Types of general anesthesia in children, features of its implementation. Consequences of general anesthesia in children

They are prevented from making an adequate decision by numerous rumors and myths surrounding this topic. Which of them is true and which is speculation? We asked one of the leading experts in this field, the head of the department of anesthesiology and therapy, to comment on the main parental fears associated with pediatric anesthesia critical conditions Moscow Research Institute of Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, professor, doctor medical sciences Andrey Lekmanov.

Myth: “Anesthesia is dangerous. What if my baby doesn’t wake up after the operation?”

In fact: This happens extremely rarely. According to world statistics, this happens in 1 out of 100 thousand planned operations. In this case, most often the fatal outcome is associated not with the reaction to anesthesia, but with the surgical intervention itself.

In order for everything to go smoothly, any operation (with the exception of emergency cases, when hours or even minutes count) is preceded by careful preparation, during which the doctor assesses the health status of the little patient and his readiness for anesthesia, focusing on a mandatory examination of the child and research including: general analysis blood, blood clotting test, general urine test, ECG, etc. If the child has ARVI, heat, exacerbation concomitant disease, planned surgery is postponed for at least a month.

Myth: “Modern anesthetics are good for sleep, but bad for pain. A child can feel everything"

In fact: This situation is excluded by the exact choice of dosage of the surgical anesthetic, which is calculated based on the individual parameters of the child, the main of which is weight.

But that's not all. Today, not a single operation is carried out without monitoring the condition of a small patient using special sensors attached to his body, which assess the pulse, respiratory rate, blood pressure and body temperature. Many children's hospitals in our country have the most modern technology, which includes monitors that measure the depth of anesthesia, the degree of relaxation (muscle relaxation) of the patient and allow with a high degree of accuracy to monitor the slightest deviations in the condition of a small patient during the operation.

Experts never tire of repeating: the main purpose of anesthesia is to make sure that the child is not present at own operation, be it a long-term surgical intervention or a small but traumatic diagnostic examination.

Myth: “Inhalation anesthesia is a thing of the past. The most modern is intravenous"

In fact: 60–70% of surgical interventions for children are performed using inhalation (hardware-mask) anesthesia, in which the child receives an anesthetic drug in the form of an inhalation mixture while breathing independently. This type of anesthesia eliminates or significantly reduces the need to use complex combinations of potent pharmacological agents, characteristic of intravenous anesthesia and is characterized by much greater maneuverability for the anesthesiologist and finer control of the depth of anesthesia.

Myth: “If possible, it is better to do without anesthesia. At least during dental procedures."

In fact: There is no need to be afraid of treating a child’s teeth under general anesthesia. If the treatment involves surgery (tooth extraction, abscesses, etc.), with a large volume of dental procedures (treatment of multiple caries, pulpitis, periodontitis, etc.), with the use of equipment and tools that can frighten the child, without Anesthesia is indispensable. In addition, this allows the dentist to concentrate on the treatment, without being distracted by calming the little patient.

However, using general anesthesia for dental treatment Children have the right only to a clinic that has a state license for anesthesiology and resuscitation, which is equipped with all the necessary equipment and has a staff of qualified, experienced pediatric anesthesiologists and resuscitators. It won't be difficult to check this.

Myth: “Anesthesia damages brain cells, causing impairment of cognitive functions in a child, reducing his school performance, memory and attention.”

In fact: . And although in most cases this does not affect memory, general anesthesia is often associated with impaired cognitive function in children and adults who have undergone extensive, time-consuming surgery. Cognitive abilities usually recover within a few days after anesthesia. And here a lot depends on the skill of the anesthesiologist, on how adequately he administered the anesthesia, as well as on individual characteristics little patient.

The topic of anesthesia is surrounded by a considerable number of myths, and all of them are quite frightening. Parents, faced with the need to treat a child under anesthesia, are usually worried and apprehensive. negative consequences. Vladislav Krasnov, an anesthesiologist at the Beauty Line group of medical companies, will help Letidor figure out what is true and what is false in the 11 most famous myths about childhood anesthesia.

