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Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) is a neurocutaneous disorder characterised by a facial port wine stain (PWS) of the ophthalmic trigeminal dermatome, associated with leptomeningeal angioma and glaucoma. PWS of SWS represents a cosmetic prejudice with social consequences. The article focuses on a study, in which eight patients with a 585 nm pulsed dye laser have been treated. The aim of the study was to assess the safety of the flashlamp pulsed dye laser in patients with SWS, and to evaluate its efficacy. According to the study, the treatment is not risky provided that adequate care is taken; the cosmetic result on PWS component is satisfactory.

Postoperative analgesia at home induces necessarily pain assessment by self-report or observational measure. A special scale has been validated for day-case surgery: the PPMP. Nevertheless, children's and parents' information and education are essential., (Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier SAS.)

Background: In this study, we sought to determine the level of inspiratory pressures allowing adequate and safe ventilation without any risk of gastric insufflation (GI) in children according to age., Methods: One hundred children, aged 1 day to 16 years, ASA physical status I to II, scheduled for general anesthesia were studied prospectively. After induction of anesthesia, children's lungs were ventilated with pressure-controlled ventilation. The initial inspiratory pressure was 10 cm H(2)O and was increased by steps of 5 cm H(2)O, up to a maximum of 25 cm H(2)O. At each step, GI was detected by epigastric auscultation. The recorded data were age and weight. At each step, the inspiratory pressure, the respiratory rate, the expired tidal volume, the minute ventilation, and the occurrence of GI were also recorded., Results: GI occurred in 78 children. GI occurred in 95% of children younger than 1 year, in 93% of children aged 1 to 5 years, and 56% of children older than 5 years (P = 0.001). The pressure threshold at which GI occurred increased with age: the younger the child, the lower the GI pressure threshold. Tidal volume increased with inspiratory pressure, but at >15 cm H(2)O, tidal volume did not change significantly., Conclusion: The inspiratory pressure threshold at which GI can occur depends on age. It is low in infants and increases with age. In most cases, proper ventilation without GI was obtained with an inspiratory pressure

Background: Target-controlled inhalation induction (TCII) with sevoflurane is becoming possible with new anesthesia platforms. Although TCII has already been performed in adults, it remains to be evaluated in children., Methods: In a prospective study, we compared TCII using the Felix AInOC anesthetic station (Taema, Anthony, France) to our standard protocol inhalation induction in children scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia. After preoxygenation, sevoflurane induction was performed in both groups without priming of the circuit. Sufentanil was administered after venous line placement., Results: In the TCII group, no overdosage or underdosage was observed except in two children where TCII failed owing to high agitation, and the number of adjustments was lower compared with our standard protocol inhalation induction (1(1-2.5[0-5]) vs 6(5-6[4-10]) respectively). Moreover, the delay to obtain target end-tidal sevoflurane concentration was shorter in the TCII group (2(1.6-2.7[1.3-4]) min vs 3.4(2.5-3.8[2.3-6.5]) min respectively). No significant difference in the delay of loss of consciousness or in the conditions for intubation or laryngeal mask placement was observed between the groups., Conclusion: The Felix AInOC allows TCII to be performed satisfactorily in children. Manual inhalation induction induced a higher number of adjustments and overdosages.

Objective: To investigate the procedures used by French anaesthesiologists in children undergoing MRI., Methods: A questionnaire was sent by Internet to every university hospital in France. Information concerning the specialty of the doctor in charge of the child, the age of the children, premedication, airway control, the agents used, presence of a specific recovery room, length of hospitalization and number of children undergoing MRI was obtained., Results: Out of the 28 hospitals contacted, one did not reply and two did not perform anaesthesia for MRI. In 80% of cases, paediatric anaesthesiologists were in charge of the children. Only one team applied an age limit and performed sedation only in children over 10 kg. Specific monitoring for MRI was used by all teams. Premedication was given in 52% of cases. Parents were present during induction in 52% of cases. Sevoflurane was used in 52%, propofol in 40% and propofol with sufentanil in 8%. Presence of a venous line is systematic in 92% of cases. Intubation is systematic in 36% of cases, laryngeal mask in 20%, one or the other in 24%, and face mask and/or oral canula in 20%. The most widely used ventilation mode is spontaneous breathing (52%). All children go to the recovery room, which was close to the MRI unit in only 48% of cases and was less than 1 hour away in 72%. In 83% of cases, MRI is performed on a day-case basis and the number of procedures varies from 4 to 30 per week., Conclusion: While there is no standard anaesthetic protocol in France for children undergoing MRI, only specialist teams undertake such procedures.

