Association of dexmedetomidine use with haemodynamics, postoperative recovery, and cost in paediatric anaesthesia: a hospital registry study.

BACKGROUND: Dexmedetomidine utilisation in paediatric patients is increasing. We hypothesised that intraoperative use of dexmedetomidine in children is associated with longer postanaesthesia care unit length of stay, higher healthcare costs, and side-effects. METHODS: We analysed data from paediatric patients (aged 0-12 yr) between 2016 and 2021 in the Bronx, NY, USA. We matched our cohort with the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-Kids' Inpatient Database (HCUP-KID). RESULTS: Among 18 104 paediatric patients, intraoperative dexmedetomidine utilisation increased from 51.7% to 85.7% between 2016 and 2021 (P<0.001). Dexmedetomidine was dose-dependently associated with a longer postanaesthesia care unit length of stay (adjusted absolute difference [ADadj] 19.7 min; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 18.0-21.4 min; P<0.001, median length of stay of 122 vs 98 min). The association was magnified in children aged ≤2 yr undergoing short (≤60 min) ambulatory procedures (ADadj 33.3 min; 95% CI: 26.3-40.7 min; P<0.001; P-for-interaction <0.001). Dexmedetomidine was associated with higher total hospital costs of USD 1311 (95% CI: USD 835-1800), higher odds of intraoperative mean arterial blood pressure below 55 mm Hg (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj] 1.27; 95% CI: 1.16-1.39; P<0.001), and higher odds of heart rate below 100 beats min-1 (ORadj 1.32; 95% CI: 1.21-1.45; P<0.001), with no preventive effects on emergence delirium requiring postanaesthesia i.v. sedatives (ORadj 1.67; 95% CI: 1.04-2.68; P=0.034). CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative use of dexmedetomidine is associated with unwarranted haemodynamic effects, longer postanaesthesia care unit length of stay, and higher costs, without preventive effects on emergence delirium.

Effects of the Level and Duration of Mobilization Therapy in the Surgical ICU on the Loss of the Ability to Live Independently: An International Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: It is unclear whether early mobilization in the surgical ICU helps improve patients' functional recovery to a level that enables independent living. We assessed dose of mobilization (level + duration). We tested the research hypotheses that dose of mobilization predicts adverse discharge and that both duration of mobilization and maximum mobilization level predict adverse discharge. DESIGN: International, prospective cohort study. SETTING: Study conducted in five surgical ICUs at four different institutions. PATIENTS: One hundred fifty patients who were functionally independent before admission (Barthel Index ≥ 70) and who were expected to stay in the ICU for greater than or equal to 72 hours. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Mobilization was quantified daily, and treatments from all healthcare providers were included. We developed and used the Mobilization Quantification Score that quantifies both level and duration of mobilization. We assessed the association between the dose of mobilization (level + duration; exposure) and adverse discharge disposition (loss of the ability to live independently; primary outcome). There was wide variability in the dose of mobilization across centers and patients, which could not be explained by patients' comorbidity or disease severity. Dose of mobilization was associated with reduced risk of adverse discharge (adjusted odds ratio, 0.21; 95%CI, 0.09-0.50; p < 0.001). Both level and duration explained variance of adverse discharge (adjusted odds ratio, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.12-0.65; p = 0.003; adjusted odds ratio, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.06-0.36; p < 0.001, respectively). Duration compared with the level of mobilization tended to explain more variance in adverse discharge (area under the curve duration 0.73; 95% CI, 0.64-0.82; area under the curve mobilization level 0.68; 95% CI, 0.58-0.77; p = 0.10). CONCLUSIONS: We observed wide variability in dose of mobilization treatment applied, which could not be explained by patients' comorbidity or disease severity. High dose of mobilization is an independent predictor of patients' ability to live independently after discharge. Duration of mobilization sessions should be taken into account in future quality improvement and research projects.