Myth 1: a child will not wake up after anesthesia

Exactly this terrible consequence, whom moms and dads are afraid of. And quite fair for someone who loves and caring parent. Medical statistics, which mathematically determines the ratio of successful and unsuccessful procedures, also exists in anesthesiology. A certain percentage, although fortunately negligible, of failures, including fatal ones, does exist.

This percentage in modern anesthesiology, according to American statistics, is as follows: 2 fatal complications per 1 million procedures; in Europe it is 6 such complications per 1 million anesthesias.

Complications in anesthesiology occur, as in any field of medicine. But the tiny percentage of such complications is a reason for optimism among both young patients and their parents.

Myth 2: The child will wake up during the operation

Using modern methods Anesthesia and its monitoring can guarantee with a probability close to 100% that the patient will not awaken during the operation.

Modern anesthetics and anesthesia monitoring methods (for example, BIS technology or entropy methods) allow precise dosing of drugs and monitoring of its depth. appeared today real opportunities receiving feedback about the depth of anesthesia, its quality, and expected duration.

Myth 3: the anesthesiologist will “give an injection” and leave the operating room

This is a fundamentally misconception about the work of an anesthesiologist. Anesthesiologist – qualified specialist, certified and certified, responsible for your work. He is obliged to remain constantly with his patient during the entire operation.

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The main task of an anesthesiologist is to ensure the safety of the patient during any surgical procedure.

He cannot “get an injection and leave,” as his parents fear.

Also deeply incorrect is the common perception of an anesthesiologist as “not quite a doctor.” This is a doctor medical specialist, which, firstly, provides analgesia - that is, the absence of pain, secondly - the comfort of the patient in the operating room, thirdly - the complete safety of the patient, and fourthly - the calm work of the surgeon.

Protecting the patient is the goal of the anesthesiologist.

Myth 4: Anesthesia destroys a child's brain cells

Anesthesia, on the contrary, serves to ensure that brain cells (and not only brain cells) are not destroyed during surgery. Like any medical procedure, it is performed according to strict indications. For anesthesia these are surgical interventions, which without anesthesia will be disastrous for the patient. Since these operations are very painful, if the patient remains awake during them, the harm from them will be incomparably greater than from operations that take place under anesthesia.

Anesthetics undoubtedly affect the central nervous system - they depress it, causing sleep. This is the meaning of their use. But today, in conditions of compliance with the rules of administration and monitoring of anesthesia using modern equipment, anesthetics are quite safe.

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The effect of the drugs is reversible, and many of them have antidotes, which, when administered, the doctor can immediately interrupt the effect of anesthesia.

Myth 5: Anesthesia will cause allergies in your child.

This is not a myth, but a fair fear: anesthetics, like any medical supplies and products, even plant pollen, can cause an allergic reaction, which, unfortunately, is quite difficult to predict.

But an anesthesiologist has skills, drugs and technical means in order to combat the effects of allergies.

Myth 6: Inhalation anesthesia is much more harmful than intravenous anesthesia

Parents are afraid that the inhalation anesthesia machine will damage the child's mouth and throat. But when an anesthesiologist chooses a method of anesthesia (inhalation, intravenous, or a combination of both), he assumes that this should cause minimal harm to the patient. An endotracheal tube, which is inserted into the child's trachea during anesthesia, serves to protect the trachea from getting into it. foreign objects: fragments of teeth, saliva, blood, stomach contents.

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All invasive (invading the body) actions of the anesthesiologist are aimed at protecting the patient from possible complications.

Modern methods of inhalation anesthesia involve not only tracheal intubation, that is, placing a tube into it, but also the use of a laryngeal mask, which is less traumatic.

Myth 7: Anesthesia causes hallucinations

This is not a fallacy, but a completely fair remark. Many of modern anesthetics are hallucinogenic drugs. But other drugs that are administered in combination with anesthetics can neutralize this effect.

For example, the almost universally known drug ketamine is an excellent, reliable, stable anesthetic, but it causes hallucinations. Therefore, a benzodiazepine is administered along with it, which eliminates this by-effect.

Myth 8: Anesthesia is instantly addictive and the child will become a drug addict.

