Elwood T, Sarathy P V, Geiduschek J M, Ulma G A, Karl H W
Department of Anesthesiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, WA 98105-0371, USA.
Paediatr Anaesth. 2001 Nov;11(6):701-3. doi: 10.1046/j.1460-9592.2001.00745.x.
Clinical experience with anaesthesia for a series of patients with Apert syndrome (craniosynostosis, midface hypoplasia and syndactyly) has not been reported previously.
In this review, 10 years of experience was examined at our hospital. There were 145 anaesthetics administered to 18 individuals.
There were 16 complications (15 were perioperative wheezing) which occurred in seven patients. In four cases, surgery was cancelled due to intractable wheezing.
We could not demonstrate any benefit from preoperative administration of nebulized albuterol. Paediatric anaesthetists should be aware of this high incidence of respiratory complications in Apert syndrome.