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Pediatric anesthesiologist

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 03.07.2025
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A pediatric anesthesiologist is one of the most sought-after and necessary specialties in all of medicine. It includes not only the basics of anesthesiology, but also resuscitation aspects. This important scientific and practical medical specialty occupies a special place in surgical, obstetric, therapeutic and many other areas of medicine.

Anesthesiology in pediatrics takes on a huge responsibility for the lives of children of different ages. Thanks to it, many children can undergo surgery and come out of anesthesia as a practically healthy person. In addition, the management of the early postoperative period also falls on the shoulders of the anesthesiologist, on whom subsequent recovery largely depends.

Who is a pediatric anesthesiologist?

Surgical manipulations are impossible without the presence of an anesthesiologist. Of course, depending on the scope of the surgical intervention, it is possible to do without general anesthesia, but, nevertheless, even local anesthesia should be performed with knowledge of its rules and requirements.

Now we need to figure out who a pediatric anesthesiologist is. This is a highly qualified specialist who, after a thorough examination of the child, allows the surgical intervention to be performed. In addition, if there is a certain condition that prevents the surgical operation, he must eliminate it so that nothing threatens the baby's life during anesthesia. Also, a pediatric anesthesiologist is considered one of the most important specialists in the operating room. After all, it is he who ensures optimal conditions for the operation, both for the surgical team and for the patient himself.

When should you see a pediatric anesthesiologist?

When should you contact a pediatric anesthesiologist? The main difference in pediatrics is the fact that even conducting any diagnostic procedure requires controlled sedation. This is, of course, not a surgical intervention, but still, the pediatric anesthesiologist is required to immobilize the patient and ensure a calm examination.

In addition, an important contribution is considered to be the child's moral preparation before the operation. Children have such a developed connection with their mother that if it is broken, even for a short period of time, the child becomes uncontrollable. To avoid this, it is necessary to have a conversation with the child, try to captivate him with what is happening, come up with an exciting journey that he will take during sleep. Of course, it is not always possible to calm the baby in this way, but there are special drugs for such cases.

What tests should be taken when visiting a pediatric anesthesiologist?

In order to have as few unpleasant surprises as possible during operations, the pediatric anesthesiologist should find out about the baby's health condition before the operation. In case of any pathology, a thorough examination of the area should be carried out.

Preoperative examination includes familiarization with the child's medical history. Then the liver, cardiovascular and urinary systems are examined. It is also necessary to find out about allergies to medications, past injuries, surgeries and the presence of any chronic pathology. If a pathology is detected that is not related to the proposed surgical intervention, it is recommended to examine the disease more specifically to avoid complications during or after the operation.

What tests should be taken when visiting a pediatric anesthesiologist? First, you should conduct a clinical blood test and do a general urine test. With the help of these tests, you can see the picture of the baby's general health. For example, for the presence of an inflammatory or allergic process, and also suspect a pathology of the urinary system. In addition, if there is a concomitant disease, it is necessary to examine this system of the body. If there is a suspicion of kidney problems, then it is recommended to take a urine test according to Nechiporenko or Zemnitsky. If there is a suspicion of dysfunction of the liver and biliary system, then it is recommended to do a biochemical blood test with a study of bilirubin, ALT, AST. In addition, the level of glucose in the blood, urea, creatinine, as well as acute phase indicators are of no small importance.

What diagnostic methods does a pediatric anesthesiologist use?

What diagnostic methods does a pediatric anesthesiologist use? Electrocardiography is mandatory for diagnostics before surgery. Other research methods are prescribed according to indications. In case of a concomitant respiratory disease, it is advisable to provide a conclusion of an X-ray examination, spirography or other diagnostic methods. In case of pathology of the urinary system, it is advisable to conduct an ultrasound examination of the kidneys and bladder. Diseases of the reproductive system require consultation with a specialist with his subsequent conclusion regarding the state of health. The heart is examined using echocardiography, which allows assessing the contractility of the myocardium, cardiac output, the state of the valve system and the thickness of the walls. In the presence of diabetes mellitus, it is necessary to conduct a glucose test with loads. This is necessary in order to determine the optimal doses of insulin required before surgery and in the postoperative period.

