Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Ketamine as a Bronchodilator in Pediatric Patients With Acute Asthma Exacerbation: A Review

Ketamine has emerged as a potential treatment option for pediatric patients with acute asthma exacerbation who do not respond to standard therapy. This review aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ketamine in this population and provide an overview of the current literature. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed and Google Scholar, resulting in the identification of four relevant studies. The studies demonstrated that ketamine administration led to improvements in respiratory parameters, including a decrease in clinical asthma scores (CASs) and respiratory rates, and an increase in peak expiratory flow and oxygen saturation. Ketamine infusion also showed promise in obviating the need for intubation in patients with severe wheezing due to bronchiolitis. The most common side effects observed were increased tracheobronchial secretions and hallucinations, which were manageable through discontinuation or additional medication. No significant changes in heart rate and blood pressure were reported, indicating hemodynamic stability. Long-term complications of ketamine use were minimal, with no reports of nightmares or dysphoria. In conclusion, ketamine shows potential as a bronchodilator for pediatric patients with acute asthma exacerbation, although further research is needed to fully evaluate its effectiveness and long-term effects. The use of ketamine should be considered in carefully selected cases and closely monitored for adverse events.

A systematic review of therapeutic ketamine use in children and adolescents with treatment-resistant mood disorders

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the United States among individuals aged 10-24, and severe youth depression is often refractory to the current standards of care. Many studies have demonstrated the efficacy of ketamine in reducing depressive symptoms in adults with treatment-resistant mood disorders, though few studies utilizing ketamine in youth populations exist. This systematic review examines the current state of evidence for ketamine use in children with treatment-resistant mood disorders. We conducted a search utilizing two electronic databases for English-language studies investigating the therapeutic effects and side effect profile of ketamine in youth ≤ 19 years of age with a diagnosis of a treatment-resistant mood disorder. Analysis included subjects with treatment-resistant depression with and without psychotic features and with bipolar disorder. Primary outcome measures included the following scales: Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, Children's Depression Rating Scale, Children's Depression Rating Scale Revised, Child Bipolar Questionnaire, Overt Aggression Scale, Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, and Scale for Suicidal Ideation. Four published studies were identified that investigated therapeutic ketamine use in youth for the primary purpose of treating a treatment-resistant psychiatric disorder. Three additional studies that did not meet eligibility criteria were identified and discussed. Ketamine was shown in youth to generally improve depressive symptoms, decrease acute suicidality, and reduce mood lability, though a number of subjects remained resistant to its treatment. These findings substantiate the need for further longitudinal studies investigating ketamine's long-term safety, its efficacy, and abuse potential in the youth.

Ketamine Use in Hysterosalpingography (the Jimah Procedure): A Follow-Up of Bilateral Tubal Evaluation of 27 Infertile Women at a Teaching Hospital, Ghana

Background

Pain, anxiety, and distress are common in radiological investigations including hysterosalpingogram (HSG). Studies suggest that sedation allows patients to better tolerate diagnostic imaging and image-guided procedures by relieving anxiety, discomfort, and pain. This study aimed at assessing the safety and effectiveness of ketamine use in HSG and the proportion of true positive bilateral tubal blockage during HSG using the Jimah Procedure.

Methods

We performed repeated HSG workup under IV ketamine (20–40 mg/mL) sedation for 27 infertile women at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. The exclusion criteria included unilateral tubular blockage, acute infection of the vagina or cervix, active vaginal bleeding, glaucoma, and high blood pressure at the time of the study. Data were entered with Microsoft Excel and analyzed using SPSS version 21.

Results

A total of 27 patients (age range: 25–48 years) previously diagnosed of bilateral tubal blockage or spasm were enrolled for the repeat HSG procedure. The median age was 34 years (IQR: 32–37), while secondary infertility (20) (74.1%) was the commonest indication. None of the patients reported of pain or distress during or after the procedure. Two (7.4%) women vomited after HSG. Twelve patients (44.4%) had bilateral tubal blockage (true positive), while tubal patency was seen in 15 (55.6%) patients on HSG under ketamine sedation.

Conclusion

This study found IV ketamine sedation produces profound anesthesia and analgesia and eliminates tubal spasm. We recommend that radiologists in developing countries should consider sedating patients during HSG and documenting observations and patients' feedback to help assess safety and effectiveness in local settings.

