Our Pediatric Anesthesia and Analgesia Practice After Two Following Devastating Earthquakes in Turkey.

Background: In 2023, due to two earthquakes with high destructive power, over 46000 people died and a very high number of injured people admitted to the hospitals in Türkiye. Especially child victims were mostly transferred to our hospital from the disaster regions.Thus hours after the two earthquakes, we performed anesthesia. The purpose of this study is to represent our anesthetic and analgesic managements of children victims of the earthquake aged between 10 days- and 18- years old children who underwent several consecutive surgeries. Material and Method: This current study was analyzed retrospectively using the medical data of all pediatric patients operated in the pediatric anesthesia department's operating rooms of our hospital. Demographic data, surgical procedures, anesthesia and analgesia methods, consecutive surgical practices, intensive care needs, presence of crush syndrome and acute renal failure, applied hemodialysis, mortality and morbidity of pediatric patients were reviewed. Results and Discussion: It was determined that a total of 216 surgical procedures were performed in 78 children. Anesthesia and clinical followups of a total of 78 pediatric patients who were operated in our hospital due to two earthquakes were analyzed. Surgeries of the children started on the 2nd day of the earthquakes and continued until the first month with gradually decreasing number. The most commonly performed surgeries are orthopedic surgeries such as fasciotomy for compartment syndrome, multiple fractures and limb amputations at different levels. In this process, patients who were included in the hemodialysis program also underwent consecutive surgical procedures. Demographical data, operations performed, analgesic managements, laboratory results and presence of crush syndrome are shown in the table. Conclusion: In such massive disasters, anesthesia and analgesia practices are challenging especially in children, who are the most affected group. It would be appropriate to follow-up and treat these children who need repetitive surgery and anesthesia in fully equipped and multidisciplinary hospitals as soon as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]