A Retrospective Comparative Study of the Frequency of Hypotension in Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization under General Anesthesia: Remimazolam versus Sevoflurane.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the incidence of hypotension between remimazolam and sevoflurane under general anesthesia for cardiac catheterization in patients with congenital heart disease. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. SETTING: A single university hospital with 300 pediatric cardiac catheterizations by general anesthesia performed annually. PARTICIPANTS: Patients younger than 15 years who underwent cardiac catheterization under general anesthesia between March 1, 2021, and December 31, 2022. Exclusion criteria were general anesthesia maintained with other than remimazolam or sevoflurane, receipt of remifentanil, American Society of Anesthesiologists score 4 or 5, emergency procedures, and no direct arterial pressure measurement. INTERVENTIONS: General anesthesia was maintained with remimazolam or sevoflurane. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 309 patients were analyzed, including 28 in the remimazolam group and 281 in the sevoflurane group. Propensity score matching adjusted for confounding factors resulted in 28 patients in each arm, with no apparent differences in background factors. Hypotension was defined as a time-averaged area > 1, in which systolic arterial pressure fell below 80% of the baseline from the start of anesthesia to the end of procedure. The significance level was set at P < .05. The incidence of hypotension was 39.3% in the remimazolam arm and 46.4% in the sevoflurane arm, with no significant difference (P = .79), although the ratio of the median systolic arterial pressure to the baseline value was significantly higher in the remimazolam arm (91.4 ± 15.2% vs 83.2 ± 11.4% in the sevoflurane arm; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Remimazolam was not associated with a lower incidence of hypotension compared to sevoflurane during pediatric cardiac catheterization for congenital heart disease while maintaining significantly higher blood pressure overall.

Pulmonary Flow Management by Combination Therapy of Hemostatic Clipping and Balloon Angioplasty for Right Ventricular-Pulmonary Artery Shunt in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.

Controlling pulmonary blood flow in patients who have undergone Norwood palliation, especially early postoperatively, is challenging due to a change in the balance of systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance. We applied a combination therapy of clipping and balloon angioplasty for right ventricle-pulmonary artery (RV-PA) shunt to control pulmonary blood flow, but the influence of the combination therapy on the PA condition is uncertain. Retrospectively analysis was conducted of all infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome who had undergone Norwood palliation with RV-PA shunt at Okayama University Hospital from January 2008 to September 2022. A total of 50 consecutive patients underwent Norwood palliation with RV-PA shunt in this study period. Of them, 29 patients underwent RV-PA shunt flow clipping, and the remaining 21 had unclipped RV-PA shunt. Twenty-three patients underwent balloon angioplasty for RV-PA shunt with clips. After balloon angioplasty, oxygen saturation significantly increased from 69 (59-76)% to 80 (72-86)% (p < 0.001), and the narrowest portion of the clipped conduit significantly improved from 2.8 (1.8-3.4) to 3.8 (2.9-4.6) mm (p < 0.001). In cardiac catheterizations prior to Bidirectional cavo-pulmonary shunt (BCPS), there were no significant differences in pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio (Qp/Qs), ventricular end-diastolic pressure, Nakata index, arterial saturation, mean pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance index. On the other hand, in Cardiac catheterizations prior to Fontan, Nakata index was larger in the clipped group (p = 0.02). There was no statistically significant difference in the 5-year survival between the two groups (clipped group 96%, unclipped group 74%, log-rank test: p = 0.13). At least, our combination therapy of clipping and balloon angioplasty for RV-PA shunt did not negatively impact PA growth. Although there is a trend toward better but not statistically significant difference in outcomes in the clipped group compared to the non-clipped group, this treatment strategy may play an important role in improving outcomes in hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Investigation of the effectiveness of preoperative intubation simulation using a custom-made simulator for pediatric patients with difficult airway: a pilot study.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether preoperative intubation simulation using custom-made simulator is useful during anesthesia induction for the children who have difficult airway. We included the children under 15 years of age who have difficult airway which had been already known. Prior to the scheduled surgery, CT imaging was performed and a 3D reconstruction of the face from the chest was performed. Then custom-made airway simulator was made. We tried to intubate custom-made simulator of patients preoperatively. We planned how to intubate the patient for anesthesia induction from the result of intubation simulation. The findings of direct laryngoscopy were compared with the findings during intubation. Three patients were included in this study. It took up to 3 weeks to create a simulator, which was difficult due to time constraints to accommodate emergency surgeries. Simulation findings correlated well with findings during anesthesia induction. There were no cases of severe hypotension or hypoxia during induction of anesthesia with the planned intubation method. In conclusion, preoperative intubation simulation using custom-made simulator may be useful for the patients who have difficult airway.

