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Sedation in paediatric cancer for fractionated radiation treatment (RT) is unique as the child has to be still for accurate delivery of RT, monitoring of the child is from a remote location and sedation is repeated for multiple sessions of RT. The present study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of intranasal dexmedetomidine with oral midazolam and ketamine combination for repeated sedation during fractionated RT in paediatric oncology.Ninety children aged between 3-6 years, planned for 21 fractions of RT, were randomised to receive intranasal dexmedetomidine 2 μg/kg (group D) or oral midazolam 0.2 mg/kg and ketamine 5 mg/kg (group MK). The 21 sessions of fractionated radiotherapy were divided into three subgroups of seven consecutive exposures 1-7, 8-14 and 15-21 for comparison. The primary endpoint was to determine the incidence of successful sedation. The sedation score achieved, time to satisfactory sedation and discharge, rescue ketamine required, and side effects were secondary endpoints.The incidence of successful sedation in the three successive RT subgroups; sessions: 1-7, 8-14 and 15-21, was 82%, 75.6% and 66.7% in group D, as compared to 40%, 24.4% and 13.3% in group MK, respectively. (P0.001). A decrease in successful sedation was noted in the successive subgroups. Time to successful sedation and discharge was earlier in group D in comparison to MK (P = 0.000). More patients in group MK required rescue ketamine (P = 000).Intranasal dexmedetomidine produces more satisfactory sedation as compared to oral ketamine with midazolam for fractionated RT.

Patients in the perioperative period and intensive care unit are commonly exposed to blood transfusion (BT). They are at increased risk of transfusion transmitted bacterial, viral and protozoal diseases. The risk of viral transmission has decreased steadily, but the risk of bacterial transmission remains same. Bacterial contamination is more in platelet concentrates than in red cells and least in plasma. The chances of sepsis, morbidity and mortality depend on the number of transfusions and underlying condition of the patient. Challenges to safe BT continue due to new emerging pathogens and various management problems. Strategies to restrict BT, optimal surgical and anaesthetic techniques to reduce blood loss and efforts to develop transfusion alternatives should be made. Literature search was performed using search words/phrases blood transfusion, transfusion, transfusion transmitted diseases, transfusion transmitted bacterial diseases, transfusion transmitted viral diseases, transfusion transmitted protozoal diseases or combinations, on PubMed and Google Scholar from 1990 to 2014.

Background and Aims: Breast cancer surgery can be carried out as day-care procedure to increase patient turnover, decrease disease progression and financial burden. The present study was carried out to assess the role of dexmedetomidine in breast cancer surgery as a day-care procedure. Methods: This prospective randomised, double-blind study was carried out on 100 patients screened for day-care breast cancer surgery. They were divided into two groups of 50 each; who received either normal saline (Group NS) or 0.6 μg/kg/h dexmedetomidine (Group D) infusion from 10 min before induction until skin closure. All patients were given general anaesthesia. The incidence of discharge, post-operative pain (POP), average rescue analgesia (fentanyl) required and side effects were noted. Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t-test and Chi-square test. Results: Incidence of discharge in group NS was 60% compared to 88% in Group D (P = 0.001). Average rescue analgesia requirement by group NS was 136.07 ± 43.06 μg, whereas it was 77.5 ± 29.86 μg in Group D (P = 0.01). The incidence of POP in 6 h and within 2 h of expected discharge time in Group NS was 56% and 28%, respectively, and in Group D, it was 8% in both the periods (P < 0.001 and 0.01). Side effects such as post-operative nausea, vomiting and bleeding were encountered in eight and two patients, respectively, in Group NS and two and one patients, respectively, in Group D. Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine as an anaesthetic adjuvant makes breast cancer surgery feasible on day-care basis.