RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Intranasal dexmedetomidine associated with midazolam has been used for pediatric magnetic resonance imaging studies because immobility is a fundamental requirement for correct execution. Many studies have shown dexmedetomidine to be a good option for non-operating room sedation. However, identifying the optimal dose remains a key challenge, especially for pediatric patients. METHODS: All medical records of 139 pediatric patients who underwent sedation for magnetic resonance imaging studies between September 2021 and November 2022 at the University Hospital of Salerno, Italy, were retrospectively reviewed about success rate and adverse events. Our protocol required dosing 30 minutes before the procedure. Patients weighing up to 40 kg received intranasal dexmedetomidine (3 µg/kg) with intranasal midazolam (0.2 mg/kg). Those weighing more than 40 kg received intranasal dexmedetomidine (2 µg/kg) with midazolam orally (0.3 mg/kg; maximum dose, 15 mg). RESULTS: A total of 139 pediatric patients, with age range between 2 months and 16 years, median (95% confidence interval) of 3 (3-5) years, and weight range between 4 and 70 kg, median (95% confidence interval) of 19 (15-24) kg, were reviewed.The procedure was satisfactorily completed in 93.5% (130 patients) (P < 0.01). Only 9 (6.5%) patients completed the procedure with general anesthesia; there are hot adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience with association of intranasal dexmedetomidine and midazolam has a high success rate, with high effectiveness and safety.
RESUMEN
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe lesion comporting various motor, sensory and sphincter dysfunctions, abnormal muscle tone and pathological reflex, resulting in a severe and permanent lifetime disability. The primary injury is the immediate effect of trauma and includes compression, contusion, and shear injury to the spinal cord. A secondary and progressive injury usually follows, beginning within minutes and evolving over several hours after the first ones. Because ischemia is one of the most important mechanisms involved in secondary injury, a treatment to increase the oxygen tension of the injured site, such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy, should theoretically help recovery. Although a meta-analysis concluded that hyperbaric oxygen therapy might be helpful for clinical treatment as a safe, promising and effective choice to limit secondary injury when appropriately started, useful and well-defined protocols/guidelines still need to be created, and its application is influenced by local/national practice. The topic is not a secondary issue because a well-designed randomized controlled trial requires a proper sample size to demonstrate the clinical efficacy of a treatment, and the absence of a common practice guideline represents a limit for results generalization. This narrative review aims to reassemble the evidence on hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat SCI, focusing on adopted protocols in the studies and underlining the critical issues. Furthermore, we tried to elaborate on a protocol with a flowchart for an evidence-based hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment. In conclusion, a rationale and shared protocol to standardize as much as possible is needed for the population to be studied, the treatment to be adopted, and the outcomes to be evaluated. Further studies, above all, well-designed randomized controlled trials, are needed to clarify the role of hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a strategic tool to prevent/reduce secondary injury in SCI and evaluate its effectiveness based on an evidence-based treatment protocol. We hope that adopting the proposed protocol can reduce the risk of bias and drive future studies.