This is a myth, and a rather absurd one at that. IN modern anesthesia drugs that are not addictive are used.

Moreover, medical interventions, especially with the help of any devices, surrounded by doctors in special clothing, do not cause any positive emotions and the desire to repeat this experience.

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Parents' fears are unfounded.

Used for anesthesia in children medications, which have a very short validity period - no more than 20 minutes. They do not cause a child either a feeling of joy or euphoria. On the contrary, when using these anesthetics, the child actually does not remember events from the moment of anesthesia. Today it is the gold standard of anesthesia.

Myth 9: the consequences of anesthesia - deterioration of memory and attention, poor health - will remain with the child for a long time

Disorders of the psyche, attention, intelligence and memory are what worries parents when they think about the consequences of anesthesia.

Modern anesthetics - short-acting and at the same time very well controlled - are eliminated from the body in as soon as possible after their introduction.

Myth 10: Anesthesia can always be replaced with local anesthesia

If the child is to surgery, which due to its pain is performed under anesthesia, refusing it is many times more dangerous than resorting to it.

Of course, any operation can be performed under local anesthesia - this was the case 100 years ago. But in this case, the child receives a colossal amount of toxic local anesthetics, he sees what is happening in the operating room and understands the potential danger.

For a still unformed psyche, such stress is much more dangerous than sleep after the administration of an anesthetic.

Myth 11: Anesthesia should not be given to a child under a certain age.

Here the opinions of parents differ: some believe that anesthesia is acceptable no earlier than 10 years, while others even push the acceptable limit to 13-14 years. But this is a misconception.

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Treatment under anesthesia in modern medical practice carried out at any age if indicated.

Unfortunately, a serious illness can affect even a newborn baby. If he is undergoing a surgical operation during which he will need protection, the anesthesiologist will provide protection regardless of the patient’s age.

General anesthesia used in children can have many consequences. Children's body It grows and develops very quickly, and any interference with the functioning of the central nervous system can negatively affect the development of the child. This article discusses the main complications that can develop after surgery using general anesthesia.

General anesthesia is a condition deep sleep which is called medications. Thanks to anesthesia, doctors have the opportunity to perform lengthy and complex manipulations and operations. This is especially important in pediatric oncology, where even minor manipulations are performed on children under anesthesia.

But the anesthesia itself is not a harmless procedure. IN Lately Doctors have conducted a lot of research on its complications and consequences.

Medicines used for general anesthesia, in children under three years of age can affect the development and formation nerve connections between neurons in the brain, on the processes of myelination of nerves (formation of a sheath around nerve fiber). These changes in the central nervous system are the causes of negative consequences in the development of the child.

What early complications may occur after anesthesia?

Allergic reactions: anaphylactic shock, Quincke's edema.
Stupor, coma.
Heart rhythm disturbances, in the form of atrioventricular arrhythmia, His bundle block.

With these sharp and dangerous complications Anesthesiologists are in charge. Fortunately, they occur quite rarely.

Late complications after anesthesia in children:

Even if the operation was successful, without complications, and there was no reaction to the anesthetic, this does not at all guarantee that negative influence did not affect the child’s body. Long-term consequences do not appear immediately. They can become noticeable even after a few years. And it is with this that very often parents turn to a psychologist and then a neurologist for help.

TO late complications relate:

Cognitive disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Chronic and frequent headaches, sometimes in the form of migraines. The occurrence of a headache is usually not associated with any triggering factors. The whole head may hurt, or half of it. The pain is practically not relieved by analgesics.
Sluggish disturbances in the liver and kidneys.
Frequent dizziness.
Leg muscle cramps.

Cognitive disorders develop most often. These include:

Memory disorders in children. It may be difficult to remember educational material. For example, children may find it difficult to teach foreign languages, poetry. Memory may also be impaired for other reasons, for example, due to a lack of iodine in the body.
It is difficult for a child to remember new material.
Violation logical thinking. It is difficult for children to draw conclusions and look for connections between events.
Difficulty concentrating on one thing. Such children do not like to read books and find it difficult at school. Usually during training they are distracted and talk. And parents punish and scold them, instead of understanding the reason for the child’s behavior.

