Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Consumption as Early Markers of Neurosurgery-Related Brain Injury in Children.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Lipid peroxidation represents a marker of secondary brain injury both in traumatic and in non-traumatic conditions-as in major neurosurgical procedures-eventually leading to brain edema amplification and further brain damage. Malondialdehyde (MDA), a lipid peroxidation marker, and ascorbate, a marker of antioxidant status, can represent early indicators of this process within the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We hypothesized that changes in cerebral lipid peroxidation can be measured ex vivo following neurosurgery in children. METHODS: Thirty-six children (M:F = 19/17, median age 32.9 months; IQR 17.6-74.6) undergoing neurosurgery for brain tumor removal were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in the postoperative period with an indwelling intraventricular catheter for intracranial pressure monitoring and CSF drainage. Plasma and CSF samples were obtained for serial measurement of MDA, ascorbate, and cytokines. RESULTS: An early brain-limited increase in lipid peroxidation was measured, with a significant increase from baseline of MDA in CSF (p = 0.007) but not in plasma. In parallel, ascorbate in CSF decreased (p = 0.05). Systemic inflammatory response following brain surgery was evidenced by plasma IL-6/IL-8 increase (p 0.0022 and 0.0106, respectively). No correlation was found between oxidative response and tumor site or histology (according to World Health Organization grading). Similarly, lipid peroxidation was unrelated to the length of surgery (mean 321 ± 73 min), or intraoperative blood loss (mean 20.9 ± 16.8% of preoperative volemia, 44% given hemotransfusions). Median PICU stay was 3.5 days (IQL range 2-5.5 d.), and postoperative ventilation need was 24 h (IQL range 20-61.5 h). The elevation in postoperative MDA in CSF compared with preoperative values correlated significantly with postoperative ventilation need (P = 0.05, r2 0168), while no difference in PICU stay was recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that lipid peroxidation increases consistently following brain surgery, and it is accompanied by a decrease in antioxidant defences; intraventricular catheterization offers a unique chance of oxidative process monitoring. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether monitoring post-neurosurgical oxidative stress in CSF is of prognostic utility.

Outcomes after tongue-lip adhesion or mandibular distraction osteogenesis in infants with Pierre Robin sequence and severe airway obstruction.

The objective was to review and compare outcomes after tongue-lip adhesion (TLA) and mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) in infants with severe breathing difficulties related to Pierre Robin sequence (PRS). A single-centre retrospective (2002-2012) study was carried out; 18 infants with severe breathing difficulties related to PRS resistant to conservative treatment, who underwent TLA or MDO to correct airway obstruction, were enrolled. The primary outcome measures were successful weaning from respiratory support and resumption of full oral feeding. Nine underwent TLA and nine MDO. Eight of the nine infants who underwent MDO and all those treated with TLA were successfully weaned from respiratory support. After discharge, residual respiratory distress was diagnosed more commonly after TLA than after MDO (6/9 vs 1/9, P=0.050). Infants resumed oral feeding sooner after MDO than after TLA (mean days after surgery to full oral feeds 44±24 vs 217±134, P<0.003). The length of hospital stay was longer for infants treated with MDO than for those treated with TLA. The rate of complications was similar. Infants with severe airway obstruction related to PRS can benefit safely from either TLA or MDO. Although MDO lengthens the time to discharge, this option stabilizes airway patency of infants with PRS more efficiently and achieves full oral feeding more rapidly than TLA.

Sevoflurane inhalation for severe bronchial obstruction in infants with bronchiolitis.

Bronchiolitis is a lower respiratory tract viral infection which may result in severe bronchial obstruction and respiratory failure despite treatment with beta-adrenergic agonists and glucocorticoids. Here we describe two otherwise healthy infants with severe bronchiolitis whose clinical course was complicated by marked bronchial obstruction and respiratory acidosis refractory to conventional medications (ß-stimulants, anticholinergics and corticosteroids) and non-invasive positive pressure ventilation. Sevoflurane inhalation allowed both infants to attain a sustained, clinical improvement in ventilation and one patient to avoid mechanical ventilation. We suggest that sevoflurane inhalation may be a therapeutic option in the treatment of young infants with severe bronchiolitis who respond poorly to conventional therapy.

[Ventilatory care]. / L'assistenza ventilatoria.