Modified del Nido cardioplegia is associated with low incidence of low main strong ion difference and hyperchloremia in pediatric patients after cardiac surgery.

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were (1) to determine the associations of cardioplegic solutions with postoperative main strong ion difference (mSID), which is the difference between sodium ion concentration and chloride ion concentration ([Cl-]) and (2) to determine the associations of cardioplegic solutions with markers of organ dysfunction. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, patients aged <5 years who underwent cardiac surgery in a tertiary teaching hospital were included. Patients were classified on the basis of the type of cardioplegic solution: modified del Nido cardioplegia (mDNC) and conventional cardioplegia (CC). The effects of mDNC on postoperative mSID and markers of organ functions were examined using propensity-matched analysis. RESULTS: A total of 500 cases were included. mDNC solution was used in 163 patients (32.6%). After propensity score matching, patients in the mDNC group (n = 152) had significantly higher minimum mSID [28 (26, 30) mEq/L vs. 27 (25, 29) mEq/L, p = 0.02] and lower maximum [Cl-] [112 (109, 114) mEq/L vs. 113 (111, 117) mEq/L, p < 0.001] than patients in the CC group (n = 304). The incidences of low mSID and hyperchloremia in the mDNC group were significantly lower than those in the CC group (63.8 vs. 75.7%, p = 0.01 and 63.2 vs. 79.3%, p < 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury and B-type natriuretic peptide level between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The use of modified del Nido cardioplegia may reduce the incidence of abnormal mSID and hyperchloremia compared with the use of a chloride-rich cardioplegic solution.

Outcomes associated with unrecognized acute kidney injury in postoperative pediatric cardiac patients.

BACKGROUND: The present retrospective study was carried out to determine the incidence of unrecognized cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI) due to infrequency of serum creatinine (SCr) measurements in pediatric cardiac patients and to assess the association between unrecognized CSA-AKI and clinical outcomes. METHODS: This study was a single-center, retrospective study of pediatric patients who underwent cardiac surgery. Patients were diagnosed with CSA-AKI based on SCr measurements, and unrecognized CSA-AKI was defined under the assumptions that there had been only one or two SCr measurements within 48 h after surgery: CSA-AKI unrecognized by one SCr measurement (AKI-URone), CSA-AKI unrecognized by two SCr measurements (AKI-URtwo), and CSA-AKI recognized by one and two SCr measurements (AKI-R). The change of SCr from baseline to postoperative day 30 (delta SCr30d) was assessed as a surrogate of kidney recovery. RESULTS: In a total of 557 cases, 313 patients (56.2%) were diagnosed with CSA-AKI, 188 (33.8%) of whom had unrecognized CSA-AKI. Delta SCr30d in the AKI-URtwo group and delta SCr30d in the AKI-URone group was not significantly different from delta SCr30d in the non-AKI group (p = 0.67 and p = 0.79, respectively). There were significant differences in the durations of mechanical ventilation, serum B-type natriuretic peptide levels, and lengths of stay in hospital between the non-AKI group and the AKI-URtwo group and between the non-AKI group and the AKI-URtwo group. CONCLUSIONS: Unrecognized CSA-AKI due to infrequent SCr measurements is not rare and is associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation, high postoperative BNP level, and prolonged length of stay in hospital. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information.

An Assessment of the Practice of Neuromuscular Blockade and the Association Between Its Prophylactic Use and Outcomes Among Postoperative Pediatric Cardiac Patients.

