Assessment of Stress Response Attenuation with Caudal Morphine Using a Surrogate Marker During Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

ABSTRACT

Background:Measurement of biomarkers representing sympathetic tone and the surgical stress response are helpful for objective comparison of anesthetic protocols. Aims: The primary aim was to compare changes in chromogranin A levels following pump pediatric cardiac surgery between children who received bolus caudal morphine and those who received a conventional intravenous narcotic?based anesthesia regime. The secondary objectives were to compare hemodynamic responses to skin incision and the magnitude of the rise in blood sugar values between the groups. Settings and Design: A prospective observational study at a tertiary cardiac center. Measurements and Methods: Sixty pediatric cardiac surgical patients were randomized to Group I [n = 30] to receive intravenous narcotic?based anesthesia and Group II [n = 30] to receive single?shot caudal morphine. Baseline and postoperative chromogranin A levels, the hemodynamic response to skin incision, changes in blood sugar levels, and the total intravenous narcotic dose administered were recorded for each participant. Statistical Analysis: Pearson’s Chi?squared test was used for comparison of categorized variables, and Mann–Whitney test was used for the analysis of continuous data. Results: Changes in chromogranin A levels and blood sugar levels were comparable in both groups. Group II received a lower narcotic dosage (P ? 0.001), and the response to skin incision as reflected by systolic pressure rise was less (P = 0.006). Conclusions: Surgical stress response attenuation was similar to caudal morphine as compared with intravenous narcotic?based anesthesia techniques as reflected by a similar increase in chromogranin A levels