Special Considerations in the Perioperative Preparation of the Obese Child: An Evidence-Based Review

Common Perioperative Complications in the Pediatric Day Surgery Setting of a Patient with an Elevated BMI: A Resource Guide to the Literature on the Care of the Obese Pediatric Surgical Patient

“…A 2008 study of 2,025 children undergoing general pediatric surgery revealed that approximately 15% of the patients were obese. 4 The available evidence suggests that this population is at risk for respiratory and postoperative wound complications. Since a significant body of knowledge is currently not available about the perioperative complications of a pediatric patient with elevated BMI, future research will assist nurses and interdisciplinary teams with providing appropriate care specific for this at-risk population.…”

“…Obtaining preoperative intravenous access may be a problem. 4 Medications should not be administered IM because the medication may only reach adipose tissue and not muscle. 5 Monitoring may present a problem especially with proper sizing of the blood pressure cuff.…”