No abstract

All routinely utilized sedatives and anesthetics have been found neurotoxic in a wide variety of animal species, including non-human primates. Neurotoxic effects observed in animals include histologic evidence for apoptotic neuronal cell death and subsequent learning and memory impairment. Several cohort studies in neonates with significant comorbidities requiring surgical procedures early in life have also demonstrated abnormal neurodevelopmental outcomes. This article provides an overview of the currently available data from both animal experiments and human clinical studies regarding the effects of sedatives and anesthetics on the developing brain.

SIVA as described provides adequate maternal anesthesia and uterine relaxation, and it allows for decreased use of desflurane during open fetal surgery. Decreased use of desflurane may better preserve fetal cardiac function.

We confirm previous findings of sevoflurane-induced neuronal injury. Dexmedetomidine, even in the highest dose, did not cause similar injury, but provided lesser degrees of anaesthesia and pain control. No mitigation of sevoflurane-induced injury was observed with dexmedetomidine supplementation, suggesting that future studies should focus on anaesthetic-sparing effects of dexmedetomidine, rather than injury-preventing effects.