Aftermath

Immediately after general anesthesia, children are often still very sleepy and confused because the anesthetic drugs are still in the body and are only gradually broken down. Some children also react tearfully and aggressively after the operation. These restlessness states, in which the children sometimes lash out, usually occur in children between three and seven years of age and usually last only a maximum of a quarter of an hour.

Sometimes it is necessary to give the children a sedative. Frequent after-effects of general anesthesia are also sore throats and hoarseness. This is due to the breathing tube that is inserted into the windpipe under most general anesthesia and can irritate the glottis.

Some children also react with nausea and sometimes vomiting. In most cases, this after-effect is directly due to the anaesthetic drugs, but the nausea can also be caused by the irritation of the throat during ventilation. Another reason for nausea can be swallowed blood during throat and mouth operations, which is later vomited again. Since children can still be confused and inattentive even a few hours after anesthesia, they should not ride a bicycle or be on their own even after outpatient operations.

General anesthesia for children despite a cold

A mild to moderate cold is usually not a reason to cancel surgery in adults. However, the situation is somewhat different for children. Children’s airways are much more sensitive, which is why respiratory problems are generally more common in children.

The mucous membranes of their airways generally have a higher tendency to swell. If the mucous membranes are also affected by a viral infection (colloquially known as a cold or sniffles), the risk of complications increases. A cold causes the mucous membranes of the patient’s large and small bronchi to swell, causing the airways to become narrower.

At the same time, the small glandular cells of the bronchial mucosa produce more mucus to ward off the pathogens. In any case, this often leads to bad air and an increased irritation of the throat when we have a cold. This makes intubation, i.e. placing a breathing tube, as preparation for general anesthesia noticeably more difficult, especially in children, because their airways are smaller.

In the worst case, this can even lead to a spasmodic airway obstruction, called bronchospasm. A general anaesthetic for children despite a cold is therefore by no means to be taken lightly. For this reason, it is important to inform the pediatric surgeon before the day of admission or surgery that your child is ill so that the responsible anesthesiologist can decide whether or not an operation is still possible. The condition of your child should never be played down. Only if the anesthesiologist can get an exact picture of your child’s condition is it possible to make an appropriate decision on how to proceed.