OBJECTIVES: The authors investigated the management of neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) for pediatric patients after cardiac surgery, and compared the outcomes of patients who received prophylactic NMBA (pNMBA) infusions and patients without pNMBA infusions. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. SETTING: At a tertiary teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Patients younger than 18, with congenital heart disease, who underwent cardiac surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Commencement of NMBA infusion in the first 2 hours after surgery MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary endpoint was a composite of one or more of the following major adverse events (MAEs) that occurred within 7 days after surgery: death from any cause, a circulatory collapse that needed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and requirement for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The secondary endpoints included the total duration of mechanical ventilation for the first 30 days after surgery. A total of 566 patients were included in this study. The MAEs occurred in 13 patients (2.3%). An NMBA was commenced within 2 hours after surgery in 207 patients (36.6%). There were significant differences in the incidence of postoperative MAEs between the pNMBA group and the non-pNMBA group (5.3% v 0.6%; p < 0.001). In multivariate regression models, pNMBA infusion was not significantly associated with the incidence of MAEs (odds ratio: 1.79, 95% CI: 0.23-13.93, p = 0.58), but was significantly associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation by 3.85 days (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative prophylactic neuromuscular blockade after cardiac surgery can be associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation, but has no association with MAEs among pediatric patients with congenital heart disease.

Relationship of Intraoperative SpO2 and ETCO2 Values with Postoperative Hypoxemia in Elderly Patients after Non-Cardiac Surgery.

Elderly patients are at higher risk of postoperative hypoxemia due to their decreased respiratory function. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of intraoperative oxygen saturation (SpO2) and end-expiratory carbon dioxide (ETCO2) values with postoperative hypoxemia in elderly patients. The inclusion criteria were: 1) patients aged≥75 years; 2) underwent general anesthesia in non-cardiac surgery; 3) operative time longer than two hours; and 4) admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) following surgery performed between January and December 2019. Intraoperative SpO2 and ETCO2 values were collected every minute for the first two hours during surgery. The 253 patients were divided into two groups: SpO2≥92% and SpO2<92%. The time-weighted averages of intraoperative SpO2 and ETCO2 were used to compare differences between the two groups. The incidence of postoperative hypoxemia was 22.5%. For similar ventilator settings, patients with postoperative hypoxemia had lower intraoperative SpO2 and higher ETCO2 values. Sex, ASA classification, and intraoperative SpO2 were independent risk factors for postoperative hypoxemia. In conclusion, postoperative SpO2<92% was a frequent occurrence (> 20%) in elderly patients who underwent major non-cardiac surgery. Postoperative hypoxemia was associated with low intraoperative SpO2 and relatively higher ETCO2.

Regional Cerebral Oxygen Saturation and Estimated Oxygen Extraction Ratio as Predictive Markers of Major Adverse Events in Infants with Congenital Heart Disease.

Regional cerebral oxygen saturation (ScO2) determined by near-infrared spectroscopy, monitoring both arterial and venous blood oxygenation of the brain, could reflect the balance between oxygen delivery and consumption. The aim of this study was to determine the predictabilities of ScO2 and estimated oxygen extraction ratio (eO2ER) with outcomes in infants with congenital heart disease (CHD). This study was a two-center, retrospective study of patients at 12 months of age or younger with CHD who underwent cardiac surgery. The primary outcome was a composite of one or more major adverse events (MAEs) after surgery: death from any cause, circulatory collapse that needed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and requirement for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Based on the assumptions of arterial to venous blood ratio, eO2ER was calculated. A total of 647 cases were included in this study. MAEs occurred in 16 patients (2.5%). There were significant differences in post-bypass ScO2 [46.61 (40.90, 52.05) vs. 58.52 (51.52, 66.08), p < 0.001] and post-bypass eO2ER [0.66 (0.60, 0.78) vs. 0.52 (0.43, 0.61), p < 0.001] between patients with MAEs and patients without MAEs. Area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) of post-bypass ScO2 was 0.818 (95% confidence interval: 0.747-0.889), AUROC of post-bypass eO2ER was 0.783 (0.697-0.870) and AUROC of post-bypass maximum serum lactate level was 0.635 (0.525-0.746). Both ScO2 and eO2ER, especially after weaning off bypass, are acceptable predictive markers for predicting MAEs after cardiac surgery in infants.(227 words).

