Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Jan 4:10:1075184.
doi: 10.3389/fped.2022.1075184. eCollection 2022.

Premedication before laryngoscopy in neonates: Evidence-based statement from the French society of neonatology (SFN)

Affiliations
Review

Premedication before laryngoscopy in neonates: Evidence-based statement from the French society of neonatology (SFN)

Xavier Durrmeyer et al. Front Pediatr. .

Abstract

Context: Laryngoscopy is frequently required in neonatal intensive care. Awake laryngoscopy has deleterious effects but practice remains heterogeneous regarding premedication use. The goal of this statement was to provide evidence-based good practice guidance for clinicians regarding premedication before tracheal intubation, less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) and laryngeal mask insertion in neonates.

Methods: A group of experts brought together by the French Society of Neonatology (SFN) addressed 4 fields related to premedication before upper airway access in neonates: (1) tracheal intubation; (2) less invasive surfactant administration; (3) laryngeal mask insertion; (4) use of atropine for the 3 previous procedures. Evidence was gathered and assessed on predefined questions related to these fields. Consensual statements were issued using the GRADE methodology.

Results: Among the 15 formalized good practice statements, 2 were strong recommendations to do (Grade 1+) or not to do (Grade 1-), and 4 were discretionary recommendations to do (Grade 2+). For 9 good practice statements, the GRADE method could not be applied, resulting in an expert opinion. For tracheal intubation premedication was considered mandatory except for life-threatening situations (Grade 1+). Recommended premedications were a combination of opioid + muscle blocker (Grade 2+) or propofol in the absence of hemodynamic compromise or hypotension (Grade 2+) while the use of a sole opioid was discouraged (Grade 1-). Statements regarding other molecules before tracheal intubation were expert opinions. For LISA premedication was recommended (Grade 2+) with the use of propofol (Grade 2+). Statements regarding other molecules before LISA were expert opinions. For laryngeal mask insertion and atropine use, no specific data was found and expert opinions were provided.

Conclusion: This statement should help clinical decision regarding premedication before neonatal upper airway access and favor standardization of practices.

Keywords: analgeisa; anesthesia; atropine; intubation (intratracheal); laryngeal mask; less invasive surfactant administration (LISA); neonate; sedation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Conditions of statement application based on available resources.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Decision chart for premedication before tracheal intubation in neonates.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Kelly MA, Finer NN. Nasotracheal intubation in the neonate: physiologic responses and effects of atropine and pancuronium. J Pediatr. (1984) 105(2):303–9. 10.1016/s0022-3476(84)80137-7 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Marshall TA, Deeder R, Pai S, Berkowitz GP, Austin TL. Physiologic changes associated with endotracheal intubation in preterm infants. Crit Care Med. (1984) 12(6):501–3. 10.1097/00003246-198406000-00006 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Raju TN, Vidyasagar D, Torres C, Grundy D, Bennett EJ. Intracranial pressure during intubation and anesthesia in infants. J Pediatr. (1980) 96(5):860–2. 10.1016/s0022-3476(80)80558-0 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Carbajal R, Eble B, Anand KJ. Premedication for tracheal intubation in neonates: confusion or controversy? Semin Perinatol. (2007) 31(5):309–17. 10.1053/j.semperi.2007.07.006 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sauer CW, Kong JY, Vaucher YE, Finer N, Proudfoot JA, Boutin MA, et al. Intubation attempts increase the risk for severe intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm infants-A retrospective cohort study. J Pediatr. (2016) 177:108–13. 10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.06.051 - DOI - PubMed