Soluble alpha2-macroglobulin receptor is increased in endotracheal aspirates from infants and children after cardiopulmonary bypass.

OBJECTIVE: Cytokine dysregulation contributes to the systemic inflammatory response after cardiopulmonary bypass. Clearance of cytokine binding proteins may be important in the resolution of inflammation. Our aim was to determine whether the cytokine binding protein alpha 2 -macroglobulin and its soluble receptor were upregulated in endotracheal aspirates from infants and children undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. METHODS: Seventy tracheal aspirates were collected before and after cardiopulmonary bypass from 35 infants and children undergoing surgical correction of congenital heart defects. alpha 2 -Macroglobulin and the soluble alpha 2 -macroglobulin receptor were identified by Western blot. With the use of multi-analyte cytokine profiling, pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines were quantified, normalized to total protein, and expressed as ratios. Paired t tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were performed between prebypass and postbypass samples. Correlations were examined among alpha 2 -macroglobulin, soluble alpha 2 -macroglobulin receptor, cytokine ratios, and the clinical variables of cardiopulmonary bypass, aortic crossclamp, and circulatory arrest times. RESULTS: alpha 2 -Macroglobulin increased by 50% (mean densitometry increase 82,683 +/- 184,594, P = .012), and soluble alpha 2 -macroglobulin receptor increased by 17% (mean densitometry increase 506,148 +/- 687,037, P = .0001) after cardiopulmonary bypass. The ratio of interleukin-8/interleukin-4 increased by 136% ( P = .0001), and interleukin-8/interleukin-10 increased by 102% ( P = .001). The increase in soluble alpha 2 -macroglobulin receptor was positively correlated with the ratios of interleukin-8/interleukin-4 and interleukin-8/interleukin-10. There were no statistically significant positive correlations between the increase in alpha 2 -macroglobulin or soluble alpha 2 -macroglobulin receptor and measured clinical variables. CONCLUSIONS: We report for the first time the upregulation of alpha 2 -macroglobulin and soluble alpha 2 -macroglobulin receptor in tracheal aspirates after cardiopulmonary bypass in infants and children. Soluble alpha 2 -macroglobulin receptor correlates with increased alpha 2 -macroglobulin and a disproportionate increase in pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory cytokine ratios.

Anaesthetic management of infants with glycogen storage disease type II: a physiological approach.

Pompe or Glycogen Storage Disease type II (GSD-II) is a genetic disorder affecting both cardiac and skeletal muscle. Historically, patients with the infantile form usually die within the first year of life due to cardiac and respiratory failure. Recently a promising enzyme replacement therapy has resulted in improved clinical outcomes and a resurgence of elective anaesthesia for these patients. Understanding the unique cardiac physiology in patients with GSD-II is essential to providing safe general anaesthesia.

Postoperative nausea and vomiting in children and adolescents undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation: a randomized comparison of propofol- and isoflurane-based anesthetics.

UNLABELLED: In children, radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) is typically performed under general anesthesia. With the use of volatile anesthetics, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are common, with an incidence of emesis as frequent as 60%. We tested the hypothesis that a propofol (PRO)-based anesthetic would have a less frequent incidence of PONV than an isoflurane (ISO)-based anesthetic. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either an ISO- or PRO-based anesthetic. Prophylactic ondansetron was given to all patients and droperidol was used as a rescue antiemetic postoperatively while PONV was monitored postoperatively for 18 h. The incidence of nausea, vomiting, use of rescue antiemetic drugs, and sedation scores were recorded. The cost for the anesthetic was also calculated. Fifty-six subjects were included in this study. The cumulative incidence of PONV was significantly more frequent in group ISO (63% nausea/55% emesis) compared with group PRO (21% nausea/6% emesis). After the administration of droperidol, further vomiting occurred in 70% of the patients in group ISO versus 0% of the patients in group PRO. We conclude that RFCA using ISO has a high PONV risk and the prophylactic use of ondansetron as well as antiemetic therapy with droperidol are ineffective. In contrast, a PRO-based anesthetic is highly effective in preventing PONV in children undergoing RFCA. IMPLICATIONS: In children undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation and receiving prophylactic ondansetron, a frequent incidence (60%) of postoperative vomiting was observed under an isoflurane-based anesthetic, whereas the incidence was significantly reduced to a very low level (5%) under a propofol-based anesthetic.

Comparison of electrophysiologic effects of propofol and isoflurane-based anesthetics in children undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation for supraventricular tachycardia.

BACKGROUND: Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA), which is typically performed with general anesthesia in children, is an interventional therapy for tachyarrhythmia. Although the electrophysiologic (EP) effects of isoflurane- and propofol-based anesthetics have been shown to be similar, a retrospective analysis reported significantly longer RFCA procedural duration with the use of isoflurane. It remains unclear whether the ability to successfully perform RFCA differs between these drugs. METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned to receive either an isoflurane- or propofol-maintained anesthetic. Drug administration was titrated according to the pharmacodynamic endpoint of depth of sedation using bispectral index score. The ability to induce sustained tachycardia (using a scoring system), procedural durations, and effects on cardiac electrophysiologic properties were evaluated and compared between the groups. RESULTS: Sixty subjects were included in this study. Sustained supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) was inducible with the assigned drug in all but four subjects. In three of these four subjects, SVT was also not inducible with the alternative study drug. Ability to induce the first sustained SVT was similar between the groups (P = 0.83). Total procedural durations were similar (isoflurane 224 +/- 84 min vs. propofol 221 +/- 86 min, mean +/- SD, P = 0.88). Atrioventricular nodal conduction was slower with propofol compared with isoflurane, but this result did not appear to be clinically relevant. Finally, ventricular repolarization was prolonged by isoflurane versus propofol, the clinical significance of which was not demonstrated. CONCLUSION: Isoflurane- and propofol-based anesthesia were equally suitable in children and adolescents undergoing RFCA.