Anesthesia and Pain Management for the Pediatrician

"If one were to ask which aspect of anesthesia and operating room care had changed most dramatically in the past decade, the overwhelming majority would opt for pediatric anesthesia. It is finally time to dispel the myths surrounding anesthesia and children." - from Anesthesia and Pain Management for the Pediatrician Until recently, preoperative preparation of a child scheduled for surgery was the uncontested domain of the anesthesiologist. Now much of this responsibility is being shifted to the primary care physician, who is frequently called upon to provide "medical clearance" for the child before surgery in addition to providing emotional support to the child and parents, helping them understand what they will experience in the operating room. Providing appropriate medical clearance means avoiding disappointment, emotional trauma, and time lost from busy schedules. Whether for a well child, a child with asthma or another chronic disease, or a child with an acute or recent respiratory infection, the primary care provider will find in this book detailed information about what is involved in providing medical clearance for anesthesia. In addition, the primary care physician will find up-to-date information about new, less painful techniques for administering anesthesia to children, as well as specific information about pain prevention and relief and techniques for administering sedatives and analgesics in the office setting. In Anesthesia and Pain Management for the Pediatrician, a group of distinguished pediatric anesthesiologists provide comprehensive, up-to-date information about pediatric anesthesia for medical care providers involved in preparing child patients-and their families-for surgical procedures. The authors describe in detail the variety of considerations involved in taking a child to the operating room and discuss medical issues important in pre-operative pediatric consultation as well as: Anesthetic agents and induction and monitoring techniques New NPO guidelines What it really means to "clear" a child for anesthesia Realistic risks and complications of anesthesia Advances in pediatric pain management The importance of avoiding trauma in the pediatric patient, and how the surgical team detraumatizes the experience The role of the parent in the operating room How to answer the questions most frequently asked by parents and children facing anesthesia and surgery This information will help pediatricians and family physicians provide improved patient care in an era of managed care. The text is illustrated with photographs of children and families in the operating room, and of induction techniques, and is enhanced with 52 tables of medications, equipment, assessment tools, and guidelines for treatment.