Considerations in the perioperative anesthetic management of children with cerebral palsy

Abstract

Children with cerebral palsy often need anesthesia, either due to surgical interventions, for dentistry treatments or imaging studies; however, due to their particularities, these patients have an increased risk of complications during the peri-operative period. That's why we conducted a literature review, with the objective of clarifying some aspects to consider in the perioperative anesthetic management in children with cerebral palsy. For this purpose, we carried out a non-systematic review on this subject in books, printed and online documents, based on a search in the following databases: Pubmed, Cochrane Central Registry, Bireme, Ebsco, Mediclatina and LilaCS. It is concluded that the management of children with cerebral palsy is complex. Perioperative complications can be minimized if the particularities of these patients are taken into account. It is necessary to be mindful of the more frequently occurring co-morbidities. The usual medication with anticonvulsants and anti-spasticity drugs must be kept during the peri-operative period. For elective surgery, it is necessary the patients being in favorable conditions. There is no ideal anesthetic technique: the choice of the anesthetic method depends on several factors. During the postoperative period it is required a constant surveillance and the pain control. Success in the management of these patients depends on the cooperative effort by all the team.