Hypoactive delirium is present when an awake child is unaware of his or her surroundings, is unable to focus attention, and appears quiet and withdrawn. This condition has been well-described in the intensive care setting but has not been extensively studied in the immediate post-anesthetic period. The aim was to determine if hypoactive emergence delirium occurs in the recovery unit of a pediatric hospital, and if so, what proportion of emergence delirium is hypoactive in nature. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2021
• January 2021

Natural relief for pain Telethon Kids Institute’s Perioperative Medicine Team was recognised in 2022 for its outstanding commitment to consumer ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Research Impact
• 2023
• In the pipeline

Tramadol is a bitter atypical opioid analgesic drug and is prescribed to treat postoperative pain in children. However, in many countries there is no licensed paediatric tramadol formulation available. We have formulated a novel chewable chocolate-based drug delivery system for the administration of tramadol to children. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2022
• April 2022

A leading paediatric anaesthetist and researcher focused on making anaesthesia safer and more comfortable for children has been named a 2022 Western Australian Young Tall Poppy. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• News & Events
• News & Events at Telethon Kids
• 2022
• August

The vision of the Perioperative Medicine Team is to make discoveries that will improve children’s perioperative care and lead to global practice change. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Chronic and Severe Diseases
• Perioperative Care Program

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increases the risk of perioperative adverse events in children. While polysomnography (PSG) remains the reference standard for OSA diagnosis, oximetry is a valuable screening tool. The traditional practice is the manual analysis of desaturation clusters derived from a tabletop device using the McGill oximetry score. However, automated analysis of wearable oximetry data can be an alternative. This study investigated the accuracy of wrist-worn oximetry with automated analysis as a preoperative OSA screening tool. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2023
• August 2023

Tonsillectomy is one of the most common pediatric surgeries and results in considerable postoperative pain. Insufficiently managed pain is costly, risks physiological and psychological consequences with multi-modal analgesia widely recommended to minimize opioid-based agents. We determined adherence to multi-modal analgesia guidelines and assessed cost-effectiveness. We undertook a cross-sectional cohort study at a tertiary pediatric institution in Perth, Western Australia, retrospectively identifying selected patients undergoing tonsillectomy over two discrete periods of 6-week duration. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2021
• January 2021

Perioperative respiratory adverse events are the most common cause of critical events in children undergoing anesthesia and surgery. While many risk factors remain unmodifiable, there are numerous anesthetic management decisions which can impact the incidence and impact of these events, especially in at-risk children. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2021
• December 2021

Exposure to surgery and anesthesia in early childhood has been found to be associated with an increased risk of behavioral deficits. While the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned against prenatal exposure to anesthetic drugs, little clinical evidence exists to support this recommendation. This study evaluates the association between prenatal exposure to general anesthesia due to maternal procedures during pregnancy and neuropsychological and behavioral outcome scores at age 10. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2021
• January 2021

Patients with a propensity for upper airway obstruction, including those with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), are vulnerable in the perioperative period. OSA is an increasingly common disorder in children and, when present, is associated with an increased risk of perioperative respiratory adverse events (PRAE),1 morbidity, and mortality. Therefore, identifying at-risk patients is vital to provide tailored perioperative anesthetic management. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2022
• November 2022