title: The effect of passive smoking on the incidence of airway complications in children undergoing general anaesthesia.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess whether passive smoking affected the frequency of airway complications in children undergoing general anaesthesia. One hundred and twenty-five children undergoing general anaesthesia for elective daycase surgery were monitored for adverse respiratory events and desaturation during induction, intra-operatively and in the recovery room. Oxygen saturation was monitored throughout and a venous sample was taken for estimation of carboxyhaemoglobin levels. Parents were asked to fill in a questionnaire detailing their smoking habits. Sixty-three of the children were passive smokers with a potential daily exposure varying from 5-130 cigarettes. There was no difference in the frequency of respiratory events between passive smokers and those not exposed to cigarette smoke at induction or intra-operatively. However, in the recovery room, desaturation was significantly more common in passive smokers (p < 0.02). This was related to the cumulative number of cigarettes smoked by individuals to whom the child was exposed (p < 0.05). Neither carboxyhaemoglobin levels nor domiciliary address were predictive of desaturation. This study suggests that passive smoking contributes to postoperative arterial oxygen desaturation following general anaesthesia in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Frizelle
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Casey
mesh_terms: D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology*; D007223:Infant; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008297:Male; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin