title: Perioperative analgesia of infants during the therapy for retinopathy of prematurity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this retrospective investigation, we compared the main anesthesiologic aspects in the preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative care of 2 different surgical methods (cryotherapy, laser coagulation) for retinopathy of prematurity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of analgesia for retinopathy of prematurity was performed for a 14-year period. Infants treated from January 1994 to December 2007 were involved in the study. Before 1997, we performed transconjunctival cryotherapy with ketamine analgesia for 28 newborn infants, while in the last 10 years, laser photocoagulation was done with nalbuphine-diazepam analgesia in 85 cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences were verified in gestational age of birth in the group of retinopathy of prematurity patients treated with cryotherapy compared with those treated with laser coagulation 27.9+/-2.7 weeks vs 26.4+/-2.4 weeks (P<.05). The difference in the need for postoperative ventilation (43% vs 19%; P<.05) as well as the number of cases with hypoxemia (54% vs 21%; P<.05) was significant, compared with the group of infants treated with cryotherapy with those treated with laser coagulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that intravenous analgesia (with ketamine or nalbuphine-diazepam) can be used in the surgical treatment of retinopathy of prematurity.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Semmelweis University, Faculty of Medicine, 1088 Budapest, Hungary. gorbeeva@gmail.com
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Görbe
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vámos
authors.forename: Gabor József
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Joó
authors.forename: Judit
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jeager
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Molvarec
authors.forename: Botond
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Berecz
authors.forename: Adrienn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Horváth
authors.forename: Balint
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sulya
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rigó
mesh_terms: D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000379:methods; D017679:Cryotherapy / Q000379:methods; D003975:Diazepam / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007649:Ketamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000379:methods; D007834:Lasers; D009266:Nalbuphine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011184:Postoperative Period; D057234:Preoperative Period; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007649:Ketamine; D009266:Nalbuphine; D003975:Diazepam