Anesthesia with cold
Whether a child is suitable for anesthesia on the day of surgery is subject to the decision of the anesthesiologist. This decision is based on the results of his or her own examination and also on the results of a previous examination by the pediatrician. This examination serves to recognize previous illnesses and to be able to assess the physical condition of the child.
The pediatrician then makes a written statement as to the extent to which the child is generally capable of being anaesthetized. In order to enable the anaesthetist to make an assessment, it is of great importance to inform him of any changes in the child’s state of health, such as fever, cough or cold. If the child has a cold, it must be considered whether the child is capable of anaesthesia.
The problem is that a cold, i.e. an infection of the upper airways, can lead to serious complications such as bronchospasm and laryngospasm, especially in very small children. This is a spasmodic contraction of the bronchial tubes or larynx, which can lead to a closure of the airways.This can be caused by irritation of the airways in connection with the anesthesia. Up to ten days after an infection has passed, the airways can still be hypersensitive.
In most cases these complications can be treated successfully. Nevertheless, it must be carefully considered whether the risk of performing surgery is taken when a cold occurs. Urgent operations are usually performed anyway.
For non-urgent procedures, the surgery is usually postponed by at least two weeks in most cases for safety reasons. It is always important for parents to contact the operating doctor and the anesthesiologist as early as possible to clarify to what extent they consider the current infection to be a risk for the performance of the operation and, if necessary, to postpone the appointment. It should be noted, however, that not every light cold, such as a runny nose, is necessarily an obstacle for the performance of an operation. In ear, nose and throat medicine, for example, many operations on children are designed to reduce the number of frequent infections.
