Anesthesia and neurotoxicity in the developing brain: a non-systematic review
Van Biesen, S.; Van de Velde, M.; Rex, S.
Acta Anaesthesiologica Belgica 66(3): 67-79
2015
ISSN/ISBN: 0001-5164 PMID: 26767231 Document Number: 683061
In recent years, increasing experimental evidence has suggested an association between exposure to anesthesia in early life and subsequent poor neurodevelopmental outcome. Retrospective and follow-up studies have also suggested anesthesia-related neurotoxicity in the developing human brain. The present non-systematic review summarizes the available evidence, depicts the current knowledge on the potentially harmful effects of anesthesia and will discuss whether this knowledge urges us to implement changes in clinical practice.