J Anesth Perioper Med. 2018;5(5):259-266. https://doi.org/10.24015/ebcmed.japm.2018.0094
From the 1Department of Anesthesiology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, 2West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA.
Correspondence to Dr. Pavithra Ranganathan at ranganathanp@wvumedicine.org.
EBCMED ID: ebcmed.japm.2018.0094 DOI: 10.24015/ebcmed.japm.2018.0094
Aim of review
The use of ultrasound for diagnosis and intervention has become a mainstay in pediatric anesthesia. It is safe to provide nerve blocks, caudal, epidural and spinal blocks under general anesthesia in children. Ultrasound use enhances the safety of these procedures. There is a wide range of applications for ultrasound. This review aims at addressing the most common applications for ultrasound in pediatric anesthesia.
Methods
Systematic literature search and author expertise are incorporated in this review.
Recent findings
Ultrasound is routinely used by pediatric anesthesiologists for diagnosis, regional anesthesia, and vascular access. Focused cardiac US (FoCUS) and Point of care US (PoCUS) is gaining popularity due to the ease of access to an ultrasound in the peri-operative setting.
Summary
Ultrasound in pediatric anesthesia increases safety and has become the standard of care for central vascular access and regional anesthesia under general anesthesia. All practitioners who provide pediatric anesthesia care should become familiar with both the diagnostic and therapeutic uses for ultrasound in children.
Article Type
Review Article
Declaration of Interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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