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A research team dedicated to making anaesthesia and surgery safer and more comfortable for babies and children has been awarded an inaugural Byron Kakulas Medal by WA’s Perron Institute.

The vision of the Perioperative Medicine Team is to make discoveries that will improve children’s perioperative care and lead to global practice change.

Early-life obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) predictors are unavailable for young adults. This study identifies early-life factors predisposing young adults to OSA.

Sedated and awake tracheal intubation approaches are considered safest in adults with difficult airways, but little is known about the outcomes of sedated intubations in children. The primary aim of this study was to compare the first-attempt success rate of tracheal intubation during sedated tracheal intubation versus tracheal intubation under general anesthesia. The hypothesis was that sedated intubation would be associated with a lower first-attempt success rate and more complications than general anesthesia.

Anaesthesia related mortality in paediatrics is rare. There are limited data describing paediatric anaesthesia related mortality. This study determined the anaesthesia related mortality at a Tertiary Paediatric Hospital in Western Australia.

Fasting for surgery is a routine step in the preoperative preparation for surgery. There have however been increasing concerns with regard to the high incidence of prolonged fasting in children, and the subsequent psycho-social distress and physiological consequences that this poses.

Adenotonsillectomy is one of the most common surgical interventions in children, and while generally safe, it is associated with a risk of significant adverse events. In this issue, Kim et al report a prospective randomized controlled study comparing preoperative use of a tulobuterol (longacting beta agonist) dermal patch with placebo on the incidence of perioperative respiratory adverse events (PRAEs) in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy.

The study aimed to better understand children's emergency perioperative experience, a little researched topic. Current literature shows discrepancies between child and adult perceptions for the same healthcare experience. Acquisition of knowledge from the child's perspective can be utilized to improve perioperative care.

Consumer-driven research is increasingly being prioritized. Aim: Our aim was to partner with consumers to identify the top 10 research priorities for pediatric anesthesia and perioperative medicine. The ACORN (Anesthesia Consumer Research Network) was formed to collaborate with children and families across Australia.

Penicillin allergy accounts for the majority of all reported adverse drug reactions in adults and children. Foregoing first-line antibiotic therapy due to penicillin allergy label is associated with an increased prevalence of infections by resistant organisms and longer hospitalisation.