Mechanical ventilation is considered a supportive, nontherapeutic technology used to perform the work of breathing for patients who are unable to do so on their own. In neonatology, mechanical ventilation is often used for premature neonates who are unable to sustain ventilation because of reduced functional residual capacity due to surfactant deficiency. Mechanical ventilation is thus an attempt to mimic the respiratory system's physiological function of gas exchange until the respiratory system reaches maturation. In pediatrics, mechanical ventilation is rarely used for acute respiratory distress syndrome as shown by Dahlem et al. in 2003 who found that only 9.9% of cases of respiratory failure in PICU was caused by ARDS. For this reason, ventilatory techniques in PICU are very heterogenous from the assisted to the most aggressive controlled modes associated with ventilator maneuvers. There are no specific guidelines for the use of mechanical ventilation in children and the low number of infants with ARDS in PICU makes it difficult to run randomized controlled trials in this population. Thus the algorithms are based on the results of either adult or neonatal studies. The advantage of extrapolating data from the neonatal evidence relates mainly to the prevention of ventilator induced lung injury (e.g., CPAP, HFOV, NIV, permissive hypercapnia, surfattant), of which neonatologists are particularly expert.

Noninvasive ventilation in childhood acute neuromuscular respiratory failure: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Over a 36-month study period, 10 nonconsecutive neuromuscular pediatric patients (6 infants, mean age 10.16 months, and 4 children, mean age 9.3 years) presenting with acute respiratory failure (ARF) were treated by noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV). All patients required immediate respiratory support and fulfilled our intubation criteria. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to verify if early NPPV was able to avoid endotracheal intubation and to improve both oxygenation and ventilation within 24 h from admission in this clinical setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective pilot study was carried out on neuromuscular patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of the Catholic University of Rome because of ARF and managed exclusively with NPPV for at least 24 h following admission. All patients were treated using a flow-triggered mechanical ventilator through a face mask or using the new helmet interface. RESULTS: Eight patients were successfully ventilated during the observation period and 2 early failures occurred. Among children undergoing face mask NPPV, the PaO(2)/FiO(2) ratio increased from a median value of 75 (range 48-149) to 240 (range 133-385; p < 0.001) and 328 (range 180-371; p < 0.001) at selected time points (3 and 12 h after NPPV introduction, respectively); the alveolar-to-arterial oxygenation difference showed a similar trend, i.e. decreasing from a median value of 589 (range 213-659) to 128 (range 62-527; p < 0.01) and 69 (range 45-207; p < 0.001), respectively. Hypercarbic ARF resolved within 6 h from admission even in the most severe cases. CONCLUSIONS: NPPV was a safe and effective first-line therapeutic approach in hypoxemic ARF children/infants with neuromuscular disease. It seems of importance to identify children with neuromuscular disorders who may be able to achieve residual ventilator-free breathing and to perform an NPPV trial avoiding tracheal intubation. Life-threatening respiratory distress and very young age should not preclude NPPV application in the PICU setting. The new helmet interface represents a promising tool for noninvasive ventilation in older children.

Perioperative management of face-to-face craniopagus twins separation.

Craniopagus conjoining represents a complex and challenging issue for neurosurgeons as well as for anesthesiologists. A rare face-to-face case of conjoined twins underwent surgical separation and presented peculiar differences compared with those already reported in the literature. Even in cases lacking large cerebrovascular sinus connections, the impending risk of large blood loss and hemorrhagic shock in the infant requires a high level of surveillance and the institution of invasive monitoring.

Critical presentation of pleuropulmonary blastoma.

We report two cases of critical presentation of a quite rare lung neoplasm of childhood. Presentation findings were at the extremes of the clinical pattern of this polymorphous neoplasm, ranging from an enormous solid mass causing airway compression and dislocation to an apparently benign cystic lesion discovered because of a tension pneumothorax. Both children were discharged from the pediatric intensive care unit and underwent appropriate surgical removal and oncological management. Congenital lung cysts, even asymptomatic, should not be underestimated and need elective surgical excision and histologic examination.

Hemispherectomy procedures in children: haematological issues.

