Effect of the Preoperative Application of Esketamine on Stress Indicators in Paediatric Patients Undergoing Bronchoalveolar Lavage Under General Anaesthesia.

Children who received esketamine before bronchoalveolar lavage under general anesthesia had significantly lower postoperative stress indicators than those who received no preoperative medication. In a matched analysis of 46 children per group, all measured stress responses were reduced. The findings suggest that preoperative esketamine can ease stress and improve recovery in pediatric patients undergoing this procedure.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Aims/Background To explore the effect of the preoperative administration of esketamine on stress indices in paediatric patients undergoing bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) under general anaesthesia. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect clinical data from children undergoing BAL under general anaesthesia in Tianjin Hospital of Tianjin University between February 2021 and January 2024. The patients were divided into two groups: the reference group (taking no preoperative medications) and the study group (receiving preoperative esketamine). The baseline variables of the two groups were balanced using the 1:1 nearest neighbour matching method of propensity score matching (PSM), and the outcome indicators of the matched cohorts were compared. Results A total of 168 patients were included, including 86 in the reference group and 82 in the study group. After PSM, 46 cases in each group were successfully matched. Results showed that all postoperative stress indicators in the study group were significantly lower than those in the reference group (p 0.05). Conclusion The preoperative application of esketamine can reduce the stress response in paediatric patients undergoing BAL under general anaesthesia. This effect is beneficial for enhancing the outcome of surgical treatment.