Anesthesia in young children.

Abstract

To the Editor: I read with great interest William V. Good’s important editorial, “Is anesthesia safe for young children.” 1 Good W.V. Is anesthesia safe for young children?. J AAPOS. 2014; 18: 519-520 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (5) Google Scholar In addition to his comments, we should note the “Smart Tots” initiative (www.smarttots.org). This project was begun in cooperation with the International Anesthesia Research Society and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They created a valuable consensus statement endorsed by the International Anesthesia Research Society, the FDA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia, the Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, and the European Society of Anesthesiology regarding anesthesia safety in children. 2 Consensus statement on the use of anesthetics and sedatives in children. http://www.smarttots.org/resources/consensus2012.html. Accessed January 28, 2014. Google Scholar The Smart Tots group is reviewing the available information and funding research regarding anesthetic affects on children on an ongoing basis. All specialists dealing with children should follow their work. Is anesthesia safe for young children?Journal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus {JAAPOS}Vol. 18Issue 6PreviewPreoperative conversations with parents of patients now occasionally begin with questions about long-term safety of anesthesia in infants and children. These are not the usual concerns about rare devastating consequences of anesthesia; rather, they focus on long-term effects of anesthesia on the child's cognition. These questions are emerging as anesthesia research addresses possible long-term neurological effects of anesthesia, and as these results reach the lay press.1-3 Full-Text PDF ReplyJournal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus {JAAPOS}Vol. 19Issue 3PreviewTo the Editor: Let me extend my thank you to David Granet for his letter, providing the Journal’s readers the link to updated information about anesthesia effects on the developing brain (Smarttots). David’s reminder, that all pediatric surgeons should monitor this issue, should be taken seriously. Until we know when anesthetics can be harmful (ie, the dose, type of anesthetic, duration of administration, and age at administration), we cannot make evidence-based informed decisions about elective or semielective surgery. Full-Text PDF