What diagnostic methods does a pediatric anesthesiologist use? During the initial examination, a pediatric anesthesiologist auscultates the heart and lungs using a stethoscope. Then, he measures the blood pressure and pulse. All of these diagnostic methods must be used to assess the child's health before surgery.

What does a pediatric anesthesiologist do?

What does a pediatric anesthesiologist do during surgery? Surgery is a surgical method of treating any disease. However, every surgical intervention or even minimal painful manipulation causes a stress response of the body to an irritant. The cause of such a condition can be not only a pain factor, but also changes in the circulatory system, for example, due to blood loss, gas exchange disorders or biochemical changes.

The body's response is caused by activation of the neurohumoral system, which results in spasm of peripheral blood vessels, which leads to additional production of catecholamines. Thus, the circle is closed, and regardless of whether the cause continues to act or not, the body's response is already caused by the reactions that have been triggered.

What does a pediatric anesthesiologist do? It is precisely to avoid activation of such processes that careful control and participation of a pediatric anesthesiologist is necessary. His responsibilities include not only eliminating pain and turning off the child's consciousness during the surgical intervention, but also ensuring the safety of his life, both during the surgical intervention and in the immediate period after anesthesia and the postoperative period.

What diseases does a pediatric anesthesiologist treat?

Anesthesiology and resuscitation in medicine most often solve the same issues, so in most clinics these areas are combined. The main task of the anesthesiologist is the moral and medicinal preparation of the child for the operation, control over the child's condition during the surgical intervention, as well as his management in the early postoperative period.

What diseases does a pediatric anesthesiologist treat? A pediatric anesthesiologist prepares a child for an upcoming operation. In addition, if there is a certain pathological condition, the anesthesiologist tries to transfer him to an inactive state so that the surgical intervention does not fail. As for the postoperative period, in some cases children require intensive care. This occurs due to the peculiarities of their anatomical and physiological structure, due to which in childhood critical conditions occur much more often than in adults. Moreover, even minor surgical manipulations require anesthesia in most cases.

A pediatric anesthesiologist corrects impaired vital functions and maintains them at the required level.

Advice from a pediatric anesthesiologist

The pediatric anesthesiologist should have a conversation with the child immediately before the surgery. The doctor will consult about taking certain medications that the child may take on a regular basis. Some should be canceled for the postoperative period. For example, medications that lower sugar levels, since the anesthesiologist must independently monitor this indicator with insulin and infusion therapy. Also, medications that contain aspirin. They can increase bleeding during or after surgery. As for medications to lower blood pressure, you must adhere to your regimen until the surgery. The doctor will be able to independently monitor blood pressure during and after the surgery.

The advice of a pediatric anesthesiologist is to prohibit the use of various alcoholic and energy drinks 10 days before the expected operation. This is due to the toxic effect of alcohol on the liver, which leads to a slowdown in the detoxification process, thereby retaining toxic substances in the body. In addition, under the influence of alcohol, the heart begins to beat vigorously, which can lead to arrhythmia and arrhythmia. Also, spontaneous increases in pressure are unacceptable in the preoperative period. Blood clotting can change with further formation of blood clots with subsequent thrombosis of large and small vessels, or provoke bleeding.

To avoid the development of pneumonia or other inflammations in the respiratory system in the postoperative period, it is recommended to perform breathing exercises. This promotes intensive lung function and prevents blood stagnation in the pulmonary circulation.

The advice of a pediatric anesthesiologist includes recommendations on nutrition before surgery. It is necessary to eat food that provides energy. For example, lean meat, chicken, fish, cottage cheese, kefir and much more. Food that is poorly digested and contributes to weight gain should be avoided. To avoid allergic reactions, it is advisable not to eat exotic fruits, take new medications or use cosmetics the day before surgery. In addition, you should not eat large amounts of chocolate and other easily digestible carbohydrates.

By following the above advice and following the recommendations of a pediatric anesthesiologist, you can significantly reduce the risk of complications during surgery and in the postoperative period. The rest is in the hands of a professional.

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