Efficacy of prophylactic high-flow nasal cannula therapy for postoperative pulmonary complications after pediatric cardiac surgery: a prospective single-arm study.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC) when high-flow nasal cannula therapy (HFNC) is used prophylactically after pediatric cardiac surgery, and evaluated its efficacy. METHODS: This was a single-arm prospective interventional study that was conducted in a tertiary teaching hospital with eight beds in the pediatric cardiac ICU after approval by the Ethics Committee. One-hundred children under the age of 48 months who were scheduled for cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease were recruited. HFNC was used for 24 h after extubation at a 2 L/kg/min flow rate. The primary outcome was the incidence of PPC within 48 h after extubation. PPC was defined as atelectasis and acute respiratory failure meeting certain criteria. We considered prophylactic HFNC as effective if the prevalence of PPC was < 10%, based on previous reports of reintubation rates of 6%-9% after pediatric cardiac surgery. RESULTS: A total of 91 patients were finally included in the analysis. The incidence of PPC within 48 h after extubation was 18.7%, whereas atelectasis was observed in 13.2%, and acute respiratory failure in 8.8%. Reintubation rate within 48 h after extubation was 0%. CONCLUSIONS: We found the incidence of PPC with prophylactic HFNC after planned extubation after pediatric cardiac surgery. However, the incidence was > 10%; therefore, we could not demonstrate its efficacy in this single-arm study. Further studies are needed to investigate whether the HFNC could be adapted as first-line oxygen therapy after pediatric cardiac surgery.

Correlation between Mean Arterial Pressure and Regional Cerebral Oxygen Saturation on Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery.

Some pediatric cardiac patients might experience low regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) during surgery. We investigated whether a pediatric patient's mean arterial pressure (MAP) can affect the rSO2 value during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). We retrospectively analyzed the cases of the pediatric patients who underwentcardiac surgery at our hospital (Jan. -Dec. 2019; n=141). At each MAP stage, we constructed line charts through the mean of the rSO2 values corresponding to each MAP and then calculated the correlation coefficients. We next divided the patients into age subgroups (neonates, infants, children) and into cyanotic congenital heart disease (CHD) and acyanotic CHD groups and analyzed these groups in the same way. The analyses of all 141 patients revealed that during CPB the rSO2 value increased with an increase in MAP (r=0.1626). There was a correlation between rSO2 and MAP in the children (r=0.2720) but not in the neonates (r=0.06626) or infants (r=0.05260). Cyanotic CHD or acyanotic CHD did not have a significant effect on the rSO2/MAP correlation. Our analysis demonstrated different patterns of a correlation between MAP and rSO2 in pediatric cardiac surgery patients, depending on age. MAP was positively correlated with rSO2 typically in children but not in neonate or infant patients.

Stepwise Treatment for Heterotaxy Syndrome and Functional Single Ventricle Complicated by Infra-Cardiac Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection with Ductus Venosus Stent Placement and Subsequent Occlusion.

Even today, when the surgical outcome of congenital heart disease in the neonatal period has improved, the prognosis for heterotaxy syndrome and functional single ventricle complicated with total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC), especially the infra-cardiac type, is catastrophic. We describe a strategy that combines percutaneous ductus venosus (DV) stent placement and occlusion after TAPVC repair to ensure survival from initial surgery to bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt (BCPS) procedure and facilitate subsequent treatment. Three consecutive patients with heterotaxy syndrome and functional single ventricle complicated by infra-cardiac TAPVC treated with our own strategy were retrospectively studied. In two infants, DV stent placement was performed on the day of birth. In one case at 11 days of age. The risk of pulmonary vein obstruction was reduced, and on-pump surgery, including TAPVC repair, was performed on a standby basis. Since the rapid increase in hepatic enzymes occurred on postoperative day 0 to 1 in all cases, percutaneous stent occlusion was performed until postoperative day 3. The procedure improved liver function. One patient died due to severe atrioventricular valve regurgitation, one case underwent BCPS, and one patient was waiting to undergo. DV stent placement can avoid TAPVC repair in the early neonatal period. After TAPVC repair, the portosystemic shunt remained, resulting in hepatic dysfunction, but this could be improved by stent and vertical vein occlusion. A series of stepwise treatments can be useful to help such critically ill infants survive the high-risk neonatal period and achieve good BCPS circulation.

