After the anesthesia | Anaesthesia for children

After the anesthesia

After the procedure, the child is taken to the so-called recovery room. There, respiratory and cardiac functions are checked and the child waits under medical supervision until the effect of the anesthetics wears off. Only when the treated child is fully recovered and can orientate himself, he can go home either to the ward or, in the case of outpatient operations, to his home.

In any case, good care of the child should be guaranteed in the first 24 hours after the operation. Depending on the location of the operation, in most cases the child can eat and drink again shortly after the operation. Like most medical procedures and drugs, general anesthesia is not always free of side effects.

The duration of the side effects of anesthesia can vary. However, in the last few decades there has been a lot of work in the development of new drugs for anesthesia and the close monitoring of patients during the procedure. Despite all this, side effects do occur with general anesthesia, but in most cases they do not leave any permanent damage and heal harmlessly.

Among the side effects that occur occasionally, i.e. in about 1 in 10 to 1 in 100 cases, are

  • Nausea and vomiting after anesthesia. This nausea can be attributed to the anaesthetic gases used during the operation. In order to prevent this side effect, the anaesthetic gas can be dispensed with and the anaesthesia can be performed with intravenously administered drugs alone.
  • Bruising due to storage or puncture of blood vessels.

    These harmless bruises dissolve by themselves within a few days and heal without danger.

  • Pain in the throat area, which is often accompanied by difficulty swallowing and a changed voice. This effect is caused by intubation during the operation. The intubation tube irritates the vocal chords and throat area.

    In general, the side effects caused by intubation usually disappear within a few hours or days.

  • In the recovery room, trembling may also occur all over the body, which is due to a drop in body temperature during the operation and the anesthetics used. In such cases the children can be warmed with blankets.
  • Children may generally feel very unwell after an operation and express this discomfort by screaming, crying or restlessness in the recovery room. After transfer to the ward, however, the feeling should pass quickly.

    In one in 100 to one in 1000 cases the following side effects may occur:

  • An allergic reaction to any medication used during the surgery may be noticeable after the procedure by itching or reddish swelling. To prevent this, anti-allergic drugs can be used before the operation.
  • Infections can occur at the catheter insertion point, as well as tooth damage that requires dental treatment. In some cases, there may also be temporary movement restrictions due to the pressure during storage.

    In most cases, however, these paralyses are only of short duration and regenerate after a few days.

  • Among the very rare side effects of general anesthesia in children, i.e. in less than one case of 1000 treatments, are severe allergic reactions, voice disorders, permanent paralysis, as well as the so-called awareness phenomenon, where the patient regains consciousness during surgery and even feels some pain. This phenomenon is more common in children, as they break down the anesthetics used more quickly and the exact dosage of the anesthetics is more difficult.
  • In less than one in 10,000 cases, severe side effects occur, such as cardiovascular arrest, sepsis, organ damage, thrombosis, heavy bleeding and respiratory arrest.
  • Another dreaded side effect during general anesthesia, which can be caused mainly by the anesthetic gases used, is the so-called malignant hyperthermia. A hereditary predisposition can favour the occurrence of this dangerous metabolic derailment, which is accompanied by a sharp rise in body temperature. However, with the introduction of modern medication, the mortality rate due to malignant hyperthermia has decreased significantly in recent years.