Unregistered User If this is not your name, click here.
		Contact Us | Order Now | Journals | Bookstore | Register a colleague
	Select a ChannelAcneAIDS and HIVAllergy OtherAlzheimer'sAnaesthesiology OtherAngina Pectoris/MIAnxietyArthritis OtherAsthmaBack PainBacterial InfectionsBladder CancerBone Marrow TransplantationBreast CancerCardiology OtherCataractCell TransplantationCervical CancerCholesterol/Lipid disordersCirrhosisClinical PharmacologyColorectal CancerCongestive Heart FailureContact DermatitisContraceptionCOPDCystic FibrosisDental and Oral DisordersDepressionDermatology OtherDiabetesDialysisEating DisordersElbowEmergency MedicineEndocrinology OtherEpilepsyErectile DysfunctionFibromyalgiaGastro OtherGeneticsGenitourinary OtherGeriatricsGERD/GastritisGlaucomaH. Pylori/UlcerHaematology OtherHair LossHeadachesHepa/Biliary OtherHepatitisHipHRTHypertensionIBDImmunologyInfectious OtherInfertilityIntensive CareIrritable Bowel SyndromeKneeLeukemiasLiver CancerLung CancerLupusLymphomasMelanomaMenopauseMultiple Sclerosis Nephrology OtherNeurologic OtherNutritional / Metabolic OtherOb/Gyn OtherObesityOncology OtherOphth. OtherOphthalmic SurgeryOrgan TransplantationOrthopaedics OtherOsteoarthritisOsteoporosisOtitisOtorhino. OtherOvarian CancerPaediatricsPainPancreatic CancerParkinson'sPregnancyProstate CancerPsychiatry OtherPulmonary OtherRadiologyRenal CancerRenal FailureRespiratory InfectionsRheumatoid arthritisRheumatology OtherRhinitisSchizophreniaShoulderSleep ApnoeaSleep DisordersSpineStrokeSTDsSurgeryThyroid DisordersTransfusionTransplant Surgery OtherTraumaUrinary IncontinenceUrinary tract infectionsVaccinologyVascular DisordersViral Infections

SEARCH   News Bookstore Medline The Web Meetings & Congresses Complete Doctor's Guide    EXPLORE :    All News   All Webcasts   All Cases   All Meetings & Congresses   All Medical Resources New drugs / indications English Dictionary Medical Dictionary Thesaurus Warning | Privacy | Awards  Favourite Journals  Click here to choose your favourite journals  Favourite Sites  Click here to choose your favourite sites  Languages  Select languageEnglishFrançais

Melatonin Reduces Emergence Delirium Post-Anaesthesia in Children IRVINE, Calif -- July 2, 2009 -- A study published in the July issue of Anesthesiology, shows that oral treatment with melatonin before surgery can significantly reduce the occurrence of emergence delirium post-anaesthesia. "Studies conducted in adults have revealed that oral administration of melatonin before surgery beneficially reduced anxiety levels, but relevant similar treatment data for children undergoing anaesthesia and surgery are limited," said lead author Zeev N. Kain, MD, Department of Anesthisiology, University of California at Irvine, and University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, California. Seeking confirmation of additional options for anxiety management, researchers first set out to determine if melatonin could decrease anxiety levels when compared with midazolam. In a study group that consisted of 148 children, aged 2 to 8 years, undergoing outpatient surgery under general anaesthesia, children were randomly assigned to receive midazolam or melatonin orally before surgery. Children were followed throughout their surgical experience as researchers measured anxiety and secondary study outcomes of anaesthesia administration compliance and emergence behaviour. Behaviours were measured using the Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPass), the Induction Compliance Checklist, and the Keegan scale. "Results indicated that preoperative melatonin administration did not effectively reduce anxiety levels," said Dr. Kain. "However, it was found that melatonin significantly reduced the incidence of emergence delirium in these children. As 3 million children undergo surgery in the U.S. each year, these findings reveal noteworthy healthcare and treatment implications." Melatonin showed a direct dose dependent effect on emergence delirium. Children in the melatonin premedication group received either melatonin 0.05 mg/kg, .2 mg/kg, or 0.4 mg/kg and the incidence of delirium was 25%, 8.3%, and 5.4%, respectively. Midazolam remains the recommended premedication for anxiety reduction in children scheduled for surgery. SOURCE: University of California at Irvine E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version