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Research
Beta Agonists for Prevention of Respiratory Adverse Events in Children Undergoing Adenotonsillectomy: Long-Acting, Short Acting, or Not ActingAdenotonsillectomy is one of the most common surgical interventions in children, and while generally safe, it is associated with a risk of significant adverse events. In this issue, Kim et al report a prospective randomized controlled study comparing preoperative use of a tulobuterol (longacting beta agonist) dermal patch with placebo on the incidence of perioperative respiratory adverse events (PRAEs) in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy.

News & Events
Inaugural Byron Kakulas medal awarded to Perioperative Medicine TeamA research team dedicated to making anaesthesia and surgery safer and more comfortable for babies and children has been awarded an inaugural Byron Kakulas Medal by WA’s Perron Institute.
Research
Association of preoperative nocturnal hypoxaemia nadir and fentanyl ventilatory sensitivity in children with obstructive sleep apnoea undergoing general anaesthesiaObstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) has been thought to increase the risk of respiratory depression from opioids. The primary aim of this study was to assess whether preoperative hypoxaemia by sleep study pulse oximetry imparts greater opioid sensitivity.
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Trends in paediatric anaesthesia research publications and the impact of author sex, country of origin, topic, and external fundingThe current research landscape has become increasingly competitive with approximately 35% of submitted manuscripts accepted for publication by peer-review journals. It is known that studies with certain 'favourable characteristics' have an increased likelihood of acceptance for publication, such as prospective study design, multiple sites, and notable authors.
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Airway management in neonates and infants: European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care and British Journal of Anaesthesia joint guidelinesAirway management is required during general anaesthesia and is essential for life-threatening conditions such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Evidence from recent trials indicates a high incidence of critical events during airway management, especially in neonates or infants. It is important to define the optimal techniques and strategies for airway management in these groups.
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Difficult or impossible facemask ventilation in children with difficult tracheal intubation: a retrospective analysis of the PeDI registryDifficult facemask ventilation is perilous in children whose tracheas are difficult to intubate. We hypothesised that certain physical characteristics and anaesthetic factors are associated with difficult mask ventilation in paediatric patients who also had difficult tracheal intubation.
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Jelly snakes to reduce early postoperative vomiting in children after adenotonsillectomy: The randomized controlled snakes trialDespite the use of dual antiemetic agents, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) occurs in an unacceptably large number of patients post-tonsillectomy. There has been increased interest in alternative and non-pharmacological treatments for PONV e.g., chewing gum. We investigated if chewing a large confectionary jelly snake had prophylactic antiemetic effects postoperatively in young children.
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Performance Accuracy of Wrist-Worn Oximetry and Its Automated Output Parameters for Screening Obstructive Sleep Apnea in ChildrenObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increases the risk of perioperative adverse events in children. While polysomnography remains the reference standard for OSA diagnosis, oximetry is a valuable screening tool. The traditional practice is the manual analysis of desaturation clusters derived from a tabletop device using the McGill oximetry score. However, automated analysis of wearable oximetry data can be an alternative. This study investigated the accuracy of wrist-worn oximetry with automated analysis as a preoperative OSA screening tool.
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A survey of the global impact of COVID-19 on the practice of pediatric anesthesia: A study from the pediatric anesthesia COVID-19 Collaborative GroupPediatric anesthesiology has been greatly impacted by COVID-19 in the delivery of care to patients and to the individual providers. With this study, we sought to survey pediatric centers and highlight the variations in care related to perioperative medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the availability of protective equipment, the practice of pediatric anesthesia, and economic impact.
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Prescribing in a pediatric hospital setting – Lost in translation?To determine parental understanding of directions on common pediatric prescription pharmacy labels and to identify enablers and barriers that affect interpretation of these labels.