Infection continues to be a significant source of mortality and morbidity for children despite improvements in antimicrobial therapy, aseptic surgical technique, and postoperative intensive care. Widespread unchecked antibiotic use has led to the development of more resistant organisms, leading to…
Obtaining vascular access of any kind is especially challenging in children. A peripheral intravenous (PIV) cannula is the most commonly used device for venous access. Placement of an intravenous catheter in children can be quite traumatic to the child, the…
Amazingly, ventilation via tracheal cannulation was performed as early as 1543, when Vesalius demonstrated the ability to maintain the beating heart in animals with open chests. This technique was first applied to humans in 1780, but there was little progress…
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…
Introduction Trauma care in general has been revolutionized by the increased availability and accuracy of cross-sectional imaging and interventional radiology. The ‘trauma CT scan’ is an integral part of most units’ major trauma protocols and specialized trauma centres depend on…