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Sodium citrate in paediatric outpatients

Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia volume 34, pages 560–562 (1987)Cite this article

Abstract

To determine whether the gastric content pH of paediatric patients could be raised in an effort to decrease post-aspiration morbidity and mortality, the antacid sodium citrate (0.4 ml·kg1) was given preoperatively to 25 patients aged 1 to 14 (6.0 ± 3.5, mean ± SD) years. Their gastric content pH was measuredfollowing induction of anaesthesia. These values were compared to those obtained from a control group (n = 20) ranging in age from seven months to nine (3.3 ±2.7) years. A gastric content pH value of greater than 2.5 was measured in 23 of the 25 patients who received sodium citrate. There were only two patients in the control group with a gastric content pH greater than 2.5, p < 0.001, Fisher exact test. Only one child refused to take the medication. The administration of sodium citrate appears to be an effective method of raising the gastric content pH in paediatric patients.

Résumé

Afin de déterminer s’il était possible ďélever le pH du contenu gastrique chez des enfants pour tenter de diminuer la morbidité et la mortalité post-aspiration, on a donné 0.4 ml · kg-1 de ľantacide citrate de sodium, en période préopératoire, à 25 patients âgés de l à 14 (6.0 ± 3.5, moyenne ± SD) ans. Le pH du contenu gastrique a été mesuré à la suite de ľinduction de ľanesthésie. Ces valeurs ont été comparées à celles obtenues à partir ďun groupe-témoin (n = 20) dont ľâge s’échelonnait de septmoisà neuf (3.3 ± 2.7)ans. Une valeur de pH gastrique de plus del.5 a été mesurée chez 23 des 25 patients qui ont reçu du citrate dé sodium. Seulement deux des patients dans le groupetémoin avaient un pH gastrique de plus de 2.5, p < 0.001, test Fisher exact. Un seul enfant a refusé de prendre le médicament. ll semble que ľadministration de citrate de sodium soit une méthode efficace pour augmenter le pH du contenu gastrique chez les patients pédiatriques.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario

    Jane M. Henderson, Desmond G. Spence, William N. Clarke, Gary G. Bonn & Leon P. Noel

  2. Department of Anaesthesia, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, 401 Smyth Road, K1H 8L1, Ottawa, Ontario

    Desmond G. Spence

Authors
  1. Jane M. Henderson
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  2. Desmond G. Spence
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  3. William N. Clarke
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  4. Gary G. Bonn
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  5. Leon P. Noel
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Henderson, J.M., Spence, D.G., Clarke, W.N. et al. Sodium citrate in paediatric outpatients. Can J Anaesth 34, 560–562 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03010510

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03010510

Key words

  • anaesthesia: paediatric
  • complications: gastric acid aspiration prophylaxis
  • gastric antacids: sodium citrate