Pediatric burn injury: key points for the anaesthesiologist

Abstract

Burns are the eleventh leading cause of deaths in childhood and the fifth most common cause of non-fatal childhood injury, and most often occur in children under 4. 80% to 90% of all severe burns occur in low to middle income countries. Anaesthesiologists are crucial members of the multi-disciplinary team caring for children with burns. Provision of adequate analgesia, sedation, anesthesia and intensive care treatment are roles of anaesthesiologists and non-physician anaesthetists. There are several anaesthetic challenges with managing the child with burns such as a potential difficult airway, challenging intravascular line placement, water and electrolyte disturbances, altered temperature regulation, sepsis, cardiovascular and respiratory insufficiency, altered pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics pathways. The majority of critical adverse events in burn injured patients are associated with the airway and hemodynamic instability. The specific anaesthetic technique required depends on the individual patient pathophysiology condition. With the progress in burn care trauma protocols and with the development of multidisciplinary teams at special burn units, outcomes have improved over the past two decades. This review provides insights into existing therapeutic approaches for the management of paediatric burns. © 2023, World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists. All rights reserved.