Moderate and deep sedation for non-invasive paediatric procedures in tertiary maternity and children’s hospitals in China: a questionnaire survey from China

Background

Moderate and deep sedation are well-established techniques in many developed countries, and several guidelines have been published. However, they have received attention in China only in recent years. The aim of this study is to investigate current paediatric sedation practices in tertiary children’s hospitals and tertiary maternity and children hospitals in China.

Methods

All tertiary children’s hospitals and tertiary maternity and children hospitals registered with the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China were invited to participate in an electronic survey, which included information on the sedation caseload, facility availability, staff structure, clinical skill requirements for sedation providers, fasting guidelines, patient-monitoring practices, and choice of sedatives.

Results

Fifty-eight of the 63 hospitals that completed the survey (92.1%) provided moderate and deep sedation. Dedicated sedation rooms and post-sedation recovery rooms were found in 14 (24.1%) and 19 (32.8%) hospitals, respectively. Sedation for non-invasive procedures was primarily performed by anaesthesiologists (69.0%); however, 75.9% of the sedation providers had not received paediatric basic or advanced life-support training. Children were asked to fast from clear liquids for at least 2 h in 44.8% of hospitals and up to 6 h in 5.2% of hospitals; they were asked to fast from solid food/milk for at least 4 h in 27.6% of hospitals and more than 8 h in 1.7% of hospitals. The most commonly used sedative in all groups was chloral hydrate. For rescue, propofol was the most widely used sedative, particularly for children older than 4 years.

Conclusions

Moderate and deep sedation practices vary widely in tertiary children’s hospitals and tertiary maternity and children hospitals in China. Optimised practices should be established to improve the quality of moderate and deep sedation.

The pearls of pediatric sedation: polish the old and embrace the new

Over the past decade, as the complexity and breadth of pediatric procedures increases, the actual choices of approved sedatives have remained relatively stagnant. Since the introduction of midazolam, there has not been a sedative approved for pediatric labelling until December 2018. This December, the European approval of ADV6209 (Ozalin) for pediatric usage marked the newest addition to the pediatric sedative armamentarium in over a decade. This review is timely and significant because it will provide a balanced evaluation of the most common sedatives in use today, the most recent sedative to be approved and, most importantly, a critical look at the literature supporting the latest approaches to the most commonly performed procedures.

Deep procedural sedation by a sedationist team for outpatient pediatric renal biopsies

To date, no study has analyzed the use of deep PS for pediatric renal biopsies by a dedicated sedation team in an outpatient setting. Retrospective analysis of renal biopsies performed at CHOA from 2009 to 2013. Patient demographics, procedure success, and sedation-related events were analyzed. Logistic regression techniques were applied to identify characteristics associated with procedure safety and success. A total of 174 biopsies from 136 patients, aged 2-21 yr, were reviewed. Of the 174 biopsies, 63 of 174 (36%) were from native, and 111 of 174 (64%) were from transplanted kidneys, respectively. No deaths, allograft losses, or unanticipated hospital admissions occurred. The most commonly utilized interventions during sedation were blow-by oxygen (29.9%) and CPAP (12.1%). Children receiving the combination of F + P had significantly higher biopsy success rates vs. other drug combinations (96.1% vs. 79%; p = 0.014). There was no difference in complication rates regardless of drug combination or biopsy type (transplanted vs. native). The combination of F + P yields a high procedural success rate for outpatient native and transplanted kidney biopsies. We identified a number of sedation-related events that can be easily managed by a well-trained sedationist team.

Pharmacovigilance in children: detecting adverse drug reactions in routine electronic healthcare records. A systematic review

AIMS

A systematic review of the literature published in English over 10 years was undertaken in order to describe the use of electronic healthcare data in the identification of potential adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in children.

METHODS

MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched using MESH headings and text words. Titles, keywords and abstracts were checked for age <18 years, potential ADRs and electronic healthcare data. Information extracted included age, data source, pharmacovigilance method, medicines and ADRs. Studies were quality assessed.

