The current COVID‐19 pandemic has had a global impact on vaccination rates. Delays in routine healthcare and immunization have led to a rise in concerns about resurgence of vaccine‐preventable diseases around the world. With the release and distribution of COVID‐19 vaccines, plans to improve immunization rates need to be explored and implemented across disciplines. One approach would be the consideration of perioperative vaccinations; however, the effects of anesthesia and surgery on the immune response and complications associated with vaccination during the perioperative period are still poorly understood, and opinions are divided. To ascertain the value of a perioperative vaccination program, it is important to understand the basics of immunization and common vaccinations; the potential vaccine complications in the pediatric cohort; the implications of anesthesia and surgery on the immune response; and current recommendations. In addition, we believe it is important to discuss the logistics and feasibility of coordinating perioperative immunization should this become a regular opportunity.
Hecht–Beals syndrome (HBS) is a rare disorder characterized by trismus and deformity of the extremities. The etiology of trismus is unknown; theories suggest invasion of enlarged coronoid processes into the zygomatic bone. Of primary concern is the limited mouth opening and possible difficult airway. Since the syndrome was first described in 1969, there have been several articles in the pediatrics and dental literature but only 6 case reports describing the anesthetic management of these patients. Successful airway approaches have utilized various techniques including blind nasal intubation, fiberoptic intubation, and tracheal tube introducer guidance. In this case report, we discuss a multidisciplinary approach to the anesthetic management of a child with HBS undergoing MRI and outpatient surgery.
Vazquez-Colon et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 4.0., which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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