[Perioperative blood glucose levels in children]

The perioperative blood glucose (BG) level may represent autonomic responses to various stresses by anesthesia and surgery. We studied the effects of regional blocks combined with general anesthesia on the BG response in pediatric patients. We could not find any significant differences in BG levels between blocked and non-blocked patients. However, BG levels of the children who had been hysterical or crying during the induction of anesthesia were significantly higher than those of the children who had been calm or sleeping. Forty healthy children, aged 1-3 yrs who were scheduled for elective urological surgery were studied. Anesthesia was induced with halothane in oxygen. The anesthesiologist recorded the children's attitude before and during the induction of anesthesia, and described as "calm or asleep (Calm-group), and hysterical or crying (Crying-group)". Patients were assigned randomly to two groups as follow; Group A (n = 20): receiving nerve blocks, Group B (n = 20): without the blocks. The anesthesia was maintained with 1-2.5% halothane in oxygen required to maintain the hemodynamic parameters within 10% of baseline value before surgery. Both groups received lactated-Ringer's solution during the study period. The venous BG levels were determined 5 times, i.e. immediately after asleep, 5, 15, 30 minutes after skin incision and at the conclusion of surgery. BG levels were compared between groups using Mann-Whitney Test. There was no significant difference in BG levels between Group A and B throughout the study period. But BG values of Crying-group (n = 9) were significantly higher than those of Calm-group (n = 31) during perioperative period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)