OBJECTS: In literature, excessive perioperative haemorrhage and related haemodynamic instability have been described as major risk factors in hemispherectomy. In this report we analyse the impact of neurosurgical operation on both the haematological and coagulative patterns of these children, especially focusing on younger patients. METHODS: From 1993 to 2003, 18 consecutive children suffering from intractable epilepsia and treated by hemispherectomy were admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of Catholic University Medical School, Policlinico Gemelli, Rome. Eight children had an entire hemisphere removed (anatomical hemispherectomy), whereas the remaining 10 underwent disconnective procedures (functional hemispherectomy) or cerebral cortex ablations (e.g. hemicorticectomy). Eleven out of these 18 children underwent hemispherectomy because of hemimegalencephaly (HME): their mean age was 14.5 months (range 3-56 months); non-HME patients underwent surgery for epileptogenic lesions involving the cerebral hemisphere to a great extent or diffusely. Data have been compared with an historical cohort of 13 children operated on before 1992 at the same institution comparable for age, aetiology of epilepsy and the modalities of surgical operation. CONCLUSIONS: Blood losses and haemotransfusions showed a profound influence on the haematologic/coagulative status of the children operated upon. A strict correlation was demonstrated between estimated red cell volume (ERCV) loss and haemostatic impairment in this series. Recent surgical techniques appear to reduce blood losses and related haemocoagulative risks even in younger patients.

Pulmonary hemorrhage complicating a typical hemolytic-uremic syndrome.

We describe a case of pulmonary bleeding and subsequent acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in a 20-month-old female suffering from a typical postdiarrheal hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). Acute renal failure was treated early by peritoneal dialysis. It is of interest to underline that thrombocytopenia or any coagulative impairment was absent when this complication occurred, and spontaneous diuresis recovery was ongoing. All examinations failed to identify a unique site of bleeding in the main stem bronchi or trachea. Complete renal and clinical recovery was obtained in spite of this very uncommon complication. Intensivists should be aware of this rare and potentially fatal complication of typical (D+)HUS.

[The management of the child with head injury: our experience]. / Il management del bambino con trauma cranico: nostra esperienza.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the group of children admitted to our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for neurotrauma and describe the management algorithms adopted by us for pediatric head injury. METHODS: All the children affected by head injury and admitted to PICU since november 1992 to november 2000 have been examined. Injury severity has been classified using the Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), while the long term neurological outcome with the Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS). We have described the clinical presentation, the kind and dynamics of injury and the clinical outcome one month after discharge. RESULTS: 210 children with head injury have been identified. Among them: 38 were affected by mild head injury, 50 by a moderate one and 122 by a severe one. The most frequent cause of injury has been represented by car accidents and motorbike or bicycle falls. The overall outcome has resulted good (GOS 4-5) in all children affected by mild or moderate head injury; on the other side, patients with severe injury have presented the following scores: GOS 1 (dead children) 14.7%, GOS 2 (persistent vegetative state) 1.6%, GOS 3 (severe disability) 22.2%, GOS 4 (mild disability) and GOS 5 (no disability) 61.5%. CONCLUSION: A correct management of children with head injury helps clinicians to improve outcome and to reduce mortality. Therapeutics algorithms suggested by us could be useful for the management of this kind of patients, not only when they are affected by a severe head injury but, also, when they suffer from a mild one, that is the most common event in the emergency room departments.

Improving ischaemic skin revascularisation by nerve growth factor in a child with crush syndrome.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is the first described neurotrophin that stimulates the growth and differentiation of nerve cells and promotes skin and peripheral tissue regeneration. Recent studies suggest that NGF influences endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenic activity. In view of these proposed regenerative effects, we evaluated the efficacy of subcutaneous administration of highly purified murine NGF in a child with severe crush syndrome of the lower left limb. NGF 10 micro g was administered subcutaneously every eight hours for seven days to the extensive ischaemic skin lesion of the calcaneal area. After treatment we observed gradual improvement of the ischaemic area; no side effects were noted. The child was discharged in good clinical condition to await a limited calcaneal escharotomy.

Cerebral hemorrhage in Henoch-Schoenlein syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Henoch-Schoenlein syndrome (HSS) is the most common form of vasculitis seen in childhood. The clinical diagnosis is based on the association of nonthrombocytopenic purpura, arthritis and abdominal pain. Nephropathy is the most common complication. Hemorrhages can occur in the respiratory, gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. Neurological complications are rare, though they may be particularly severe. CASE REPORT AND DISCUSSION: Intracranial hemorrhage is an extremely rare complication of the disease; we report the case of a child with cerebral hemorrhage in HSS and review the literature.