Emergence delirium in children. Pharmacologic preventive measures.

PhD defence by Anne Louise de Barros Garioud

Assessment Committee

Associate professor Anders Kehlet Navne Nørskov, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen (Chairperson)
Associate professor Nicola Groes Clausen, University of Southern Denmark
Professor Peter Frykholm, University of Uppsala

Supervisors

Associate Professor Arash Afshari
Clinical Professor Lars Simon Rasmussen
MD, PhD Lars Broksø Holst
Assistant Professor Aksel Karl Georg Jensen
Associate Professor Lars Peter Kloster Andersen
PhD Betinna Nygaard Nielsen

Department

Department of Clinical Medicine

Graduate Programme

Life Cycle in Medicine

Place

Building: Mærsk, Room: Nielsine Nielsen Auditorium, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen N

Email address to gain access to the thesis: adam0020@regionh.dk.
You will either receive a copy of the thesis or be informed where you can read a physical copy.
Recipients of copies of the thesis are not allowed to share or distribute it due to copyright compliance.

Short description of the thesis

Emergence delirium is an acute state of confusion and agitation that may occur when children recover from general anesthesia. It can cause distress for children and families and complicate postoperative care. This thesis examines pharmacologic approaches to its prevention, with particular emphasis on melatonin and the α2-agonist clonidine. Through a systematic review and meta-analysis, an observational study, and pharmacokinetic studies in young children, the thesis evaluates current evidence on treatment effects and investigates how these medicines are processed by the developing body. The findings identify promising preventive strategies but also demonstrate important gaps in the evidence, highlighting the need for further clinical research and age-appropriate dose optimization.