RESULTS

From 14 804 titles, 314 had a full text review and 71 were included in the final review. Fifty were published in North America, 10 in Scandinavia. Study size ranged from less than 1000 children to more than 10 million. Sixty per cent of studies used data from one source. Comparative observational studies were most commonly reported (66.2%) with 15% using passive surveillance. Electronic healthcare data set linkage and the quality of the data source were poorly reported. ADRs were classified using the International Classification of Disease (ICD10). Multi-system reactions were most commonly studied, followed by central nervous system and mental and behavioural disorders. Vaccines were most frequently prescribed followed by corticosteroids, general anaesthetics and antidepressants.

CONCLUSIONS

Routine electronic healthcare records were increasingly reported to be used for pharmacovigilance in children. This growing and important health protection activity could be enhanced by consistent reporting of studies to improve the identification, interpretation and generalizability of the evidence base.

Use of animated cartoons with children's songs to increase compliance with ultrasonography in young children

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effect of animated cartoons with children's songs to increase compliance with ultrasonography (US) examination in young children.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Animated cartoons with children's songs viewed on a cell phone were played just before the start of US examination when pediatric patients were agitated or irritable. The effect of this method was evaluated for initial responses and sustained responses (grade 0, no response; 1, partial response; and 2, good response). Site of US examination, scan duration, and the helpfulness of this method (0, useless; 1, partially helpful; and 2, very helpful) were also recorded.

RESULTS

Among 464 pediatric patients who underwent US during the study period, 88 children (19%) needed to be calmed (67 abdominal and 21 other parts of the body). All subjects were less than five years of age (mean 1.5 years), except for four patients with mental retardation. Scan duration was less than 5 minutes in almost all examinations. Five children refused to watch the cartoon. Initial responses were good in 75 and partial in eight children. Sustained responses were good in 70 and partial in 12 children. The cartoons were very helpful in 73 (83%) and partially helpful in nine (10%) children. The effect of watching the cartoon did not change with sex, age (less or more than one year), or site of examination.

CONCLUSION

Animated cartoons with children's songs viewed on a cell phone were helpful (93%) in increasing compliance with US examination in young children of both the abdomen and other parts.

Use of ketofol for procedural sedation and analgesia in children with hematological diseases

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of intravenous ketamine-propofol admixture ("ketofol") in the same syringe for procedural sedation and analgesia in children undergoing bone marrow aspiration.

METHODS

This was a prospective, observational pilot study. Patients aged between 4 and 12 years requiring sedation for bone marrow aspiration were included. Ketofol (1:1 mixture of ketamine 10 mg/mL and propofol 10 mg/mL) was given intravenously in 0.5 mg/kg aliquots each with a 1-min interval and titrated to reach sedation levels of 3 or 4 (Ramsay score). The primary outcome was patient satisfaction with the degree of sedation. Secondary outcomes included injection pain, total sedation time, recovery time, hemodynamic and respiratory parameters, and adverse events.

RESULTS

A total of 20 patients were enrolled in the study. The median total dose of ketofol administered was 1.25 mg/kg each of propofol and ketamine (95%CI 0.77-2 mg/kg). The median score on the visual analog scale was 0 (extremely comfortable) (0-1.5; 95%CI 0.2-2.2). Median recovery time was 23 min (20.5-28 min; 95%CI 17.1-51.2). The incidence of injection pain was 2/20. Two patients had transient diplopia and one child reported dreams. No patients had hypotension, vomiting or required airway intervention.

CONCLUSION

Ketofol provided effective sedation, which was reflected in the high degree of satisfaction recorded by children requiring procedural sedation and analgesia for bone marrow aspiration. We also observed rapid recovery and no clinically significant complications. A large number of patients is required to evaluate and validate these findings.

Assessment of renal pathology and dysfunction in children with Fabry disease

Overt renal disease often first presents in male individuals with Fabry disease in early to middle adulthood, but proteinuria and reduced GFR may occur in adolescents and in young children. More recently, kidney biopsy data have shown early renal histologic changes in pediatric patients, and kidney dysfunction, primarily proteinuria, seems to be more common in girls. Renal investigations and their timing in children remain poorly defined. A consensus on renal investigations is necessary to understand the natural progression of the disease and to evaluate the efficacy of treatments such as enzyme replacement therapies. This article addresses three main categories: Use of GFRs, measuring albuminuria, and renal biopsies in children.