The frequency of postoperative BNP measurement and intervention threshold of BNP concentration in pediatric cardiac intensive care unit: a prospective multicenter observational study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the current status of postoperative BNP measurement in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU). METHODS: This was a prospective multicenter observational study. Children under 15 years old who underwent pediatric cardiac surgery were included. Postoperatively, all BNP measurement was collected in PCICU. We checked whether each BNP measurement was used for the decision-making of intervention or not. We divided the BNP measurements into 4 groups: group A 0-299 pg/ml (reference), group B 300-999 pg/ml, group C 1000-1999 pg/ml, group D ≧ 2000 pg/ml. We performed logistic regression analysis to compare the intervention ratio between group A and B, C, D. We also did multiple comparison analyses to compare the intervention ratio in each group. RESULTS: Thirty-nine (15.8%) measurements were used as a criterion to intervene in all BNP measurements. There was no protocol for the measurement of BNP in all institutions. The number of BNP measurements in each group is as follows: group A 113 (45.9%), group B 81 (32.9%), group C 45 (18.3%), group D 7 (2.8%). The intervention ratio in each group was 6.2% (group A), 8.6% (group B), 44.4% (group C), and 71.4% (group D). The intervention ratio of group C and D were significantly higher than group A: (Odds ratio (95%CI): 12.1(4.8-33.9), p < 0.0001, 25.2(5.2-146.2), p < 0.0001). The result of multiple comparisons is similar to logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: High BNP concentration, especially more than 1000 pg/ml, was more often intervened upon compared to that of less than 1000 pg/ml.

Integrated pulmonary index can predict respiratory compromise in high-risk patients in the post-anesthesia care unit: a prospective, observational study.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory compromise (RC) including hypoxia and hypoventilation is likely to be missed in the postoperative period. Integrated pulmonary index (IPI) is a comprehensive respiratory parameter evaluating ventilation and oxygenation. It is calculated from four parameters: end-tidal carbon dioxide, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry (SpO2), and pulse rate. We hypothesized that IPI monitoring can help predict the occurrence of RC in patients at high-risk of hypoventilation in post-anesthesia care units (PACUs). METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted in two centers and included older adults (≥ 75-year-old) or obese (body mass index ≥ 28) patients who were at high-risk of hypoventilation. Monitoring was started on admission to the PACU after elective surgery under general anesthesia. We investigated the onset of RC defined as respiratory events with prolonged stay in the PACU or transfer to the intensive care units; airway narrowing, hypoxemia, hypercapnia, wheezing, apnea, and any other events that were judged to require interventions. We evaluated the relationship between several initial parameters in the PACU and the occurrence of RC. Additionally, we analyzed the relationship between IPI fluctuation during PACU stay and the occurrences of RC using individual standard deviations of the IPI every five minutes (IPI-SDs). RESULTS: In total, 288 patients were included (199 elderly, 66 obese, and 23 elderly and obese). Among them, 18 patients (6.3 %) developed RC. The initial IPI and SpO2 values in the PACU in the RC group were significantly lower than those in the non-RC group (6.7 ± 2.5 vs. 9.0 ± 1.3, p < 0.001 and 95.9 ± 4.2 % vs. 98.3 ± 1.9 %, p = 0.040, respectively). We used the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) to evaluate their ability to predict RC. The AUCs of the IPI and SpO2 were 0.80 (0.69-0.91) and 0.64 (0.48-0.80), respectively. The IPI-SD, evaluating fluctuation, was significantly greater in the RC group than in the non-RC group (1.47 ± 0.74 vs. 0.93 ± 0.74, p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that low value of the initial IPI and the fluctuating IPI after admission to the PACU predict the occurrence of RC. The IPI might be useful for respiratory monitoring in PACUs and ICUs after general anesthesia.

Perioperative Milrinone Infusion Improves One-Year Survival After the Norwood-Sano Procedure.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate whether milrinone infusion improved one-year survival in patients who underwent the Norwood-Sano procedure. DESIGN: A retrospective observational study. SETTING: A single-institution university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Children who underwent the Norwood-Sano procedure from January 2008 to December 2014. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were categorized into two groups: group E+D, who received routine epinephrine and dopamine infusion, and group M, who received routine milrinone infusion for intra- and postoperative inotropic support. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome of this study was one-year survival after the Norwood-Sano procedure. A total of 45 patients were included (group E+D, 22; group M, 23). One-year survival in group M was significantly higher than that in group E+D (95.7% [22/23] v 72.7% [16/22], p = 0.03). A Kaplan-Meier curve also showed that one-year survival in group M was significantly higher than that in group E+D (p = 0.04), from the result of the log-rank test. The number of patients who had any arrhythmias in the intensive care unit (ICU) was significantly lower in group M than in group E+D (21.7% [5/23] v 50% [11/22], p = 0.03). The duration of ICU stay did not have statistical difference between groups (group M 19; interquartile range [IQR], 15-28) v group E+D 19.5 (IQR, 16.3-35.5) days, p = 0.57). CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative milrinone infusion improved the mortality after the Norwood-Sano procedure. Potential advantages of milrinone compared with epinephrine are fewer arrhythmias and better systemic perfusion, which could decrease lethal cardiac events in the ICU.

