Jacqueline Tutiven

Targeting operating room inefficiencies in the complex management of vision-threatening diseases in children.

OBJECTIVE To review the effect of interventions designed to decrease turnover time in infants and children (median age, 2.6 years; range, 1 month to 10 years) who required examinations under anesthesia. METHODS Five efficiency interventions (3 anesthesia providers for 2 rooms, digital remote communication, change in patient scheduling, standardization of case order, and streamlining administration of preoperative medications) were implemented during a 4(1/2)-year period from January 2003 to July 2007. Using data from our in-house operating room information system, we analyzed turnover times (time it took 1 patient to leave the operating room and the next to enter). RESULTS The mean turnover times decreased from 12.1 minutes to 3.8 minutes. The 90th percentile of longest turnover times decreased from 14.5 minutes in 2003 to 5.8 minutes in 2007, despite a progressive increase in the number of cases per day. CONCLUSION Caring for children who require extensive examinations under anesthesia can be efficiently achieved in nonpediatric environments.

Updates in Pediatric Regional Anesthesia and Its Role in the Treatment of Acute Pain in the Ambulatory Setting

Purpose of ReviewThe purpose of this review is to summarize the latest advances in pediatric regional anesthesia with special emphasis on its role in the ambulatory surgical setting.Recent FindingsUndertreated pain in children following ambulatory surgery is not a rare occurrence and it is associated with increased morbidity and significant psychosocial harm. Use of regional anesthesia as part of the anesthetic approach in the ambulatory setting is safe when performed on children under general anesthesia and inclusion of certain adjuncts improves block outcomes. Ultrasonographic visualization during blockade improves safety and prolongs duration. Ambulatory continuous nerve blocks in older children are safe, efficacious, and associated with high patient and caregiver satisfaction rates.SummaryIn the ever-growing field of pediatric same-day surgery, safe and efficient flow through the perioperative period necessitates use of a multimodal approach, of which regional anesthesia is but one important component. Perioperative complications are minimized with less opioid use, and yet appropriate pain management must be ensured. Pediatric regional anesthesia has been shown to be exceedingly safe under general anesthesia. Findings demonstrate that advances in ultrasound technology have contributed to safer and longer-lasting analgesia. It facilitates the development of new methods by which regional anesthesia can improve postoperative analgesia in children upon discharge and beyond.

Can children undergoing ophthalmologic examinations under anesthesia be safely anesthetized without using an IV line

Purpose: To document that with proper patient and procedure selection, children undergoing general inhalational anesthesia for ophthalmologic exams (with or without photos, ultrasound, laser treatment, peri-ocular injection of chemotherapy, suture removal, and/or replacement of ocular prosthesis) can be safely anesthetized without the use of an intravenous (IV) line. Children are rarely anesthetized without IV access placement. We performed a retrospective study to determine our incidence of IV access placement during examinations under anesthesia (EUA) and the incidence of adverse events that required intraoperative IV access placement. Methods: Data collected from our operating room (OR) information system includes but is not limited to diagnosis, anesthesiologist, surgeon, and location of IV catheter (if applicable), patient’s date of birth, actual procedure, and anesthesia/procedure times. We reviewed the OR and anesthetic records of children (>1 month and <10 years) who underwent EUAs between January 1, 2003 and May 31, 2009. We determined the percentage of children who were anesthetized without IV access placement, as well as the incidence of any adverse events that required IV access placement, intraoperatively. Results: We analyzed data from 3196 procedures performed during a 77-month period. Patients’ ages ranged from 1 month to 9 years. Overall, 92% of procedures were performed without IV access placement. Procedure duration ranged from 1–39 minutes. Reasons for IV access placement included parental preference for antinausea medication and/or attending preference for IV access placement. No child who underwent anesthesia without an IV line had an intraoperative adverse event requiring insertion of an IV line. Conclusion: Our data suggest that for children undergoing general anesthesia for ophthalmologic exams (with or without photos, ultrasound, laser treatment, intraocular injection of chemotherapy, suture removal, and/or replacement of ocular prosthesis), anesthesia can be safely conducted without placement of an IV line.

Retinal detachment associated with atopic dermatitis

Ocular manifestations related to atopic dermatitis include keratoconus, keratoconjunctivitis, cataract, and retinal detachment. The authors report three cases of retinal detachment associated with atopic dermatitis. Although the pathogenesis is poorly understood, chronic blunt trauma may play a role in the development of retinal detachment. In addition, retinal detachments associated with atopic dermatitis may have lower rates of successful retinal detachment repair. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2017;48:513-517.].

