted for almost 80 % of the causes. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the majority of cancellations were deemed avoidable and hospital related. A day of surgery cancellation rate less than 2 % is attainable. Determining the major avoidable contributors to DOS cancellations is an essential first step to developing appropriate interventions to improve operating theater efficiency. Recommended interventions were presented accordingly.

Femoral arterial cannulation performed by residents: a comparison between ultrasound-guided and palpation technique in infants and children undergoing cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous cannulation of the femoral artery in the pediatric age group can be technically challenging, especially when performed by residents in training. OBJECTIVE: We examined whether the use of real-time ultrasound guidance is superior to a palpation landmark technique for femoral artery catheterization in children undergoing heart surgery. METHODS: Patients were prospectively randomized into two groups. In the palpation group, the femoral artery was cannulated using the traditional landmark method of palpation of arterial pulse. In the ultrasound group, cannulation was guided by real-time scanning with an ultrasound probe. Ten minutes were set as time limit for the resident's trials during which the time taken for attempted cannulation (primary outcome), number of attempts, number of successful cannulations on first attempt, and success rate were compared between the two groups. Adverse events were monitored on postoperative days 1 and 3. RESULTS: A total of 106 patients were included in the study. The time taken for attempted femoral artery cannulation was shorter (301 ± 234 vs 420 ± 248 s; difference in mean: 119; 95% confidence interval (CI) of difference: 26-212; P = 0.012) and the number of attempts was lower [1 (1-10) vs 2 (1-5); difference in median: 1, 95% CI of difference: 0.28-1.72; P = 0.003] in the ultrasound group compared with the palpation group. The number of successful cannulations on first attempt was higher in the ultrasound group compared with palpation group [24/53 (45%) vs 13/53 (25%); odds ratio (OR): 2.54, 95% CI: 1.11-5.82; P = 0.025]. The number of patients who had successful cannulation was 31 of 55 (58%) in the palpation group and 40 of 53 (75%) in the ultrasound group (OR: 2.18, 95% CI: 0.95-5.01; P = 0.06). None of the patients had adverse events at days 1 and 3. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound-guided femoral arterial cannulation in children when performed by anesthesia residents is superior to the palpation technique based on the reduction of the time taken for attempted cannulation and the number of attempts, and improvement in first attempt success.

Predictors of postoperative pain and analgesic requirements following abdominal hysterectomy: an observational study.

PURPOSE: A prospective observational study is conducted to identify independent predictors of pain and morphine consumption following abdominal hysterectomy. METHODS: Preoperative State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Numerical Rating Scales (NRS) for anxiety and pain expectations, thermal pain thresholds and pain scores at forearm and incision site, and pain scores generated from the insertion of an intravenous catheter were measured in female patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy. Pearson correlations between the predictors and the two outcome measures postoperative pain scores and morphine consumption were studied and multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify independent predictors (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes included cut-off values of predictive tools for morphine consumption. RESULTS: Data from 60 patients were analyzed. STAI state anxiety, NRS pain expectations, and NRS anxiety scores were identified as independent predictors of postoperative morphine consumption. We identified a cut-off value of 4.5 (sensitivity 90 %, specificity of 60 %) for the NRS anxiety and a cut-off of 42.5 (sensitivity 70 %, specificity 70 %) for the state anxiety STAI score for increased postoperative morphine consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative STAI state anxiety scores and NRS pain expectations are independent predictors for increased morphine consumption following hysterectomy. The STAI state anxiety tool and NRS 0-10 anxiety tool can be used interchangeably. The NRS 0-10 anxiety is a much simpler tool than STAI state anxiety and is associated with a higher sensitivity for high morphine consumption. Thermal pain thresholds and IV pain scores were not predictive of postoperative morphine consumption.

Effects of Circuit Leak Development Over Time and Response During Low-Flow Volume and Pressure-Controlled Ventilation.