In addition to cognitive disorders, anesthesia is dangerous due to the possibility of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is manifested by impulsive behavior, impaired attention of the baby and hyperactivity. Such children cannot predict the consequences of their actions, which is why they are frequent guests of trauma centers. They find it difficult to complete any task or adhere to the rules of the game. Hyperactivity is manifested by difficulty sitting in one place for a long time. During lessons they fidget, turn from side to side, chat with classmates.

What are the consequences of frequent use of anesthesia in children? early age?

The central system in children under three years of age develops very quickly. And at three years the brain weight is almost the same as that of an adult.

In addition to attention deficit disorder and cognitive disorders, it can cause harm in the formation nerve pathways and fibers, connections between parts of the brain, which can lead to the following consequences:

Lag in physical development. Drugs can be harmful parathyroid gland, which is responsible for the growth of the child. Such children may be delayed in growth, but as a rule, they later catch up with their peers.
Slowing of psychomotor development. Children who have undergone general anesthesia may find it difficult to learn to read, remember numbers, pronounce words correctly, and construct sentences.
Epilepsy.

But even knowing about the existence of all these complications, you should not refuse the upcoming manipulations. The main thing is to be attentive to the baby’s health, not to self-medicate at home, and if there is the slightest deviation in his health and psyche, contact a specialist.

Why is general anesthesia dangerous for a child? Yes, in some cases it is necessary. Often - to save the life of a child.

But also negative sides the effects of anesthesia exist. That is, it is like a coin that has two sides, like a double-edged sword.

Naturally, before a child’s upcoming operation, parents try to find out how dangerous this intervention is and what exactly is the danger of general anesthesia for the child.

Sometimes general anesthesia scares people even more than surgery. In many ways, this anxiety is fueled by numerous conversations around.

Surgeons who prepare a patient for surgery talk little about anesthesia. And the main specialist in this matter - the anesthesiologist - advises and explains everything only shortly before the operation.

So people are looking for information on the Internet. And here she is, to put it mildly, different. Who to believe?

Today we’ll talk about the types of anesthesia in the nursery. medical practice, about indications and contraindications for it, about possible consequences. And, of course, we will dispel myths in this topic.

Many medical manipulations They are very painful, so even an adult cannot endure them without pain relief. What can we say about the child?..

Yes, subjecting a child to even a simple procedure without pain relief is a huge stress for a small organism. This may cause neurotic disorders(tics, stuttering, sleep disturbances). And also this is a lifelong fear of people in white coats.

That's why to avoid discomfort and reduce stress from medical procedures, use pain-relieving techniques in surgery.

General anesthesia is actually called anesthesia. This is an artificially created, controlled state in which there is no consciousness and no reaction to pain. At the same time, vital important functions body (breathing, heart function).

Modern anesthesiology has advanced significantly over the past 20 years. Thanks to it, today it is possible to use new drugs and their combinations to suppress involuntary reflex reactions of the body and reduce muscle tone when such a need arises.

According to the method of administration, general anesthesia in children can be inhalation, intravenous and intramuscular.

In pediatric practice, inhalation (hardware-mask) anesthesia is more often used. With machine-mask anesthesia, the child receives a dose of painkillers in the form of an inhalation mixture.

This type of anesthesia is used for short, simple operations, as well as for some types of research when a short-term switching off of the child’s consciousness is required.

Painkillers used during machine anesthesia are called inhalational anesthetics (Ftorotan, Isoflurane, Sevoflurane).

Intramuscular anesthesia is practically not used for children today, since with such anesthesia it is difficult for the anesthesiologist to control the duration and depth of sleep.

It has also been established that such a frequently used drug for intramuscular anesthesia as Ketamine is unsafe for the child’s body. Therefore, intramuscular anesthesia is leaving pediatric practice.

For prolonged and heavy operations use intravenous anesthesia or combine it with inhalation. This allows you to achieve multi-component pharmacological effects on the body.

Intravenous anesthesia involves the use of various medications. It uses narcotic analgesics (not drugs!), muscle relaxants that relax skeletal muscles, sleeping pills, various infusion solutions.

