title: Evaluation of the premature infant at risk for postoperative complications.
abstract: We reviewed anaesthetic records of 35 infants with a history of prematurity, who presented for elective herniorrhaphy. We applied a scoring system to help evaluate risk of postoperative complications. Six patients experienced postoperative complications. All six patients had a score of five or more and gave history of either apnoea or a history of moderate bronchopulmonary dysplasia. A preoperative history of apnoea and/or moderate bronchopulmonary dysplasia appear to be valuable markers for postoperative complications. A conceptual age of 40 weeks is an acceptable lower limit of age providing there is no history of apnoea or pulmonary disease.
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock.
authors: J F
authors: JF
authors: Mayhew
authors: D L
authors: DL
authors: Bourke
authors: W S
authors: WS
authors: Guinee
mesh_terms: D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000150:complications; D012306:Risk