Objectives: To compare the Classic laryngeal mask airway (MLC) and the ProSeal LMA (MLP), size 2 and 2.5 in terms of ease of insertion, leak pressure and side effects during insertion and extraction in the recovery room., Study Type: Randomised prospective., Material and Method: All children between 10 and 30 kg scheduled for general anaesthesia with laryngeal mask (ML) were included. There was no imposed protocol for the anaesthesia. The ML size was determined according to the child's weight. The MLC was inserted using the standard technique. The MLP was inserted following the recommendations, with or without the handle according to the operator's choice. The data analysed were: insertion type, ease of insertion of the mask, of the nasogastric tube (SG), number of attempts of mask insertion, complications, gastric leaks., Results: One hundred (and) twenty children were included. There was no statistical difference in terms of difficulty of insertion, number of failed attempts, leak pressure or side effects. The use of the handle did not make insertion easier. Insertion of a nasogastric tube was possible in 92% cases., Conclusion: MLP is as easy to use in children as the MLC. MLP has the advantage of allowing rapid access to the stomach. It seems that the MLP is safer since its correct position is confirmed by easy gastric tube insertion.

Fibreoptic intubation through the laryngeal mask airway is a recommended technique for the management of a restricted airway. We report the failure of this technique in a 20-month-old infant presenting with McKusick-Kaufman syndrome.

The aim of this clinical audit was to evaluate the home recovery and complications of 104 daycase anaesthetized children, as well as parent satisfaction. A questionnaire, explained at the time of preoperative visit, was given to parents at hospital discharge and returned by mail. Opioids were administered in 19% of the children whereas regional anaesthesia was performed in 28% of cases. In the recovery room, 8% of them suffered pain. At home, pain was the main problem (25%) and vomiting and agitation were found in 9% and 6% of the cases respectively. Parents reported anxiety in 45% of cases, and 14% called their general practitioner. Nevertheless, 94% were satisfied with the anaesthetic. A clinical audit is useful in detecting management deficiencies. Quality of home recovery may be improved by: wider use of perioperative analgesia, systematic prescription of take-home analgesia, designation of a hospital practitioner for advice, and closer collaboration with general practitioners.

From 1970 to 1985, eight severe blunt pancreatic traumas were admitted. There is significant difference in morbidity between early pancreatectomy with or without splenectomy (a mean hospital stay of 23 days, low loss of weight) and initial simple external pancreatic drainage with delayed partial pancreatectomy or pancreato-cystojejunostomy Roux-en-Y (mean hospital stay of 45 days, 24% loss of weight, one death two years later). Thus it seems essential to diagnose the pancreatic injury and particularly rupture of the pancreatic duct. Aiming to evaluate these lesions, biology, ultrasonography or computerized axial tomography proved insufficient. As a result, in the last two patients, an endoscopic retrograde pancreatography was performed confirming total transection of the pancreatic duct, one case with fistula, the other with a contrast fluid stop. The surgical approach was guided by these X-ray findings and a distal pancreatectomy performed preserving spleen. The authors propose the following protocol: endoscopic pancreatography if an evident improvement in recent pancreatic injury is not obtained in 48 hours, or in the case of former complicated pancreatic trauma; in the event of total rupture of pancreatic duct, operation should be carried out: abdominal exploration guided by the X-rays findings, distal pancreatectomy or, rarely, repair of the pancreatic duct; when no pancreatic duct lesion is found, but ultrasonographic blunt trauma patent, the surgical decision depends on the amount of peripancreatic reaction: medical treatment or external drainage; when lesion of the head of pancreas is detected, conservative treatment is to be preferred to pancreatoduodenectomy.