Effects of Anticholinesterase Reversal Under General Anesthesia on Postoperative Cardiovascular Complications: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The anticholinesterase neostigmine and the muscarinic inhibitor glycopyrrolate are frequently coadministered for the reversal of neuromuscular blockade. This practice can precipitate severe bradycardia or tachycardia, but whether it affects the incidence of cardiovascular complications remains unclear. We hypothesized that anticholinesterase reversal with neostigmine and glycopyrrolate versus no anticholinesterase reversal increases the risk of postoperative cardiovascular complications among adult patients undergoing noncardiac surgery with general anesthesia. METHODS: We conducted a prespecified retrospective analysis of hospital registry data from a major health care network for patients undergoing surgery with general anesthesia from January 2007 to December 2015. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiac dysrhythmia, acute heart failure, transient ischemic attack, ischemic stroke, and acute myocardial infarction within 30 days after surgery. We performed sensitivity analyses in subgroups and propensity score adjustment and explored the association between exposure and outcome in subgroups of patients with high risk of cardiovascular complications. RESULTS: Of the 98,147 cases receiving neuromuscular blockade, 73,181 (74.6%) received neostigmine and glycopyrrolate, while 24,966 (25.4%) did not. A total of 5612 patients (7.7%) in the anticholinesterase reversal group and 1651 (6.6%) in the control group (P < .001) experienced the primary outcome. After adjustment for clinical covariates, neostigmine and glycopyrrolate exposure was significantly associated in a dose-dependent fashion (P for trend <.001, respectively) with tachycardia (adjusted odds ratio = 2.1 [95% CI, 1.97-2.23]; P < .001) and bradycardia (adjusted odds ratio = 2.84 [95% CI, 2.49-3.24]; P < .001) but not with postoperative cardiovascular complications (adjusted odds ratio = 1.03 [95% CI, 0.97-1.1]; P = .33). We identified a significant effect modification of anticholinesterase reversal by high age, high-risk surgery, and history of atrial fibrillation (P for interaction = .002, .001, and .02, respectively). By using linear combinations of main effect and exposure-risk interaction terms, we detected significant associations between anticholinesterase reversal and cardiovascular complications toward a higher vulnerability in these patient subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Neuromuscular blockade reversal with neostigmine and glycopyrrolate was associated with an increased incidence of intraoperative tachycardia and bradycardia but not with 30-day postoperative cardiovascular complications. Exploratory analyses suggest that a high postoperative cardiovascular complication risk profile may modify the effects of anticholinesterase reversal toward clinical relevance.

Effects of high neuromuscular blocking agent dose on post-operative respiratory complications in infants and children.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the association between neuromuscular blocking agent dose and post-operative respiratory complications in infants and children. METHODS: Data from 6507 general anaesthetics provided to children aged 0-10 years undergoing surgery were analysed to examine the effects of neuromuscular blocking agent dose on post-operative respiratory complications (primary endpoint) and secondary endpoints. Confounder-adjusted analyses addressed age, surgical duration, and comorbidity burden. RESULTS: In confounder-adjusted analyses, high doses of neuromuscular blocking agents were associated with higher risk of post-operative respiratory complications (OR 2.27; 95% CI 1.12-4.59; P = .022). The effect was modified by age (P-for-interaction = .016) towards a more substantial risk in infants ≤1 year (OR 3.84; 95% CI 1.35-10.94; P = .012), by duration of surgery (P-for-interaction = .006) towards a higher difference in odds for surgeries <90 minutes (OR 4.25; 95% CI 1.19-15.18; P = .026), and by ASA physical status (P-for-interaction = .015) with a greater effect among patients with higher operative risk (ASA >1: OR 3.17; 95% CI 1.43-7.04; P = .005). Neostigmine reversal did not modify the association between neuromuscular blocking agents and post-operative respiratory complications (P-for-interaction = .38). Instrumental variable analysis confirmed that high doses of neuromuscular blocking agents were associated with post-operative respiratory complications (probit coefficient 0.25; 95% CI 0.04-0.46; P = .022), demonstrating robust results regarding concerns of unobserved confounding. CONCLUSIONS: High dose of neuromuscular blocking agents is associated with post-operative respiratory complications. We have identified subcohorts of paediatric patients who are particularly vulnerable to the respiratory side-effects of neuromuscular blocking agents: infants, paediatric patients undergoing surgeries of short duration, and those with a high ASA risk score.

Comparison of a novel clinical score to estimate the risk of REsidual neuromuscular block Prediction Score and the last train-of-four count documented in the electronic anaesthesia record: A retrospective cohort study of electronic data on file.

BACKGROUND: Residual neuromuscular block (rNMB) after surgery is not difficult to identify if proper neuromuscular monitoring is used, but many clinicians do not use quantitative neuromuscular monitoring. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop a REsidual neuromuscular block Prediction Score (REPS) to predict postoperative rNMB and compare the predictive accuracy of the prediction score with train-of-four count (TOFC) measurement at the end of a surgical case. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of data on file. DATA SOURCE: Electronic patient data and peri-operative data on vital signs, administered medications, and train-of-four ratio (TOFR) obtained in the postoperative recovery rooms [postanaesthesia care unit (PACU)] at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. PATIENTS: Quantitative TOFR measurements obtained on admission to the PACU were available from 2144 adult noncardiac surgical patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Presence of rNMB at PACU admission, defined as a TOFR of less than 0.9. RESULTS: In the score development cohort (n=2144), rNMB occurred in 432 cases (20.2%). Ten independent predictors for residual paralysis were identified and used for the score development. The final model included: hepatic failure, neurological disease, high-neostigmine dose, metastatic tumour, female sex, short time between neuromuscular blocking agent administration and extubation, aminosteroidal neuromuscular blocking agent, BMI more than 35, absence of nurse anaesthetist and having an experienced surgeon. The model discrimination by C statistics was 0.63, 95% confidence interval (0.60 to 0.66), and risk categories derived from the REPS had a higher accuracy than the last documented intra-operative TOFC for predicting rNMB (net reclassification improvement score 0.26, standard error 0.03, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The REPS can be used to identify patients at greater risk of rNMB. This tool may inform anaesthetists better than an intra-operative TOFC and thus enable peri-operative anaesthetic practices to be tailored to the patient and minimise the undesirable effects of rNMB. TRIAL REGISTRY NUMBER: Approved by Partners Human Research Committee (protocol number 2016P000940) at MGH in Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 25 April 2016.

Reliability and Effectiveness of the Japanese Version of the Mobilization Quantification Score.

Background The mobilization quantification score (MQS) provides an opportunity to quantify the duration and intensity of mobilization therapy in the intensive care unit (ICU) and predict functional outcomes in ICU patients after surgery and stroke. MQS is a numerical measurement of early mobilization dose in the ICU, and its relationship with activities of daily living (ADL) dependence has been shown. We created and validated the Japanese version of the MQS using the endpoint ADL in a mixed population of patients in the ICU. Materials and methods In this prospective study, consecutive patients who were admitted to one of three ICUs of a tertiary care hospital in Japan, aged ≥18 years, and who received mechanical ventilation for >48 hours were enrolled. The Japanese version of the MQS was applied twice daily by an ICU physiotherapist and data recorded for analysis. The primary outcome was ADL dependence at hospital discharge, defined as a Barthel index (BI) of <70 or in-hospital death. The reliability among assessors was verified by calculating the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (2.1) for the average daily MQS. We performed a multiple logistic regression analysis to examine and identify a binary cutoff point for high-/low-dose rehabilitation. Results Of the 340 target patients, eight were aged <18 years, 109 had neurological complications, 11 had a BI <70 before admission, 79 had a lack of communication skills, 16 were terminally ill, eight did not complete the assessment during their ICU stay, 18 died in the ICU, and 53 denied consent. After 302 patients were excluded, 38 were included in the study. Six assessors, two at each hospital, measured the MQS in 38 patients. The ICC (2.1) for the MQS mean value was 0.98 (0.96-0.99) during the ICU stay. Logistic regression analysis using the mean MQS on admission to ICUs as an explanatory variable showed a significant association between increased MQS and decreased ADL dependence at discharge (odds ratio (OR): 0.76, confidence interval (CI): 0.61-0.96, adjusted p = 0.009). Logistic regression analysis using a high MQS on admission to ICUs as an explanatory variable showed a significant association between increased MQS and decreased ADL dependence at hospital discharge (OR: 0.14, CI: 0.03-0.66, adjusted p = 0.013). Conclusions We present a validated version of the Japanese MQS with a high inter-rater reliability that predicts ADL dependence at hospital discharge. The instrument can be used in future clinical trials in the ICU to control for the mobilization level in the ICU. The increased utilization of mobilization acutely in the ICU setting as quantified by the MQS may improve patient outcomes.

Influence of the initial level of consciousness on early, goal-directed mobilization: a post hoc analysis.

PURPOSE: Early mobilization within 72 h of intensive care unit (ICU) admission improves functional status at hospital discharge. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of early, goal-directed mobilization in critically ill patients across a broad spectrum of initial consciousness levels. METHODS: Post hoc analysis of the international, randomized, controlled, outcome-assessor blinded SOMS trial conducted 2011-2015. Randomization was stratified according to the immediate post-injury Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) (≤ 8 or > 8). Patients received either SOMS-guided mobility treatment with a facilitator or standard care. We used general linear models to test the hypothesis that immediate post-randomization GCS modulates the intervention effects on functional independence at hospital discharge. RESULTS: Two hundred patients were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. The significant effect of early, goal-directed mobilization was consistent across levels of GCS without evidence of effect modification, for the primary outcome functional independence at hospital discharge (p = 0.53 for interaction), as well as average achieved mobility level during ICU stay (mean achieved SOMS level) and functional status at hospital discharge measured with the functional independence measure. In patients with low GCS, delay to first mobilization therapy was longer (0.7 ± 0.2 days vs. 0.2 ± 0.1 days, p = 0.008), but early, goal-directed mobilization compared with standard care significantly increased functional independence at hospital discharge in this subgroup of patients with immediate post-randomization GCS ≤ 8 (OR 3.67; 95% CI 1.02-13.14; p = 0.046). CONCLUSION: This post hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial suggests that early, goal-directed mobilization in patients with an impaired initial conscious state (GCS ≤ 8) is not harmful but effective.