During the operation, the patient is given artificial ventilation lungs (ventilator) with a special device.

Only the anesthesiologist makes the final decision on the need for one or another type of anesthesia for a particular child.

It all depends on the condition of the little patient, on the type and duration of the operation, on the presence of concomitant pathology, on the qualifications of the doctor himself.

To do this, before the operation, parents must tell the anesthesiologist as much information as possible about the characteristics of the child’s growth and development.

In particular, the doctor should learn from parents and/or medical records:

how pregnancy and childbirth proceeded;
what type of feeding was it: natural (up to what age) or artificial;
what illnesses the child suffered;
whether there were cases of allergies in the child himself or in close relatives and to what exactly;
what is the child’s vaccination status and have any previously identified negative reactions body during vaccination.

Contraindications

There are no absolute contraindications to general anesthesia.

Relative contraindications may include:

The presence of concomitant pathology that can negatively affect the condition during anesthesia or recovery after it. For example, constitutional anomalies accompanied by hypertrophy of the thymus gland.

A disease accompanied by difficulty in nasal breathing. For example, due to a deviated nasal septum, proliferation of adenoids, chronic rhinitis(for inhalation anesthesia).

Having allergies to medications. Sometimes the child is given allergy tests before surgery. As a result of such tests (skin tests or in vitro tests), the doctor will have an idea of which drugs the body takes and which it gives an allergic reaction to.

Based on this, the doctor will decide in favor of using one or another drug for anesthesia.

If the child suffered ARVI or another infection with fever the day before, the operation is postponed until full recovery body (the interval between the disease and treatment under anesthesia must be at least 2 weeks).

If the child has eaten before surgery. Children with a full stomach are not allowed to undergo surgery, as there is high risk aspiration (stomach contents entering the lungs).

If the operation cannot be postponed, the gastric contents can be evacuated using a gastric tube.

Before the operation or hospitalization itself, parents should provide psychological preparation to the child.

Already the hospitalization itself for the baby, even without surgery, - ordeal. The child is frightened by separation from his parents, a foreign environment, a change of regime, people in white coats.

Of course, not in all cases the child needs to be told about the upcoming anesthesia.

If the disease interferes with the child and brings him suffering, then the child needs to be explained that the operation will relieve him of the disease. You can explain to your child that with the help of a special pediatric anesthesia he will fall asleep and wake up when everything is already done.

Parents should always talk about how they will be with their child before and after surgery. Therefore, the baby must wake up after anesthesia and see the people closest to him.

If the child is old enough, you can explain to him what awaits him in the near future (blood test, measurement blood pressure, electrocardiogram, cleansing enema, etc.). This way, the child will not be frightened by various procedures due to the fact that he did not know about them.

The hardest thing for parents and young children is to maintain a hunger pause. I have already spoken about the risk of aspiration above.

The child should not be fed 6 hours before anesthesia, and 4 hours before the anesthesia the child should not even be given water.

The baby is on natural feeding, can be applied to the breast 4 hours before the upcoming operation.

A child receiving formula milk should not be fed 6 hours before anesthesia.

Before the operation, the small patient’s intestines are cleaned with an enema to prevent involuntary stool passing during the operation. This is very important when abdominal operations(on the abdominal organs).

In children's clinics, doctors have many devices in their arsenal to distract children's attention from upcoming procedures. These include breathing bags (masks) with images of various animals, and scented face masks, for example, with the scent of strawberries.

There are also special children's ECG devices, in which the electrodes are decorated with images of the faces of different animals.

All this helps to distract and interest the child, conduct an examination in the form of a game, and even give the child the right to choose, for example, a mask for himself.

Consequences of anesthesia for a child’s body

In fact, a lot depends on the professionalism of the anesthesiologist. After all, it is he who selects the method of administering anesthesia, necessary drug and its dosage.

In pediatric practice, preference is given to proven drugs that are well tolerated, that is, with minimal side effects, and which are quickly eliminated from the child’s body.

There is always a risk of intolerance to drugs or their components, especially in children prone to allergies.

