The history of paediatric anaesthesiology in Prague: Anaesthesiological procedures in paediatric stomatology
Abstract
In 1970, the new University Children's Hospital was opened in Prague-Motol. The 12-bed Department of Maxillofacial and Dental Surgery for children was the first one to be opened in the former Czechoslovakia.
Prof. Jaroslav Komínek, the head of the department, organised an internship programme with the Department of Anaesthesiology for his physician.
The head of the anaesthetic department Miloslav Drapka was the founder of paediatric anaesthesiology in Czechoslovakia. The initial attempts at anaesthesia for dental surgery were not very successful.
Operations in the buccal cavity without tracheal intubation were very hazardous. The author describes the transition of the intubation technique from orotracheal to nasotracheal with packing of the oropharynx.
The author also describes a breathing circuit with a low resistance water valve, premedication, parenteral analgesic sedation for inpatients and oral analgesic sedation for outpatients. Ketamine anaesthesia without intubation enabled the dental surgeons to treat large numbers of children.
Information abou the mandatory pre-anaesthetic visit and examination, pre-operative preparation and special anaesthetic procedures is presented.