[Early postoperative complications of thoracoscopy versus thoracotomy in pediatric idiopathic scoliosis]. / Estudio comparativo de las complicaciones postoperatorias inmediatas de la toracoscopia frente a la toracotomía en la escoliosis idiopática infantil.

INTRODUCTION: Thoracoscopic surgery has been used for anterior release, discectomy, and fusion in severe scoliosis or kyphosis. The indications of thoracoscopy for the treatment of pediatric spinal deformity are similar to those of thoracotomy-based spinal surgery. OBJECTIVE: We designed a comparative study to observe the immediate complications in the postoperative period after thoracoscopy or thoracotomy for scoliosis in the pediatric population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The postsurgical complications of 63 interventions for idiopathic scoliosis over a 10-year period were analyzed. Conventional thoracotomy was used in 37 interventions (59 %) and thoracoscopy was used in 26 (41 %). RESULTS: In patients treated with the thoracolumbar endoscopic procedure, oral nutrition was resumed earlier, the mean length of hospital stay was lower, and debit drainage or requirement of surgical drainage were lower. CONCLUSIONS: Fewer immediate postsurgical complications were observed in scoliosis surgery when thoracoscopy was used.

Estudio comparativo de las complicaciones postoperatorias inmediatas de la toracoscopia frente a la toracotomía en la escoliosis idiopática infantil / Early postoperative complications of thoracoscopy versus thoracotomy in pediatric idiopathic scoliosis

Introducción La toracoscopia es una técnica quirúrgica que se utiliza en cirugía anterior, discectomía y fusión vertebral en pacientes con escoliosis o cifosis graves. Las indicaciones de la toracoscopia para el tratamiento de la deformidad espinal son similares a las de la toracotomía. Objetivo Nos planteamos el estudio comparativo de las complicaciones postoperatorias inmediatas de la toracoscopia frente a la toracotomía en escoliosis infantil. Material y métodos Se analizó, en un período de 10 años, el postoperatorio de 63 intervenciones quirúrgicas de escoliosis idiopática, de las cuales 37 (59 %) se realizaron mediante toracotomía convencional y 26 (41 %) mediante abordaje endoscópico toracolumbar. Resultados En el grupo de pacientes a los que se les practicó un abordaje endoscópico toracolumbar la tolerancia oral fue más precoz y el tiempo de estancia media, así como el débito y requerimiento de los drenajes quirúrgicos fue menor. Conclusiones Las complicaciones de la cirugía de escoliosis en el postoperatorio inmediato son menores cuando la técnica quirúrgica empleada es la toracoscopia

Introduction Thoracoscopic surgery has been used for anterior release, discectomy, and fusion in severe scoliosis or kyphosis. The indications of thoracoscopy for the treatment of pediatric spinal deformity are similar to those of thoracotomy-based spinal surgery. Objective We designed a comparative study to observe the immediate complications in the postoperative period after thoracoscopy or thoracotomy for scoliosis in the pediatric population. Material and methods The postsurgical complications of 63 interventions for idiopathic scoliosis over a 10-year period were analyzed. Conventional thoracotomy was used in 37 interventions (59 %) and thoracoscopy was used in 26 (41 %). Results In patients treated with the thoracolumbar endoscopic procedure, oral nutrition was resumed earlier, the mean length of hospital stay was lower, and debit drainage or requirement of surgical drainage were lower. Conclusions Fewer immediate postsurgical complications were observed in scoliosis surgery when thoracoscopy was used

Encefalopatía tras sedación prolongada con midazolam / Encephalopathy after prolonged sedation with midazolam

La analgesia y la sedación son terapias necesarias para el manejo adecuado del niño críticamente enfermo. El midazolam es una benzodiacepina, ampliamente utilizada en las Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátricos, a pesar de que su uso continuado produce tolerancia y dependencia. Tras su retirada puede aparecer síndrome de abstinencia y están descritas otras alteraciones neurológicas no claramente relacionadas con la deprivación del mismo. Presentamos el caso de una niña que, tras las retirada de sedación prolongada con midazolam y fentanilo, presentó un cuadro de desconexión de medio, hipertonía generalizada, movimientos estereotipados faciales, automatismos orales, ausencia de fijación de la mirada y de movimientos intencionales, estrabismo y, posiblemente, alucinaciones. La paciente no tuvo síntomas típicos de síndrome de abstinencia y se descartaron otras causas de encefalopatía. Las alteraciones se resolvieron espontáneamente en 3 semanas por lo que la sintomatología se atribuyó a un efecto adverso relacionado con la administración prolongada de midazolam