Study Objective: To study the effects of circuit leak development over time and response during volume and pressure controlled ventilation using low flow in human patient simulator and to examine the minimum fresh gas flow needed to compensate for such a leak. Design/Setting: Prospective study using a patient Simulation Lab at Wayne State University. Measurements: A human patient simulator was endotracheally intubated. The endotracheal tube (ETT) was connected to the Datex-Ohmeda AS/3 Anesthesia machine. The tidal volume was set to 500ml in the volume controlled trial and the pressure to 6cm H2O in the pressure controlled trial. A hole was created in each experiment placed 10 cm after the inspiratory valve. Leaks were simulated from holes using 4 different needle diameters: 25, 21, 18 and 16G. A series of data were collected using fresh gas flow at 4 different flow rates (0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 liters.min-1). Data was measured at different time points (baseline, 1, 3 and 5 minutes) in the series of simulated leaking breathing circuits. Results: Leak alarms were only detected with 16G hole at 5 minutes in the volume control mode versus leaks at 3 minutes with 16G hole and at 5 minutes with 18G hole in the pressure control mode. Conclusion: When a very low flow of 0.5 L/min is used, volume control is safer than pressure control modes.

ESOPHAGEAL PERFORATION FOLLOWING OROGASTRIC SUCTION CATHETER INSERTION IN AN ELDERLY PATIENT.

Esophageal rupture has been described following iatrogenic manipulation. In this report, we present an elderly lady admitted to the operative theater for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Multiple intra-operative attempts to place a flexible orogastric tube were unsuccessful because of failure to advance. Post-operatively, the patient developed sepsis and a right pleural effusion. She was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit and she was treated with antibiotics. Radiologic evaluation confirmed an esophago-pleural fistula. Surgical repair was urgently performed for closure of fistula and lung decortication. The patient recovered and was discharged home.

Accidental dural puncture, postdural puncture headache, intrathecal catheters, and epidural blood patch: revisiting the old nemesis.

One of the controversial management options for accidental dural puncture in pregnant patients is the conversion of labor epidural analgesia to continuous spinal analgesia by threading the epidural catheter intrathecally. No clear consensus exists on how to best prevent severe headache from occurring after accidental dural puncture. To investigate whether the intrathecal placement of an epidural catheter following accidental dural puncture impacts the incidence of postdural puncture headache (PDPH) and the subsequent need for an epidural blood patch in parturients. A retrospective chart review of accidental dural puncture was performed at Hutzel Women's Hospital in Detroit, MI, USA for the years 2002-2010. Documented cases of accidental dural punctures (N = 238) were distributed into two groups based on their management: an intrathecal catheter (ITC) group in which the epidural catheter was inserted intrathecally and a non-intrathecal catheter (non-ITC) group that received the epidural catheter inserted at different levels of lumbar interspaces. The incidence of PDPH as well as the necessity for epidural blood patch was analyzed using two-tailed Fisher's exact test. In the non-ITC group, 99 (54 %) parturients developed PDPH in comparison to 20 (37 %) in the ITC [odds ratio (OR), 1.98; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.06-3.69; P = 0.03]. Fifty-seven (31 %) of 182 patients in the non-ITC group required an epidural blood patch (EBP) (data for 2 patients of 184 were missing). In contrast, 7 (13 %) of parturients in the ITC group required an EBP. The incidence of EBP was calculated in parturients who actually developed headache to be 57 of 99 (57 %) in the non-ITC group versus 7 of 20 (35 %) in the ITC group (OR, 2.52; 95 % CI, 0.92-6.68; P = 0.07). The insertion of an intrathecal catheter following accidental dural puncture decreases the incidence of PDPH but not the need for epidural blood patch in parturients.

Simulation training in endotracheal intubation in a pediatric residency.

