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Pediatric procedure‐related pain management is often incompletely understood, inadequately addressed, and critical in influencing a child's lifelong relationship with the larger healthcare community. We present a comprehensive review of infiltrative anesthetics, including a comparison of their mechanisms of action and relative safety and efficacy data to help guide clinical selection. We also describe the multimodal utilization of adjunct therapies—in series and in parallel—to support the optimization of pediatric periprocedural pain management, enhance the patient experience, and provide alternatives to sedation medication and general anesthesia. In this second of a two‐part series, we present a comprehensive review of infiltrative anesthetics, including a comparison of their mechanisms of action and relative safety and efficacy data to help guide clinical selection. We also describe the multimodal utilization of adjunct therapies—in series and in parallel—to support the optimization of pediatric periprocedural pain management, enhance the patient experience, and provide alternatives to sedation medication and general anesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pediatric procedure‐related pain management is often incompletely understood, inadequately addressed, and critical in influencing a child's lifelong relationship with the larger health care community. We highlight the evolution of ethics and expectations around optimizing periprocedural pain management as a fundamental human right. We investigate the state‐of‐the‐art of topical anesthetics, reviewing their mechanisms of action and providing comparisons of their relative safety and efficacy data to help guide clinical selection. In total, this two‐part review offers a combination of conventional approaches and innovative techniques that should be used multimodally—in series and in parallel—to help optimize pain management and provide alternatives to sedation medication and general anesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the applicability of on table extubation (OTE) protocol following congenital cardiac surgery in a low-resource setting and its impact on the length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, hospital stay, hospitalization cost, parental anxiety, and nurse anxiety. Materials and Methods: In this prospective, nonrandomized, observational single-center study, we included all children above 1 year of age undergoing congenital cardiac surgery. We evaluated them for the feasibility of OTE using a prespecified protocol following separation from cardiopulmonary bypass. The data were prospectively collected on 60 children more than 1 year of age, belonging to the Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery 1, 2, 3, and 4 groups and divided into two groups: those who underwent successful OTE and those who were ventilated for any duration postoperatively (30 children in each group). Duration of hospital stay, ICU stay, and total hospital cost were collected. Anxiety levels of the primary caregiver (nurse) in the ICU and the mother were assessed immediately after the arrival of the child in the ICU using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results: Children who were extubated immediately following congenital cardiac surgery had significantly shorter ICU stay (median 20 [19, 22] h vs. 22 [20, 43] h [P < 0.05]). Patients extubated on table had a significant reduction in hospital cost {median Rs. 161,000 (138,330; 211,900), approximately USD 1970 (P < 0.05)} when compared to children who were ventilated postoperatively {median Rs. 201,422 (151,211; 211,900), approximately USD 2464}. The anxiety level in mothers was significantly less when their child was extubated in the operating room (STAI 36.5 ± 5.4 vs. 47.4 ± 7.4, P < 0.001). However, for the same subset of patients, anxiety level was significantly higher in the ICU nurse (STAI 46.0 ± 5.6 vs. 37.8 ± 4.1, P < 0.05). Conclusion: OTE following congenital cardiac surgery is associated with a shorter duration of ICU stay and hospital stay. It also reduces the total hospital cost and the anxiety level in mothers of children undergoing congenital heart surgery. However, the primary bedside caregiver during the child's ICU stay had increased anxiety managing patients with OTE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The signaling pathway genes ced-12 and elmo-1 participate in the phagocytosis and cell migration in Caenorhabditis elegans and mammals, respectively. Data indicate that CED12/ELMO-1 binds directly to CED-5/Dock180 and stimulates a Rac-GEF, which leads to Rac1 activation.

Each year millions of young children undergo procedures requiring sedation or general anesthesia. An increasing proportion of the anesthetics used are provided to optimize diagnostic imaging studies such as magnetic resonance imaging. Concern regarding the neurotoxicity of sedatives and anesthetics has prompted the US Food and Drug Administration to change labeling of anesthetics and sedative agents warning against repeated or prolonged exposure in young children. This review aims to summarize the risk of anesthesia in children with an emphasis on anesthetic-related neurotoxicity, acknowledge the value of pediatric neuroimaging, and address this call for conversation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noise and excessive, unwanted sound in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is common and has a major impact on patients' sleep and recovery. Previous research has focused mostly on absolute noise levels or included only staff as respondents to acknowledge the causes of noise and to plan for its reduction. Thus far, the suggested interventions have not ameliorated noise, and it continues to serve as a barrier to recovery. In addition to surveying PICU providers through internet-based software, patients' families were evaluated through in-person interviews utilizing a pretested instrument over 3 months. Families of patients admitted for more than 24 h were considered eligible for evaluation. Participants were asked to rank causes of noise from 1 to 8, with eight being highest, and identified potential interventions as effective or ineffective. In total, 50 families from 251 admissions and 65 staff completed the survey. Medical alarms were rated highest (mean ± standard deviation [SD], 4.9 ± 2.1 [2.8-7.0]), followed by noise from medical equipment (mean ± SD, 4.7 ± 2.1 [2.5-6.8]). This response was consistent among PICU providers and families. Suggested interventions to reduce noise included keeping a patient's room door closed, considered effective by 93% of respondents (98% of staff; 88% of families), and designated quiet times, considered effective by 82% (80% of staff; 84% of families). Keeping the patient's door closed was the most effective strategy among survey respondents. Most families and staff considered medical alarms an important contributor to noise level. Because decreasing the volume of alarms such that it cannot be heard is inappropriate, alternative strategies to alert staff of changes in vital signs should be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propylene glycol (PG) is a solvent commonly used in medications that, while benign at low doses, may cause toxicity in adults and children at high doses. We describe a case and the physiologic sequelae of propylene glycol toxicity manifested in a critically ill adolescent male with refractory myoclonic status epilepticus aggressively treated with multiple PG-containing medications (lorazepam, phenobarbital, and pentobarbital)—all within accepted dosing guidelines and a total daily PG exposure previously recognized to be safe. Hemodynamic measurements by bedside echocardiography during clinical toxicity are also reported. Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for propylene glycol toxicity in patients treated with PG-containing medications even when the total PG exposure is lower than currently accepted limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the effect of acute lung injury on the frequency spectra of breath sounds, we made serial acoustic recordings from nondependent, midlung and dependent regions of both lungs in ten 35- to 45-kg anesthetized, intubated, and mechanically ventilated pigs during development of acute lung injury induced with intravenous oleic acid in prone or supine position. Oleic acid injections rapidly produced severe derangements in the gas exchange and mechanical properties of the lung, with an average increase in venous admixture from 16 ± 12 to 62 ± 16% (P 0.01), and a reduction in dynamic respiratory system compliance from 25 ± 4 to 14 ± 4 ml/cmH2O(P 0.01). A concomitant increase in sound power was seen in all lung regions (P < 0.05), predominantly in frequencies 150-800 Hz. The deterioration in gas exchange and lung mechanics correlated best with concurrent spectral changes in the nondependent lung regions. Acute lung injury increases the power of breath sounds likely secondary to redistribution of ventilation from collapsed to aerated parts of the lung and improved sound transmission in dependent, consolidated areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review of literature on the preparation of anesthesia workstations for patients with malignant hyperthermia (MH) is presented. MH is characterized as a potentially fatal genetic disorder triggered by exposure to volatile anesthetic gases and succinylcholine. The treatment protocol developed by the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS) is discussed. Overview of research related to anesthesia workstations and MH is also presented. The authors notes the need to develop guidelines for the preparation of anesthesia workstation.