Higher preoperative Qp/Qs ratio is associated with lower preoperative regional cerebral oxygen saturation in children with ventricular septal defect.

PURPOSE: The relationship between regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) and the amount of left-to-right shunt in ventricular septal defect (VSD) patients has not yet been investigated. The purpose of this study was to identify the association of preoperative pulmonary to systemic blood flow (Qp/Qs) ratio and preoperative rSO2 in patients with VSD. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 49 VSD surgical closure candidates at a single institution. Preoperative Qp/Qs ratio was compared with rSO2 measurements at the time of VSD closure surgery. RESULTS: Forty-nine were eligible for the final analysis. The median age at surgery was 6 (interquartile range [IQR]: 3, 12) months, and 36.7% were male. Atrial septal defects coexisted in 51.0%. There were no genetic abnormalities except trisomy 21 in 32.6% of the patients. Pulmonary hypertension was found in 42.8%. The median Qp/Qs ratio, calculated based on catheter testing results before the surgery, was 2.7 (IQR: 2.1, 3.7). Postoperative rSO2 was significantly higher than preoperative values (52.2 ± 12.9, 63.5 ± 13.1%, p < 0.001). There was an inverse relationship of Qp/Qs and preoperative cerebral rSO2 (r = - 0.11, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: A higher Qp/Qs ratio was associated with a lower preoperative cerebral rSO2 in pediatric patients with VSD.

Hyperchloremia Is Not an Independent Risk Factor for Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury in Pediatric Cardiac Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Hyperchloremia recently has been shown to have an association with the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients. However, there is little information about the prevalence of an abnormal chloride concentration after pediatric cardiac surgery and its association with postoperative AKI. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hyperchloremia and its association with AKI in pediatric patients after cardiac surgery. DESIGN: A retrospective single-center study. SETTING: Referral high-volume pediatric cardiac center in a tertiary teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Patients under 72 months of age with congenital heart disease who underwent cardiac surgery with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome was development of AKI diagnosed by Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes consensus criteria. The associations of outcomes with the highest serum chloride concentration ([Cl-]max) and time-weighted average chloride concentration ([Cl-]ave) within the first 48 hours after surgery were investigated. Of 521 patients included in the study, 463 patients (88.9%) had hyperchloremia at least 1 time within the first 48 hours after surgery. Postoperative AKI occurred in 205 patients (39.3%). [Cl-]ave and [Cl-]max in the AKI group were significantly higher than those in the non-AKI group (112 [110-114] mEq/L v 111 [109-113] mEq/L, p = 0.001 and 116 [113, 119] mEq/L v 114 [112-118] mEq/L, p = 0.002, respectively). After adjustment for other predictors of AKI by multivariable analyses, neither [Cl-]ave nor [Cl-]max was associated independently with the development of AKI (odds ratio [OR] = 1.040, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.885-1.220, p = 0.63; OR = 0.992, 95% CI: 0.874-1.130. p = 0.90). CONCLUSION: Postoperative hyperchloremia was common and was associated with the development of AKI in pediatric patients after congenital cardiac surgery in univariate analysis. After adjustment for predictors of AKI by multivariate analyses, there was no significant relationship between postoperative chloride concentration and AKI.

High-flow Nasal Cannula Versus Noninvasive ventilation for Postextubation Acute Respiratory Failure after Pediatric Cardiac Surgery.

We compared the reintubation rate in children who received high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy to the rate in children who received noninvasive ventilation (NIV) therapy for acute respiratory failure (ARF) after cardiac surgery. This was a retrospective analysis of 35 children who received HFNC therapy for ARF after cardiac surgery in 2014-2015 (the HFNC group). We selected 35 children who had received NIV therapy for ARF after cardiac surgery in 2009-2012 as a control group. The matching parameters were body weight and risk adjustment for congenital heart surgery category 1. The reintubation rate within 48 h in the HFNC group tended to be lower than that in the NIV group (3% vs. 17%, p=0.06). The reintubation rate within 28 days was significantly lower in the HFNC group compared to the NIV group (3% vs. 26%, p=0.04). The HFNC group's ICU stays were significantly shorter than those of the NIV group: 10 (IQR: 7-17) days vs. 17 (11-32) days, p=0.009. HFNC therapy might be associated with a reduced reintubation rate in children with ARF after cardiac surgery.

Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity Following General and Epidural Anesthesia in A patient with a History of Muscle Relaxant-induced Anaphylaxis.

We here report that a 71-year-old Japanese woman with a history of anaphylaxis induced by muscle relaxants had local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST) following an abdominal surgery under general anesthesia with combined spinal-epidural anesthesia without muscle relaxants. The total dosages of local anesthetics reached 0.67 mg/kg of ropivacaine and 11.5 mg/kg of lidocaine over 12.5 h to obtain sufficient muscle relaxation for surgery. Regional anesthesia is useful in cases in which muscle relaxants are to be avoided during a surgery. However, especially for a patient with risk factors and prolonged surgery, precautions should be taken to prevent LAST.

High Ionized Calcium Concentration Is Associated With Prolonged Length of Stay in the Intensive Care Unit for Postoperative Pediatric Cardiac Patients.

OBJECTIVE: There has been controversy regarding the beneficial effects of calcium on myocardial contractility and the harmful effects on myocardial cells, especially in children. The aim of this study was to investigate an association between ionized calcium concentration (iCa) and outcomes for pediatric patients after cardiac surgery. DESIGN: A retrospective, single-center study from May 2013 to December 2014. SETTING: Referral high-volume pediatric cardiac center in a tertiary teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Patients <72 months old with congenital heart disease who underwent palliative or definitive surgery. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The association between pH-corrected iCa within 24 hours after surgery and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (ILOS) was defined as the primary outcome. The highest iCa (iCamax), lowest iCa (iCamin), and time-weighted average iCa (iCaave) were stratified and compared with the outcomes. The authors reviewed 5,468 ionized calcium measurements from 357 consecutive pediatric patients during the study period. One patient died at postoperative day 34 in the ICU. Significant differences in ILOS were observed among patients after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) according to iCaave, iCamax, and iCamin but not among patients without CPB. Patients with CPB and an iCaave value of 1.31-to-1.40 mmol/L, 1.41-to-1.50 mmol/L, 1.51-to-1.60 mmol/L, and >1.60 mmol/L stayed in the ICU for 7 (interquartile range [IQR] 4-10) days, 8 (IQR 6-16) days, 10 (IQR 8-14) days, and 19 (IQR 12-38) days, respectively, which was significantly longer than the ILOS of 5 (4-8) days for patients with an iCaave of 1.21-to-1.30 mmol/L. Even after adjustment for other predictors of ILOS using multivariable analyses, there were significant relationships of ILOS with iCaave and iCamin values of >1.50 mmol/L among patients with CPB. CONCLUSIONS: Higher iCa within 24 hours after congenital cardiac surgery using CPB was independently associated with longer LOS in the ICU.

The Incidence of Desaturation during Anesthesia in Adult and Pediatric Patients: A Retrospective Study.

We investigated the incidence of desaturation during general anesthesia in preoperatively hypoxic (< 92%), and nonhypoxic (≥ 92%) pediatric (n=1,090) and adult (n=5,138) patients. We plotted the patients' SpO2 value time-courses and assessed desaturation in 6,228 patients. The crude overall incidence (95%CI) for desaturation was 11.1% (9.4-13.1) in the pediatric patients and 0.9% (0.6-1.2) in the adults. The crude incidence of desaturation in the hypoxic pediatric patients was 2.5 times the risk in the nonhypoxic patients: risk ratio (RR) 2.5 (1.8-3.5), p<0.001. The risk of desaturation in the hypoxic adult patients was 20.1 times the risk in the nonhypoxic adult patients: RR 20.1 (10.3-39.2), p<0.001. When the patients were separately stratified by American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA-PS) and by age, the directly adjusted risk-ratio (RRS) showed that the hypoxic pediatric patients had 1.8 and 1.6 times the risk in the nonhypoxic pediatric patients: ASA-PS adjusted RRS 1.6 (1.8-2.2), p<0.001; age-adjusted RRS 1.8 (1.3-2.5), p<0.001, and the hypoxic adult patients had 13.8 times the risk in the nonhypoxic adult patients: RRS 13.8 (6.9-27.6), p<0.001. A pulse-oximeter check before the start of general anesthesia could ensure timely preparation to avoid intraoperative desaturation.