Abstract
The authors describe the beginnings and the development of paediatric anaesthesia, resuscitation and intensive therapy in two Charles University Hospitals in Prague in the second half of the 20th century. The Department of Anaesthesiology was founded at the Paediatric University Hospital and headed by Miloslav Drapka (1911-2000) in 1965.
The department provided anaesthetics and perioperative care for patients from the clinics of Paediatric Surgery, Orthopaedics, ENT, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, and for children indicated for diagnostic imaging procedures. Drapka adapted contemporary methods of anaesthesiology to paediatric patients.
He implemented premedication with neuroplegics. The high standard of anaesthetic care as achieved by Drapka and his co-workers was the prerequisite for the specialized development of paediatric surgical specialities.
In 1972, the Department of Paediatric Resuscitation in the paediatric section of the University Hospital Motol in Prague was opened with 10 intensive therapy beds for children in a critical condition. V.
Kyncl, the head of the unit, set the high standards of treatment as well as the operating procedures of this nationally unique unit. The department has been achieving outstanding results.
In 1973, the Department of Paediatric Anaesthesiology and the Department of Paediatric Resuscitation were incorporated in the Clinic of Anaesthesiology and Resuscitation at the University Hospital Motol in Prague. As such they formed the clinical basis for postgraduate medical education of specialists in anaesthesiology and resuscitation.
In 1956 L. Čvančarová, a specialist anaesthetist at the University Hospital of the 3rd Medical Faculty, started professional cooperation with the Department of Plastic Surgery headed by the Science Academy member F. Burian.
She worked together with specialists from the later established Department of Anaesthesiology. Specialized techniques and methods of anaesthesia and analgesic sedation for children of all age groups were developed in order to facilitate extensive surgical treatment of innate defects and severe burns.