Operationalizing the recent FDA drug safety communication about prolonged or repeated anesthetics in young children

Texas Children’s is operationalizing the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug safety communication regarding prolonged (>3 hours) or repeated anesthetics in children under 3 years of age. As a result, Anesthesiologist-in-Chief Dr. Dean B. Andropoulos is asking that all Texas Children’s medical staff to reference the tools below when discussing this topic with patients and families.

  1. The FDA Warning Discussion Guide can be used by all medical staff: pediatricians, surgeons, proceduralists, and anesthesiologists.
  2. The Anesthesia Q&A document contains enhanced information for parents about anesthesia procedures, including the FDA warning. This will be included in the red surgical packets provided to patients and families beginning late February.
  3. The New England Journal of Medicine Perspectives piece published February 8 outlines our position on the warning.

You can find these documents here:

https://texaschildrens.box.com/s/11nuqab1yzzbuyj4q9ku9v3ff4yuoxqb

For more resources visit Texas Children’s Anesthesiology website: http://www.texaschildrens.org/departments/anesthesiology/resources

Andropoulos recommends that all referring physicians, i.e. pediatricians referring for surgery or radiology procedures, to consider having this discussion with parents as well.

For more information, please contact the Texas Children’s Hospital Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at ext. 4-5800.