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Inaugural Byron Kakulas medal awarded to Perioperative Medicine Team

A research team dedicated to making anaesthesia and surgery safer and more comfortable for babies and children has been awarded an inaugural Byron Kakulas Medal by WA’s Perron Institute.

Environmental impact of inhaled medicines: A Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand position statement

Globally, more than 1.2 billion inhalers are purchased for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) annually. In Australia and New Zealand, pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) are the leading delivery device prescribed and pMDI salbutamol can be purchased over the counter in Australia. These inhalers are a major contributor to healthcare related greenhouse gases.

Caudal block, high flow oxygen insufflation and dexmedetomidine sedation for inguinal hernia surgery in infants—A prospective evaluation of an alternative anesthesia technique

Inguinal hernia repair is the most common operation in infants, with well recognized anesthetic and perioperative risks. The aim was to investigate if the combination of caudal block, high-flow nasal oxygen insufflation and intravenous dexmedetomidine sedation is suitable for infants undergoing inguinal hernia surgery.

Propofol, Anesthesia, and Neurocognitive Outcomes in Patients with Pediatric Leukemia: Are We Missing the Forest for the Trees?

Britta Regli-von Ungern-Sternberg AM FAHMS MD, PhD, DEAA, FANZA Chair of Paediatric anaesthesia, University of Western Australia; Consultant

Information overload and parental perspectives on information provided to parents/carers of paediatric patients undergoing elective surgical procedures

When parents are expected to play a significant role in the management of their children's health perioperatively, information overload for parents could have particularly detrimental consequences. Our study investigated information communication and overload in 380 parents of children undergoing any elective surgical procedure at our institution.

Preoperative preparation of children with upper respiratory tract infection: a focussed narrative review

This review summarises the current evidence for the perioperative preparation in children with upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), including COVID-19 infection. URTI, including COVID-19 infection, are common and frequent in children who present for elective surgery. Children with URTI are at increased risk of perioperative respiratory adverse events.

Comparing Skin and Serum Testing to Direct Challenge Outcomes in Children With beta-Lactam Allergies

There is a scarcity of prospective studies investigating the relative roles of skin prick and intradermal testing, serum specific IgE, and extended oral challenges in diagnosing children with reported β-lactam allergies.

The Development of a Chocolate-Based Chewable Tablet of Prednisolone—Enhancing the Palatability of Steroids for Pediatric Use

Oral liquid prednisolone medications have poor acceptance among paediatric patients due to ineffective masking of the bitterness taste of prednisolone. This study aimed to develop a child-friendly prednisolone tablet using a patented chewable chocolate-based delivery system previously applied successfully to mask the bitterness tastes of midazolam and tramadol.

The use of honey in the perioperative care of tonsillectomy patients-A narrative review

Tonsillectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures in childhood. While generally safe, it often is associated with a difficult early recovery phase with poor oral intake, dehydration, difficult or painful swallowing, postoperative bleeding, infection and/or otalgia.

High-flow nasal oxygen for children's airway surgery to reduce hypoxaemic events: a randomised controlled trial

Tubeless upper airway surgery in children is a complex procedure in which surgeons and anaesthetists share the same operating field. These procedures are often interrupted for rescue oxygen therapy.