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Research
Penicillin allergy SHACK: Survey of hospital and community knowledgePenicillin allergy accounts for the majority of all reported adverse drug reactions in adults and children. Foregoing first-line antibiotic therapy due to penicillin allergy label is associated with an increased prevalence of infections by resistant organisms and longer hospitalisation.
Research
Aerosolized drug delivery in awake and anesthetized children to treat bronchospasmBronchospasm is a common respiratory adverse event in pediatric anesthesia. First-line treatment commonly includes inhaled salbutamol. This review focuses on the current best practice to deliver aerosolized medications to awake as well as anesthetized pediatric patients and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of various administration techniques.
Research
Without training, they lacked knowledge. Without knowledge, they lacked confidence. Without confidence, they lacked victory (Julius Caesar)Britta Regli-von Ungern-Sternberg AM FAHMS MD, PhD, DEAA, FANZA Chair of Paediatric anaesthesia, University of Western Australia; Consultant
Research
Carbon dioxide monitoring in children—A narrative review of physiology, value, and pitfalls in clinical practiceContinuous capnography has been recognised as an essential monitoring device in all anesthetized patients, despite which airway device is in use, regardless of their location, as a measure to improve patient safety. Capnography is the non-invasive measurement of a sample of the exhaled carbon dioxide which has multiple clinical uses including as a method to confirm placement of a tracheal tube and/or to assess ventilation, perfusion and metabolism.
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Assessment of different techniques for the administration of inhaled salbutamol in children breathing spontaneously via tracheal tubes, supraglottic airway devices, and tracheostomiesPerioperative respiratory adverse events account for a third of all perioperative cardiac arrests, with bronchospasm and laryngospasm being most common. Standard treatment for bronchospasm is administration of inhaled salbutamol, via pressurized metered dose inhaler. There is little evidence on the best method of attaching the pressurized metered dose inhaler to the artificial airway during general anesthesia. The aim of this study is to investigate the best method to deliver aerosolized salbutamol via pressurized metered dose inhaler to the lungs of an anesthetized child.
Research
Preoperative identification of children at high risk of obstructive sleep apneaObstructive sleep apnea poses as an anesthetic challenge, and it is a well-known risk factor for perioperative adverse events
News & Events
Inaugural Byron Kakulas medal awarded to Perioperative Medicine TeamA 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.
Research
Association of preoperative nocturnal hypoxaemia nadir and fentanyl ventilatory sensitivity in children with obstructive sleep apnoea undergoing general anaesthesiaObstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) has been thought to increase the risk of respiratory depression from opioids. The primary aim of this study was to assess whether preoperative hypoxaemia by sleep study pulse oximetry imparts greater opioid sensitivity.
Research
Current post-tonsillectomy analgesia practices among Australian and New Zealand anesthetists, and opinions on non-opioid alternativesChildren experience significant pain following extracapsular tonsillectomy surgery, and while opioids are often prescribed to treat this, clinicians may be wary of their adverse side effects, leading to variation in practice. There is a need for improved post-tonsillectomy pain management in children.
Research
Trends in paediatric anaesthesia research publications and the impact of author sex, country of origin, topic, and external fundingThe current research landscape has become increasingly competitive with approximately 35% of submitted manuscripts accepted for publication by peer-review journals. It is known that studies with certain 'favourable characteristics' have an increased likelihood of acceptance for publication, such as prospective study design, multiple sites, and notable authors.