Anesthesia for children in Sub-Saharan Africa--a description of settings, common presenting conditions, techniques and outcomes.
Anesthesia in developing countries deserves special attention. The most common technique is general anesthesia (with spontaneous or manually assisted ventilation). Nonmedical anesthetists with limited training and supervision and lacking the most common drugs and anesthetic equipment administer anesthesia, usually for emergency surgery. There are important safety issues, especially for pediatric anesthesia. Regarding pediatric surgery, the major workload is due to abdominal emergencies, mainly neonatal bowel obstruction or peritonitis due to typhoid perforation. The morbidity and mortality rate for these conditions is high.
Ouro-Bang'na Maman
Aboudoul-Fataou
AF
Service of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Lome Teaching Hospital, Togo. obaf2000@yahoo.fr
Kabore
Rawéléguinbasba Armel Flavien
RA
Zoumenou
Eugène
E
Gnassingbé
Komlan
K
Chobli
Martin
M
D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000592:standards; D002648:Child; D003906:Developing Countries; D004209:Disposable Equipment / Q000600:supply & distribution; D017743:Equipment Reuse; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D000078329:Workforce