Management of outpatient ear, nose and throat surgery.

In the year under review there have been steady advances in anaesthesia. Premedication in children is best achieved with oral midazolam formulated in flavoured syrups, and the inhalational induction of anaesthesia may be accomplished using sevoflurane. Pain management of the most common surgical procedure performed in children, tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy, is still sub-optimal, but combinations of opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are helpful. There are, however, some concerns regarding the possible increases in postoperative blood loss after tonsillectomy when non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used. Middle ear surgery leads to a high incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, and these are best managed by utilizing a total intravenous anaesthetic technique with propofol, the avoidance of nitrous oxide, and administration of dexamethasone and a 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor antagonist such as ondansetron.