It is possible to predict this situation only if the child’s close relatives had a similar reaction. Therefore, this information is always clarified before the operation.

Below are the consequences of anesthesia, which can arise not only due to intolerance to medications.

Anaphylactic shock ( allergic reaction immediate type).
Malignant hyperemia (temperature rise above 40 degrees).
Cardiovascular or respiratory failure.
Aspiration (reflux of stomach contents into the respiratory tract).
Mechanical trauma cannot be excluded during venous catheterization or Bladder, tracheal intubation, insertion of a probe into the stomach.

The likelihood of such consequences exists, although it is extremely small (1-2%).

Recently, information has emerged that anesthesia can damage the neurons of a child’s brain and affect the rate of development of the baby.

In particular, it is assumed that anesthesia disrupts memory processes new information. It is difficult for the child to concentrate and learn new material.

This pattern was suggested after the use of injection drugs such as Ketamine for intramuscular anesthesia, which is practically not used in pediatric practice today. But the validity of such conclusions still remains unproven.

Moreover, if such changes exist, they are not lifelong. Cognitive abilities usually recover within a few days after anesthesia.

Children recover from anesthesia much faster than adults, since metabolic processes occur faster and the adaptive capabilities of a young body are higher than in adults.

And here a lot depends not only on the professionalism of the anesthesiologist, but also on the individual characteristics of the child’s body.

Young children, that is, under two years of age, are at greater risk. In children at this age, the nervous system is actively maturing, and new ones are formed. neural connections in the brain.

Therefore, operations under anesthesia are, if possible, postponed until after 2 years.

Myths about anesthesia

“What if the child doesn’t wake up after the operation?”

World statistics say that this is extremely rare (1 in 100,000 operations). Moreover, more often than not, this outcome of the operation is associated not with the reaction to anesthesia, but with the risks of the surgical intervention itself.

It is in order to minimize such risks that the patient planned operations undergoes a thorough examination. If any disorders or diseases are detected, the operation is postponed until the little patient has fully recovered.

“What if the child feels everything?”

Firstly, no one calculates the dosage of anesthetics for anesthesia “by eye”. Everything is calculated based on the individual parameters of the small patient (weight, height).

Secondly, during the operation the child’s condition is constantly monitored.

They monitor the patient's pulse, respiratory rate, blood pressure and body temperature, oxygen/carbon dioxide levels in the blood (saturation).

In modern clinics with good operating equipment, you can even monitor the depth of anesthesia and the degree of relaxation skeletal muscles patient. This allows you to accurately monitor minimal deviations in the child’s condition during surgery.

“Mask anesthesia is an outdated technique. More safe look intravenous anesthesia"

Most operations (more than 50%) in pediatric practice are performed using inhalation (mask) anesthesia.

This type of anesthesia eliminates the need for strong medicines and their complex combinations, in contrast to intravenous anesthesia.

At the same time, inhalation anesthesia gives the anesthesiologist greater opportunity for maneuver and allows better management and control of the depth of anesthesia.

In any case, regardless of the reasons for which a child is indicated for surgery with anesthesia, anesthesia is a necessity.

This is a savior, an assistant who will help you get rid of the disease in a painless way.

After all, even with minimal intervention under local anesthesia When a child sees everything but does not feel, not every child’s psyche can withstand this “spectacle.”

Anesthesia allows treatment of non-contact and low-contact children. Provides comfortable conditions for the patient and the doctor, reduces treatment time and improves its quality.

Moreover, not in all cases we have the opportunity to wait, even if the child is small.

In this case, doctors try to explain to parents that leaving the child’s illness without surgical treatment, can provoke greater consequences than the likelihood of developing temporary consequences of general anesthesia.

Practicing pediatrician and twice-mother Elena Borisova-Tsarenok told you how dangerous general anesthesia is for a child.

Surgery under general anesthesia in a person of any age causes anxiety. Adults recover from anesthesia in different ways - some recover from the procedure easily, while others recover poorly, taking a very long time to recover. Children, besides general violation well-being, do not realize what is happening and cannot adequately assess the situation, so surgery under general anesthesia can become a lot of stress. Parents worry about what consequences anesthesia will entail, how this will affect the child’s well-being and behavior, and what care the children will need after waking up.

