ABSTRACT
The objective of the present study was to comparatively investigate the feasibility and safety of etomidate and propofol use following sevoflurane inhalation in autistic children during the intrathecal transplantation of stem cells. The patients selected were 60 autistic children with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I, who were aged between two and 12 years and scheduled for stem cell transplantation. The children received an inhalation induction of 8% sevoflurane, followed by intravenous injection of etomidate (0.2 mg/kg) in group E and propofol (2 mg/kg) in group P (n=30/group). Supplemental doses of 0.1 mg/kg etomidate or 1 mg/kg propofol were used until a deep sedation was obtained. The heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, Ramsay sedation score (RSS) and recovery time were monitored continuously. Following anesthesia, blood pressure and HR measurements were significantly decreased in group P compared with the baseline (P<0.01) and group E values at the same time-points (P<0.05). The occurrence of adverse effects, such as respiratory depression, bradycardia, hypotension and pain on injection, was significantly higher in group P than that in group E, whereas the incidence of myoclonus in group E was significantly higher than that in group P (P<0.01). No significant differences in anesthesia induction, surgery duration, recovery time, RSS and physician satisfaction were observed between the two groups. In conclusion, sevoflurane-etomidate combinations resulted in more stable hemodynamic responses and relatively fewer adverse effects compared with propofol injection following sevoflurane inhalation and may therefore be more suitable for the induction of short-term anesthesia in autistic children during stem cell transplantation.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate etomidate administration with or without flumazenil in autistic children who underwent intrathecal transplantation of stem cells by lumbar puncture. METHODS: Forty autistic children aged 2-12, who were scheduled for stem cell transplantation via lumbar puncture under anesthesia, were randomized for a double-blind study. The children were randomly assigned to two groups: the flumazenil group (group F, n=20) and the etomidate group (group E, n=20). All children received 0.2 mg/kg of etomidate. In the case of inadequate anesthesia, patients received repeated doses of 0.1 mg/kg of etomidate until reaching deep sedation. After operation, children in group F were given flumazenil (0.01 mg/kg) and children in group E received placebo. Heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, the Ramsay sedation score (RSS), and recovery time of all children were continuously monitored and recorded during the entire procedure. RESULTS: After anesthesia, blood pressure and HR measurements were not significantly changed in both groups compared with the baseline. There were no respiratory depression, bradycardia, hypotension, nausea, and vomiting. Five patients complained of pain on the site of injection. Myoclonus occurred in seven patients. Recovery time in group F was significantly shorter than in group E (p<0.001), and after the injection of flumazenil, RSS in group F significantly decreased than in group E. There were no significant differences in operation time. Physician satisfaction in both groups was similar. CONCLUSIONS: Etomidate resulted in stable hemodynamic responses and relatively less adverse effects, and flumazenil antagonized the anesthetic effect of etomidate; thus, etomidate with flumazenil is suitable for performing stem cell transplantation in autistic children.
