TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Anesthesia for Children A1 - Everett, Lucinda L. A2 - Longnecker, David E. A2 - Mackey, Sean C. A2 - Newman, Mark F. A2 - Sandberg, Warren S. A2 - Zapol, Warren M. PY - 2017 T2 - Anesthesiology, 3e AB - KEY POINTSOverall, pediatric anesthesia is extremely safe in the hands of experienced providers. Factors that may increase risk include age younger than 1 year and coexisting disease. Careful attention to maintenance of a patent airway is critical to the safe care of infants and children.One of the challenges of pediatric anesthesia for trainees is selecting appropriately sized equipment and supplies. Endotracheal tubes are generally selected to yield a leak at 15- 30 cm H2O. Cuffed tubes are now commonly used in pediatric patients. Straight blades are most commonly used for intubation in infants; the usual choices are Miller 0 for neonates and Miller 1 for infants. A Wis-Hipple 1.5 blade is often used in toddlers, with progression to Macintosh size 2 for children 3 years and older.The physiologic and psychological contexts must be considered in planning an anesthetic for any child. Premedication and parental presence may be appropriate for children. Induction of anesthesia for elective surgery in young children frequently is accomplished by inhalation of a volatile anesthetic. Sevoflurane is the most common choice in modern practice based on the drug’s rapid effect, low degree of airway irritation, and cardiovascular stability.Succinylcholine is not used routinely in children because of the potential for hyperkalemia in undiagnosed myopathy. Succinylcholine may still be used when indicated for rapid-sequence induction or treatment of laryngospasm.Regional anesthesia is a useful adjunct to general anesthesia in children for a variety of procedures. Surgery with a regional anesthetic alone is uncommon in young children; with the exception of spinal anesthesia in premature infants at risk for postoperative apnea. For common outpatient surgery such as hernia repair or orchidopexy, caudal blockade with a local anesthetic such as ropivacaine provides good intraoperative and postoperative analgesia. Epidural catheters also may be placed in children for more major procedures and generally are placed after induction of general anesthesia in children who are too young to cooperate. Peripheral blocks, particularly with ultrasound, and transverse abdominis plane (TAP) blocks have gained popularity in pediatric anesthesia in recent years.Selection of an appropriate plan for postoperative analgesia is important for both inpatient and outpatient situations. Adequate doses of acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs when not contraindicated, and regional anesthesia may be appropriate in addition to or in place of opioid analgesia, depending on the procedure.Postoperative vomiting is common in children and may occur more frequently during certain procedures, such as strabismus surgery, and in patients with a history of motion sickness or postoperative vomiting. Prophylaxis frequently includes use of a 5-hydroxytryptamine 3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonist or a steroid such as dexamethasone. Because of restrictions on the use of droperidol, 5-HT3 receptor antagonists are generally used as first-line treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting in children.Emergence agitation occurs in a significant number of toddlers and young children, particularly after use of a volatile anesthetic. Appropriate analgesia and possibly supplemental sedation may be helpful. The results in the literature are mixed as to whether there is a causal relationship between specific agents such as sevoflurane and emergence agitation in children. Patient ... SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/04/18 UR - accessanesthesiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1144132810 ER -