Recovery period after surgery under general anesthesia

A little about anesthesia

Modern anesthesia drugs have virtually no effect negative influence on the child and are quickly eliminated from the body, which provides an easy recovery period after general anesthesia. In most cases, they are used for anesthesia in children. inhalation methods administration of an anesthetic - they are absorbed into the blood in a minimal concentration and excreted unchanged by the respiratory system.

Helping your baby after recovery from anesthesia

Recovery from anesthesia occurs under the strict supervision of an anesthesiologist and begins immediately after stopping the administration of the anesthetic. The specialist closely monitors the child’s vital signs, assessing the effectiveness of breathing movements, blood pressure level and heart rate. After making sure that the patient’s condition is stable, he is transferred to the general ward. It is advisable that the parents wait in the child’s room - the unpleasant state after anesthesia usually frightens children, and the presence loved one will help you calm down. In the first hours after waking up, the baby is lethargic, lethargic, and his speech may be slurred.

Girl in the ward after surgery

When using modern drugs their elimination period lasts no more than 2 hours. At this stage, the following may be of concern: unpleasant symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, pain in the area surgical intervention, elevated temperature. Each of these symptoms can be relieved by taking certain measures.

Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of general anesthesia. It has been noted that the likelihood of vomiting is associated with blood loss - with extensive bleeding, the patient vomits in very rare cases. If a child has nausea, it is not recommended to eat for the first 6-10 hours after surgery; liquid can be taken in small quantities so as not to provoke a new attack of vomiting. As a rule, relief occurs a few hours after recovery from anesthesia. If the child's condition has deteriorated significantly and vomiting does not bring relief, you can ask the nurse to give an injection antiemetic drug.
Dizziness and weakness are the body’s natural reaction to anesthesia in the first hours after waking up. It takes some time to recover and it will be better if the child sleeps for a few hours. If for one reason or another sleep is impossible, you can distract the baby with cartoons, a favorite toy, an interesting book or a fairy tale.
Trembling is a consequence of impaired thermoregulation. It is recommended to arrange a warm blanket in advance to help keep your child warm.
An increase in temperature is usually observed on the first day after surgery. This reaction of the body is considered normal when the values do not exceed subfebrile levels. An elevated temperature a few days after surgery suggests the development of complications and requires additional examination.

A nurse measures a girl's temperature after surgery

The most big influence general anesthesia affects babies up to one year old. Infants have developed a clear diet and sleep schedule, which becomes confused after anesthesia - children can confuse day and night, staying awake at night. In this case, only patience will help - after a few days or weeks the baby will return to his usual routine on his own.

In rare cases, parents observe that their child “fell into childhood,” that is, he began to perform actions that are not typical for his age. You don’t have to worry about this; most likely, this is a temporary phenomenon and will go away on its own.

Some children, after surgery using general anesthesia, sleep poorly, are capricious, and refuse to eat. Some rituals that should be performed every day before bed can help your child fall asleep. It could be a glass warm milk, interesting tales or a relaxing massage. TV viewing should be limited - frequent change pictures provoke excitement of the nervous system; even the most familiar harmless cartoons can increase sleep disturbances.

Feeding a child after anesthesia

If the baby feels well, sleeps well, and is not bothered by fever, nausea or vomiting, then doctors advise returning to normal life as soon as possible. Early patient activation helps rapid recovery and prevention of development postoperative complications. After 5-6 hours, doctors may allow your child to eat. The food should be light - it could be vegetable soup, jelly with crackers or toast, porridge with water. Infants receive breastfeeding or formula milk.

In the absence of vomiting, it will help you recover quickly drinking plenty of fluids. Pure still water, compotes, fruit drinks, and teas are most suitable. Juices and sweet carbonated drinks are not recommended for frequent drinking, as they contain a large number of Sahara.

Correct psychological preparation, the presence of loved ones and following all the doctor’s recommendations will help the child cope easier. postoperative period. The child’s body has the ability to recover quickly, and within a few days the baby will feel much better than on the first day after the operation.