Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO; sometimes called extracorporeal life support, or ECLS) is a lifesaving technology that employs partial heart/lung bypass for extended periods. It provides gas exchange and perfusion for patients with acute, reversible cardiac or respiratory failure. This allows…
Hemostasis is a complex physiologic phenomenon that keeps the blood in a fluid state and prevents thrombus formation in normal vessels. In case of vascular injury, this phenomenon is responsible for inducing hemostatic plug formation to prevent hemorrhage from the…
Body Fluids and Electrolyte Regulation Effective kidney function maintains the normal volume and composition of body fluids. Although there is wide variation in dietary intake and nonrenal expenditures of water and solute, water and electrolyte balance is maintained by the…
Anesthetizing children is an increasingly safe undertaking. When discussing the risks and benefits of a child’s operation with his or her family, surgeons should feel confident that their anesthesiology colleagues can provide an anesthetic that facilitates the procedure while ensuring…
Despite advances in the field of nutritional support, malnutrition among hospitalized pediatric patients, especially those with a protracted clinical course, remains prevalent worldwide and is associated with worse outcomes. Moreover, it has been well established that preoperative malnutrition is associated…
Of all pediatric patients, the neonate possesses the most distinctive and rapidly changing physiologic characteristics. These changes are necessary because the newborn must adapt from placental support to the extrauterine environment. There is also early organ adaptation and the physiologic…