Postoperative brain functions in infants with critical congenital heart disease via aEEG / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objectlve To explore the correlation between amplitude-integrated electroencephalographic(aEEG) findings and clinical features and to investigate the status of perioperative brain function in infants with critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) and its influencing factors.Methods Newborns and infants with critical CHD who were admitted to the NICU at our hospital were included.Postoperative aEEG was continuously monitored and analyzed,and its correlation with clinical conditions was compared.Results A total of 226 patients were enrolled.Of the 226 patients who underwent postoperative aEEG monitoring,approximately 5.8％ showed mild abnormal background patterns,0.9％ showed severe abnormalities,27.4％ demonstrated an immature SWC,and 3.5％ lacked SWC.The patients who had a history of hypoxia at birth exhibited delayed sternal closure or showed severe postoperative neurological symptoms and had higher probabilities of postoperative SWC abnormalities.Several infants,all with complex CHD,had postoperative seizures.Conclusion Gestational age and oxygen deficiency at birth were the risk factors of brain injury.Delayed sternal closure,severe postoperative infection,and postoperative neurological symptoms were risk factors for postoperative brain injury.Postoperative nervous system monitoring and prevention postoperative severe infection may obviously improve the brain function of neonates and small infants with critical congenital heart disease.