Abstract
Annually in the United States more than one million children under the age of 5 years are exposed to anesthetics for therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. Pre-clinical data in animal models has consistently shown that anesthetic exposure to the developing brain results in long-term cognitive deficits. Current clinical data addressing the safety of these pharmaceutical agents on the developing human brain is limited. Recently, there has been an enormous amount of attention directed at this potential public health issue in both pre-clinical investigations and ongoing human research. A number of these studies should add to our understanding about the impact anesthetic exposure will have on the developing human brain. Until then, there is little data that absolutely reassures clinicians and parents that the pharmaceutical agents used are indeed safe for our children.The uncomfortable reality is that despite the fact that there are more than one million children younger than 5 years old who receive general anesthesia in the United States annually, and thousands more who are deeply sedated for imaging and diagnostic studies or as a necessary adjunct to care in the intensive care unit, there is little data that assures clinicians and parents that the pharmaceutical agents used are indeed safe for the developing brain. That said, there are no convincing human data to suggest that they are not.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1379-1381 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology |
| Volume | 79 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 1 2015 |
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Keywords
- Anesthesia
- Anesthetic effect
- Developing brain
- Neurocognition
- Neurotoxicity
- Pediatrics
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
Cite this
The uncomfortable reality . . . We simply do not know if general anesthesia negatively impacts the neurocognitive development of our small children. / Mann, Glenn E.; Kahana, Madelyn.
In: International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Vol. 79, No. 9, 01.09.2015, p. 1379-1381.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The uncomfortable reality . . . We simply do not know if general anesthesia negatively impacts the neurocognitive development of our small children
AU - Mann, Glenn E.
AU - Kahana, Madelyn
PY - 2015/9/1
Y1 - 2015/9/1
N2 - Annually in the United States more than one million children under the age of 5 years are exposed to anesthetics for therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. Pre-clinical data in animal models has consistently shown that anesthetic exposure to the developing brain results in long-term cognitive deficits. Current clinical data addressing the safety of these pharmaceutical agents on the developing human brain is limited. Recently, there has been an enormous amount of attention directed at this potential public health issue in both pre-clinical investigations and ongoing human research. A number of these studies should add to our understanding about the impact anesthetic exposure will have on the developing human brain. Until then, there is little data that absolutely reassures clinicians and parents that the pharmaceutical agents used are indeed safe for our children.The uncomfortable reality is that despite the fact that there are more than one million children younger than 5 years old who receive general anesthesia in the United States annually, and thousands more who are deeply sedated for imaging and diagnostic studies or as a necessary adjunct to care in the intensive care unit, there is little data that assures clinicians and parents that the pharmaceutical agents used are indeed safe for the developing brain. That said, there are no convincing human data to suggest that they are not.
AB - Annually in the United States more than one million children under the age of 5 years are exposed to anesthetics for therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. Pre-clinical data in animal models has consistently shown that anesthetic exposure to the developing brain results in long-term cognitive deficits. Current clinical data addressing the safety of these pharmaceutical agents on the developing human brain is limited. Recently, there has been an enormous amount of attention directed at this potential public health issue in both pre-clinical investigations and ongoing human research. A number of these studies should add to our understanding about the impact anesthetic exposure will have on the developing human brain. Until then, there is little data that absolutely reassures clinicians and parents that the pharmaceutical agents used are indeed safe for our children.The uncomfortable reality is that despite the fact that there are more than one million children younger than 5 years old who receive general anesthesia in the United States annually, and thousands more who are deeply sedated for imaging and diagnostic studies or as a necessary adjunct to care in the intensive care unit, there is little data that assures clinicians and parents that the pharmaceutical agents used are indeed safe for the developing brain. That said, there are no convincing human data to suggest that they are not.
KW - Anesthesia
KW - Anesthetic effect
KW - Developing brain
KW - Neurocognition
KW - Neurotoxicity
KW - Pediatrics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84938970077&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84938970077&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijporl.2015.05.011
DO - 10.1016/j.ijporl.2015.05.011
M3 - Article
C2 - 26143125
AN - SCOPUS:84938970077
VL - 79
SP - 1379
EP - 1381
JO - International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
JF - International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
SN - 0165-5876
IS - 9
ER -