Principles of anaesthesia for term neonates

Edition: January-February 2023

McGregor K, McConnell C

Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine, Volume 24, Issue 1, 2023, Pages 18-22, ISSN 1472-0299, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mpaic.2022.11.003.

Full text: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1472029922002727

This paper appears to be a review article and several articles were referenced to support the authors’ statements. However, no clear description was provided to explain the search methods or inclusion/exclusion criteria for the referenced articles. Therefore, it can be inferred that the list of factors mentioned in this article is not exhaustive, though detailed.

This article demonstrates the increased neonatal perioperative complications compared to the other paediatric and adult populations. It lists various anatomical, physiological and pharmacological characteristics in the neonates that account for these increased complications, as well as measures to minimise them. These include:

  • Characteristics of the neonatal airway anatomy
  • Neonatal respiratory and cardiovascular physiology
  • Blood pressure monitoring and its measurement
  • Fluid/temperature homeostasis
  • Neonatal pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics

Overall, this is a review article that succinctly demonstrates the major differences in neonates to explain their vulnerability and increased perioperative complication. It is highly relevant to the paediatric anaesthetic practice and can be especially useful to provide the basic knowledge of the paediatric anaesthesia.

Reviewed by Oh Ryong (Ryan) Kwen

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