![]() ![]() Lung remains collapsed and filled with liquids in prenatal life. At the same time, an understanding of the differences of both cardiovascular and respiratory physiology between different groups of children and adults is essential to apply appropriate anaesthetic principles to improve perioperative outcome in paediatric patients. ![]() As majority cases of anaesthesia related mortality in children occur because of inadvertent respiratory (airway-related) and cardiocirculatory events, knowledge of the main developmental changes of these two vital organ systems that occur over time since birth makes anaesthesia safer for young children. These unique differences make young children more vulnerable to anaesthesia related critical events and even cardiac arrest. Thus, respiratory and cardiovascular physiology is different in young children, especially in neonates and infants, from that of older children and adults. We mainly focus on transitional physiology of both respiratory and cardiovascular system in newborns and infants and the deleterious changes that may occur during anaesthesia or perioperatively.Ĭardiovascular and respiratory systems undergo extensive changes during foetal through neonatal life and infancy until early childhood. In this review article, we discuss respiratory and cardiovascular physiology in neonates, infants and younger children and their differences with older children and adults. Myocardium and autonomic control of the heart is immature and different in neonates and infants compared to older children and adults and are predisposed to inadvertent life-threatening haemodynamic changes during the perioperative period. The transitional phase of circulation is vulnerable to revert to persistent foetal circulation in neonates. ![]() Premature infants (less than 60 weeks of postconceptional age) can be exposed to the danger of prolonged apnoea and consequent worsening of respiratory function. Anaesthesia can exaggerate respiratory deterioration in young children because of their inability to control respiration and inherent susceptibility to rapid desaturation, airway obstruction, early respiratory fatigue and lung atelectasis. Children are at increased risk of perioperative respiratory and cardiovascular complications because of their unique respiratory and cardiovascular physiology compared to adults. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |