Respiratory complications after adenotonsillectomy in high-risk children with obstructive sleep apnea: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs in 1%-4% of children; adenotonsillectomy is an effective treatment. Mortality/severe brain injury occurs among 0.6/10 000 adenotonsillectomies; in children, 60% are secondary to airway/respiratory events. Earlier studies identified that children aged <2 years, extremes of weight, with co-morbidities of craniofacial, neuromuscular, cardiac/respiratory disease, or severe OSA are at high risk for adverse post-operative respiratory events (AE). We aimed to: Firstly, investigate which risk factors were associated with AEs either in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), or both in this population. Secondly, we investigated factors associated with post-operative PICU AE despite no event in the PACU in order to predict need of post-operative PICU after their PACU stay. METHODS: Retrospective study of children admitted to the PICU after adenotonsillectomy between 08/2006-09/2015. Demographics, risk factors, and occurrence of AE (oxygen saturation <92, stridor, bronchospasm, pneumonia, pulmonary edema, re-intubation) were recorded. RESULTS: During the studied time period 4029 tonsil/adenoid procedures were performed in 3997 children. 179, admitted to the PICU post-operatively, met criteria for analysis. PICU AEs occurred in 59%: 44%-83% in any particular risk category. PACU AEs occurred in 42%. Of those with PACU events: 92% suffered AEs in the PICU; however, 35% of those without a PACU AE still suffered a PICU AE. CONCLUSIONS: Among high-risk children undergoing TA, absence of adverse events in PACU during a 2-hour observation period does not predict absence of subsequent AEs in the PICU.

Retrograde Lidocaine Spray for Awake Extubation in Pediatric ENT Surgery: Optimizing Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy Outcomes.

Laryngeal edema, a frequent manifestation of acute inflammation, is particularly significant due to the potential obstruction of the laryngeal orifice caused by swelling of the epiglottis and vocal cords. This presents as a risk factor that can lead to severe airway obstruction. Traditionally, deep extubation is the preferred form of extubation because it is more comfortable for the patient, eliminates the airway reflexes, and minimizes the risk of laryngeal edema. Difficult mask ventilation (DMV), characterized by an unassisted anesthesiologist's inability to maintain oxygen saturation levels above 92% or to prevent or correct signs of inadequate ventilation during positive-pressure mask ventilation under general anesthesia, necessitates an awake extubation approach. In the following case, combining the need to minimize airway reflexes through a deep extubation with the need for an awake intubation required an alternative method. Our patient is a 10-year-old male who presented with obstructive sleep apnea and tonsillar hypertrophy. The patient had a history of snoring and difficult intubation (three attempts), classifying him as a DMV risk. However, due to the difficult intubation, there was concern for laryngeal edema following the procedure that would necessitate a deep extubation. To effectively combine the two procedures, a retrograde lidocaine spray was used to numb the airway, which would allow for awake extubation without the associated coughing and bucking. Deep extubation is a common anesthetic technique used in laryngeal surgeries, but it is often not an option for high-risk patients. For such patients, awake extubation is an alternative. In our case, our patient was at high risk for laryngeal edema. In awake extubation, lidocaine spray is used for minimal coughing and bucking because it numbs the upper airway and allows the patient to tolerate the breathing tube without stimulating the gag reflex. The use of retrograde lidocaine spray for awake extubation in patients at high risk for laryngeal edema presents a promising alternative to traditional methods. This case demonstrates the effectiveness of retrograde lidocaine spray in awake extubation to reduce coughing and bucking by numbing the upper airway in a DMV situation while also avoiding complications in a high-risk patient.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Anticoagulating an Adolescent with Post-Tonsillectomy Massive PE: A Case Report.

OBJECTIVES: To report a case of a morbidly obese 17-year-old boy who presented 4 days post-tonsillectomy with acute deep venous thromboses and a massive pulmonary embolism. To describe a protocol and decision-making tree for providing anticoagulation in the immediate post-tonsillectomy period. METHODS: A chart review and review of the literature. RESULTS: The patient ultimately did well and had no bleeding from the tonsil beds or further thromboembolic complications. A review of the literature revealed no available data regarding the safety of anticoagulation in the immediate post-tonsillectomy period. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that if anticoagulation is needed within 14 days of tonsillectomy, submaximal anticoagulation with a reversible and titratable anticoagulant may be optimal. A multidisciplinary team approach is needed for these complex cases. Future reporting and investigation of anticoagulation post-tonsillectomy is needed.

Impact of Adenotonsillectomy on Homework Performance in Children With Obstructive Sleep-Disordered Breathing.

OBJECTIVE: As a first line treatment for pediatric obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), adenotonsillectomy (AT) has been shown to confer physiologic and neurocognitive benefits to a child. However, there is a scarcity of data on how homework performance is affected postoperatively. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of AT on homework performance in children with SDB. METHODS: Children in grades 1 to 8 undergoing AT for SDB based on clinical criteria with or without preoperative polysomnography along with a control group of children undergoing surgery unrelated to the treatment of SDB were recruited. The primary outcome of interest was the differential change in homework performance between the study group and control at follow-up as measured by the validated Homework Performance Questionnaire (HPQ-P). Adjustments were made for demographics and Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) scores. RESULTS: 116 AT and 47 control subjects were recruited, and follow-up data was obtained in 99 AT and 35 control subjects. There were no significant differences between the general (total) HPQ-P scores and subscale scores between the AT and control subjects at entry and there were no significant differences in the change scores (follow-up minus initial scores) between the groups. Regression modeling also demonstrated that there were no group (AT vs control) by time interactions that predicted differential improvements in the HPQ-P (P > .10 for each model) although initial PSQ score was a significant predictor of lower HPQ-P scores for all models. CONCLUSIONS: Children with SDB experienced improvement in HPQ-P scores postoperatively, but the degree of change was not significant when compared to controls. Further studies incorporating additional educational metrics are encouraged to assess the true scholastic impact of AT in children with SDB.

Predictors of Occurrence and Timing of Post-Tonsillectomy Hemorrhage: A Case-Control Study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe cases and timing of pediatric post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage (PTH), to evaluate predictors of PTH, and to determine the optimal amount of postoperative care unit (PACU) monitoring time. STUDY DESIGN: Using the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database and electronic medical records, a matched case-control study from 2005 to 2015 was performed. SETTING: A single, tertiary-care institution. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Each case of PTH was matched with 1 to 4 controls for the following factors: age, sex, surgeon, and time of year. A total of 124 cases of PTH and 479 tonsillectomy controls were included. The rate and timing of postoperative bleeding were assessed, and matched pair analysis was performed using conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: Our institutional PTH rate of 1.9% (130 of 6949) included 124 patients; 15% (19) were primary (≤24 hours), with 50% (9) occurring within 5 hours. Twenty-one percent (4 of 19) of primary PTH patients received operative intervention. Eighty-five percent (105 of 124) of all cases were secondary PTH, and 47% (49) of those patients received operative intervention. Cold steel (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.3) and Coblation (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2-3.1) techniques and tonsillectomy alone (OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.9-7.2) increased odds of PTH. Patients who developed PTH had 4 times the odds of having a preceding postoperative respiratory event than controls (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.6-10.0). CONCLUSION: We conducted a rigorous case-control study for PTH, finding that PTH was associated with use of cold steel and Coblation techniques and with tonsillectomy alone. Patients with a postoperative respiratory event may be more likely to develop a PTH and should be counseled accordingly. A PACU monitoring time of 4 hours is sufficient for outpatient tonsillectomy.

Postoperative Monitoring Following Adenotonsillectomy for Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

INTRODUCTION: Patients undergoing adenotonsillectomy (T&A) for severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are usually admitted for observation, and many surgeons use the intensive care unit (ICU) for observation due to the risk of postsurgical airway obstruction. Given the limited resources of the pediatric ICU (PICU), there is a push to better define the patients who require postoperative monitoring in the PICU for monitoring severe OSA. METHODS: Forty-five patients were evaluated. Patients who had cardiac or craniofacial comorbidities were excluded. Patients undergoing T&A for severe OSA were monitored in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) postoperatively. If patients required supplemental oxygen or developed hypoxia while in the PACU within the 3-hour monitoring period, they were admitted to the PICU. RESULTS: Overall, 16 of 45 patients were admitted to the ICU for monitoring. Patients with an Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) >50 or with an oxygen nadir <80% were significantly more likely to be admitted to the PICU. The mean AHI of patients admitted to the PICU was 40.5, and the mean oxygen nadir was 69.9%. Patients younger than 2 years were significantly more likely to be admitted to the PICU. CONCLUSION: Based on the data presented here and academy recommendations, not all patients with severe OSA require ICU monitoring.