BACKGROUND: Airway management and endotracheal intubation are essential skills for pediatric residents. Simulation-based technology is used for training residents but it remains unclear whether high fidelity simulation results in better retention of skills compared to low fidelity. The study assesses high fidelity simulation of endotracheal intubation and traditional low fidelity training in improving pediatric residents' knowledge retention and technical skills; and if the difference translates into higher "real time" intubation success rates. METHODS: Second and third year pediatric residents were randomized into high fidelity (intervention) or low fidelity simulation (control) groups. Airway management and intubation skills were taught using a didactic lecture and demonstration on low fidelity mannequins. Knowledge was assessed before randomization (T0) and 6 months after training (T6). Other outcome measures were: 1) airway management and intubation skills at T6 and T12 (12 months later) and 2) successful intubation of actual patients by T12. RESULTS: 10 out of 11 residents completed the intervention. Theoretical knowledge improved for both groups. Participants made less mistakes (M) overtime: M (T0) = 3.2 and M (T6) = 2.6 for the intervention group, and M (T0) = 4 and M (T6) = 2.40 for the control. There was no significant effect of fidelity on intubation skills or the number of successful intubations recorded in logbooks (allp > 0.05). In some instances intubation skills showed regression over time. CONCLUSION: High fidelity simulation showed no impact on residents' airway management and intubation skills. Retention of theoretical knowledge persisted over time while practical skills remained at baseline or declined.

The effect of the addition of nefopam to intraoperative ketoprofen and acetaminophen on postoperative morphine requirements after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Few studies investigated the use of nefopam for pain control after laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the context of multimodal analgesia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding nefopam to ketoprofen and acetaminophen given before the end of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: In this double-blind, controlled study, 90 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy during sevoflurane-dexmedetomidine-based anesthesia were randomized to receive either ketoprofen and acetaminophen or nefopam, ketoprofen, and acetaminophen for postoperative pain control before the end of surgery. The primary outcome was total morphine consumption in the Postanesthesia Care Unit (PACU). RESULTS: PACU morphine consumption was significantly lower in the experimental group compared to the control group (0.9±1.8 mg vs. 2.3±2.4 mg, respectively; P=0.004, Cohen's d=0.63). In the experimental group, a smaller proportion of patients received morphine in PACU (24% vs. 60%, respectively; P=0.001), morphine during the first 24 hours after surgery (47% vs. 77%, respectively; P=0.004), and acetaminophen on the floor (76% vs. 93%, respectively; P=0.039) compared with the control group. The average pain score during PACU stay was also significantly lower in the experimental group (1.7±2.0 vs. 2.7±2.0, P=0.01). Median time to first morphine requirement (44.0 minutes, 95% CI [(31.96 to, 52.21)] was shorter in the control group than in the experimental group (higher than the 90 minutes-last time point taken in PACU). CONCLUSIONS: Adding nefopam to ketoprofen and acetaminophen before the end of laparoscopic cholecystectomy provides a reduction in morphine consumption with superior analgesia in PACU.

The effects of propofol on cerebral perfusion MRI in children.

INTRODUCTION: The effects of anesthesia are infrequently considered when interpreting pediatric perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The objectives of this study were to test for measurable differences in MR measures of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) between non-sedated and propofol-sedated children, and to identify influential factors. METHODS: Supratentorial cortical CBF and CBV measured by dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion MRI in 37 children (1.8-18 years) treated for infratentorial brain tumors receiving propofol (IV, n = 19) or no sedation (NS, n = 18) were compared between groups and correlated with age, hematocrit (Hct), end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2), dose, weight, and history of radiation therapy (RT). The model most predictive of CBF and CBV was identified by multiple linear regression. RESULTS: Anterior cerebral artery (ACA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory CBF were significantly lower, and MCA territory CBV greater (p = 0.03), in IV than NS patients (p = 0.01, 0.04). The usual trend of decreasing CBF with age was reversed with propofol in ACA and MCA territories (r = 0.53, r = 0.47; p < 0.05). ACA and MCA CBF (r = 0.59, 0.49; p < 0.05) and CBV in ACA, MCA, and posterior cerebral artery territories (r = 0.73, 0.80, 0.52; p < 0.05) increased with weight in propofol-sedated children, with no significant additional influence from age, ETCO2, hematocrit, or RT. CONCLUSION: In propofol-sedated children, usual age-related decreases in CBF were reversed, and increases in CBF and CBV were weight-dependent, not previously described. Weight-dependent increases in propofol clearance may diminish suppression of CBF and CBV. Prospective study is required to establish anesthetic-specific models of CBF and CBV in children.