Anesthetic Considerations in the Evaluation of Children with Glaucoma and Associated Conditions

Glaucoma in the pediatric population can be difficult to diagnose and treat without a child’s cooperation. Examination and intervention under anesthesia play a critical role in the management of childhood glaucoma, as detailed elsewhere. This requires a change in setting from the office to the operating room with the availability and assistance of a pediatric anesthesiologist, who may have to sedate or anesthetize the child repeatedly, sometimes even just to confirm the glaucoma diagnosis. An anesthesiologist with specialty training in pediatrics is pertinent, as childhood glaucoma can often be associated with syndromes involving other organ systems, hence making their anesthetic complicated and at times potentially dangerous. Once the glaucoma diagnosis is established, these children may have to return to the operating room multiple times for examinations and/or treatments; thus, having prior anesthetic records with any previous complications can offer vital information to both the pediatric anesthesiologist and pediatric glaucoma specialist. This chapter focuses on the preoperative workup of pediatric patients to ensure that they are optimized medically to undergo sedation and general anesthesia with the lowest possible risk. The intraoperative course is also described, including why sedation may be chosen over general anesthesia and how the various anesthetic drugs such as volatile anesthetics or intravenous induction agents can affect intraocular pressure measurements. The chapter finishes by describing potential postoperative complications related to anesthesia: nausea, vomiting, postoperative delirium, and agitation, along with a brief discussion on various syndromes that could potentially affect the delivery and choice of anesthetic.

The Use of Fluorescein Angiography to Evaluate Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma: An Observational Case Series

Background or Purpose: The evaluation of retinal hemorrhages in the setting of suspected abusive head trauma (AHT) has important medical, social, and legal implications. Challenges include late presentation after retinal hemorrhages have resolved and differentiating AHT-related retinal changes from mimicking pathologies. To date, angiographic evidence of peripheral retinal injury in AHT has been reported in small series, but further study is needed to determine the prevalence and long-term sequelae of these findings. The purpose of this study was to describe fluorescein angiography (FA) findings in pediatric patients with a history of definite AHT and demonstrate the potential utility of FA in evaluating cases of suspected abuse with late presentation. Methods: Retrospective case series of 10 eyes in 5 pediatric patients with a history of definite AHT. RetCam fundus photography images and digital FA were performed. Results: Peripheral retinal nonperfusion affected 10 of 10 eyes in patients with a history of definite AHT. These changes persisted after acute retinal hemorrhages had resolved. Conclusions: “Retinal surveys” using FA provide angiographic evidence of peripheral retinal nonperfusion that may be a sign of AHT. This series adds to the growing body of cases reporting similar AHT-related findings and additionally demonstrates the longevity of these pathologic changes after trauma, which has not been previously described. Fluorescein angiography may offer a distinct advantage in evaluating cases of suspected abuse with late presentation to medical care when pathognomonic retinal hemorrhages may no longer be present. Further study is needed to determine the prevalence and long-term sequelae of these findings.

Retinal Detachment Repair in a Patient With Active Zika Virus Infection

A patient had successful retinal detachment repair during the active phase of serologically confirmed Zika virus infection. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case documenting a necessary vitreoretinal surgery in a patient with active Zika disease. As more traveling and domestic patients become infected, data on surgical management during active Zika viremia may prove useful.

Diffuse neonatal hemangiomatosis presenting as bilateral iris hemangiomas in an infant.

PURPOSE To describe a case of diffuse neonatal hemangiomatosis presenting as bilateral iris hemangiomas. METHOD Case report. PATIENT A 2-month-old girl presented with bilateral enlarging red masses of her irises, congestive heart failure, and abdominal distension. The iris masses were diagnosed as hemangiomas, and she was found to have diffuse neonatal hemangiomatosis also involving her skin, liver, heart, and cerebellum. RESULTS The patients systemic hemangiomas were successfully treated with four cycles of weekly intravenous vincristine (0.05 mg/kg/dose) with concurrent resolution of her right iris hemangioma within 6 weeks. The left iris lesion then regressed within 1 month following 1 subTenon injection of 20 mg of triamcinolone acetonide with residual iridocorneal adhesions at the site. CONCLUSION Diffuse neonatal hemangiomatosis should be considered in the setting of bilateral iris hemangiomas. Also, this case demonstrates that iris hemangiomas associated with diffuse neonatal hemangiomatosis may respond to systemic vincristine, and that periocular steroids may be useful for treating iris hemangiomas that are unresponsive to systemic vincristine alone.