Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC,) managed by Cleveland Clinic, organized yesterday the first symposium on perioperative care of pediatric patient in Khalidiyah Rayhaan Hotel, Abu Dhabi. The number of attendees exceeded 100 targeting physicians, nurses and technicians in the anesthesia, surgery and pediatrics field.
The symposium, accredited for 4.5 hours of Continuous Medical Education (CME), was organized by the Anesthesia Department in collaboration with the Pediatric Intensive Care at SKMC.
Under the title of “Perioperative Care of Pediatric Patient”, the half-day symposium comprised of 9 different presentations by a distinguished faculty of experts from SKMC covering essential topics in the field of anesthesiology, surgery and critical care for pediatric patients.
They discussed the surgical aspects of neonatal and pediatric intensive care unit patients; neurosurgery in pediatric patients; perioperative assessment and preparation; sedation and acute pain management; mechanical ventilation – cardiopulmonary interaction; high frequency ventilation; and perioperative care of patients with neuromuscular disorder.
Dr. Atul Mehta, Chief Medical Officer at SKMC, stated, “In addition to the quality healthcare services we are keen to offer at SKMC, we also believe that medical conferences and symposia such as this one illustrate not only SKMC’s commitment to state-of-the-art healthcare delivery but also the promotion of continuous medical education.
” Dr. John Mansfield, Chairman of Anesthesia Department at SKMC, said, “The Anesthesiology Department at SKMC employs twelve consultants, nine specialists and nine technicians committed to providing state-of-the-art anesthetic care for adults and pediatric patients.
Organizing this symposium is part of our obligation towards the community of physicians.” Dr. Yasser Zaghloul, Specialist Anesthesiology, said, “At SKMC, we performed 2645 pediatric surgeries of all types including cardiac surgeries during 2009.
Both the surgeon and anesthesiologist work closely with the rest of the staff to make the surgery a success as well as the intensive care physicians for postoperative care. It is also worth mentioning the high level of training needed for an anesthesiologist which actually reflects the complicated nature of this science.
As anesthesiologists, we always discuss the different options available for pain control with the patient before he/she has surgery. Numerous tests would also be done to assess and evaluate the patient condition before selecting the best option for him/her.
” From Pediatric intensive care side, Dr. Hubert Hon, Chair of Critical Care Medicine Institute commented, “The meeting aims to address the interdisciplinary continuum of care required for the care of pediatric and neonatal patients with surgical conditions. Pediatric Critical Care at SKMC is honored to be part of the team that provides the specialized backbone and expertise required for the perioperative care of these patients.
The meeting was useful for both medical and surgical clinicians and is a collaborative effort between surgical, anesthesiology and pediatric critical care staff physicians at SKMC.”
WAM