Harlequin syndrome during peripheral cardiopulmonary bypass in a patient with an obstructing tracheal schwannoma: A case report.

Surgical resection of obstructive tracheal tumors can be challenging to cardiothoracic surgeons and anesthesiologists. It is often difficult in these cases to maintain oxygenation by face mask ventilation during induction of general anesthesia. Also, the extent and location of these tracheal tumors can preclude conventional induction of general anesthesia and subsequent successful endotracheal intubation. Peripheral cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) under local anesthesia and mild intravenous sedation may be safe to support the patient until securing a definitive airway. We describe a case of a 19-year-old female with a tracheal schwannoma, who developed differential hypoxemia (Harlequin, or North-South, syndrome) after institution of awake peripheral femorofemoral venoarterial (VA) partial CBP.

A randomized controlled trial comparing the AccuVein AV300 device to standard insertion technique for intravenous cannulation of anesthetized children.

OBJECTIVES AND AIMS: To evaluate the efficacy of the AccuVein AV300 device in improving the first-time success rate of intravenous cannulation of anesthetized pediatric patients. BACKGROUND: The AccuVein AV300 device was developed to assist venepuncture and intravenous cannulation by enhancing the visibility of superficial veins. It uses infrared light to highlight hemoglobin so that blood vessels are darkly delineated against a red background. METHODS/MATERIALS: Patients were randomized to cannulation with the AccuVein AV300 device or standard insertion by experienced pediatric anesthesiologists. An observer recorded the number of skin punctures and cannulation attempts required, and the time between tourniquet application and successful cannulation or four skin punctures, whichever came first. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: There were 146 patients with a median age of 4.6 years (range, 0.18-17.1 years), 46.6% were male, 80.8% were light skin colored, and 15.7% were younger than 2 years. The first-attempt success rates were 75% (95% CI, 63.8-84.2%) using AV300 and 73% (95% CI, 61.9-81.9%) using the standard method (P = 0.85). Patients with dark or medium skin color were 0.38 times less likely to have a successful first attempt than patients with light skin color. The difference between the two treatment groups in number of skin punctures and the time to insertion was not significant. Although the AV300 was easy to use and improved visualization of the veins, we found no evidence that it was superior to the standard method of intravenous cannulation in unselected pediatric patients under anesthesia.

The effect of adjuvant drugs on the quality of tracheal intubation without muscle relaxants in children: a systematic review of randomized trials.

Intubation without prior administration of muscle relaxants is a common practice in children. However, succinylcholine may be considered as the golden standard for optimizing intubating conditions. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to identify drug combinations that included induction of anesthesia with sevoflurane or propofol. Our aim was to select drug combinations that yield excellent intubating conditions ≥80%; we identified six combinations in children aged 1-9 years. Sevoflurane with remifentanil (1 or 2 µg·kg(-1) ), lidocaine (2 mg·kg(-1) ), or propofol (2 mg·kg(-1) ) as the adjuvant shared the following characteristics: premedication with midazolam and/or ketamine, long sevoflurane exposure time, high inspired and endtidal sevoflurane concentration, and assisted ventilation. One combination using sevoflurane with propofol (3 mg·kg(-1) ) without premedication, with shorter sevoflurane exposure time, and spontaneous breathing indicated that propofol may be the adjuvant of choice for a rapid sevoflurane induction. The only adjuvant identified in propofol induction was remifentanil (4 µg·kg(-1) ). No serious adverse events were reported with these combinations.