Abstract

Intrathecal morphine was given to 56 children undergoing open-heart surgery. The first 27 patients received 0.03 mg kg-1 and the other 29 received 0.02 mg kg-1. Satisfactory postoperative analgesia, lasting for 22 h or longer, was obtained in over 60% of the patients in each group. Respiratory depression occurred in six of the first group (0.03 mg kg-1), and three in the second (0.02 mg kg-1), most frequently between 3.5 and 4.5 h after the administration of the intrathecal morphine.

Patau's syndrome (Trisomy 13) is usually fatal within the first six months of life. For the few survivors, corrective surgery is only undertaken if the child has a reasonable chance of living for some time. Hence the reports of anaesthesia and surgery in the literature are rare. We describe the anaesthesia for a repair of cleft lip and palate on two children who presented to our department.

No abstract