Analgesia and sedation are essential parts of the management of teh critically ill child. Midazolam is a widely used benzodiazepine in the Pediatric Intensive Care Units, but its use produces tolerance and dependence. After its discontinuation, abstinence syndrome can appear and also there are reported other neurological abnormalities not clearly related with the withdrawal. We report the case of a girl that after discontinuation of prolonged sedation with midazolam and fentanyl showed diminished level of consciousness generalized hipertony, facial grimacing, poor visual tracking, absence of coordinated movements, strabismus and possibly hallucinations. The patient did not present symptoms or signs suggesting withdrawal syndrome. Other causes of encephalopathy were ruled out. All abnormalities were spontaneously resolved in 3 weeks, and were attributed to an adverse effect of prolonged midazolam infusion

Catéteres centrales en pediatría / Central catheters in pediatrics

Se estudian las indicaciones de la colocación de catéteres centrales en pediatría. Se describen las téncicas de colocación y retirada de los catéteres umbilicales en el neonato por vía venosa y arterial. Se detalla la canalización percutánea venosa central y la técnica de Seldinger para accesos vasculares centrales

The indications for placement of central catheters in pediatrics are studied. Venous and arterial placement and removal techniques of the umbilical catheters in the newborn are described. Central venous percutaneous canalization and the Seldinger technique for central vascular accesses are detailed

[Early postoperative complications after scoliosis surgery]. / Complicaciones médicas precoces en el postoperatorio de cirugía de escoliosis.

Several medical complications can occur after scoliosis surgery in children and adolescents. New surgical techniques have allowed greater degrees of scoliosis correction but have also increased the possibility of postsurgical deficit due to their greater aggressivity. We analyzed the early postsurgical complications of scoliosis surgery in a pediatric intensive care unit over a 10-year period. Seventy-six surgical procedures were performed. Of these, no complications occurred in 55 (73%). Chest X-ray revealed pulmonary atelectasia in 8 patients (10%) and pleural effusion in 7 patients (9%). Symptoms and signs of infection related to surgery were observed in only 6 children (8%). The absence of severe medical complications may be related to new surgical techniques and an experienced team.

Complicaciones médicas precoces en el postoperatorio de cirugía de escoliosis / Early postoperative complications after scoliosis surgery

Diversas complicaciones médicas pueden ocurrir tras la cirugía de columna. Las técnicas quirúrgicas actuales han permitido mayor grado de corrección de la escoliosis, pero al mismo tiempo ha aumentado la posibilidad de déficit postoperatorio debido a su mayor agresividad. Se analizaron las complicaciones precoces en el postoperatorio de cirugía de escoliosis en una unidad de cuidados intensivos a lo largo de 10 años. Se realizaron 76 intervenciones quirúrgicas, de las cuales en 55 (73 %) no hubo ningún tipo de complicaciones. En 8 pacientes (10 %) se observó en la radiografía de tórax una atelectasia pulmonar, siete (9 %) desarrollaron derrames pleurales y únicamente en 6 niños (8 %) se pudo constatar síntomas y signos infecciosos relacionados con la intervención quirúrgica. La ausencia de complicaciones médicas graves se debió, posiblemente, a la asociación de nuevas técnicas con un equipo experimentado

Several medical complications can occur after scoliosis surgery in children and adolescents. New surgical techniques have allowed greater degrees of scoliosis correction but have also increased the possibility of postsurgical deficit due to their greater aggressivity. We analyzed the early postsurgical complications of scoliosis surgery in a pediatric intensive care unit over a 10-year period. Seventy-six surgical procedures were performed. Of these, no complications occurred in 55 (73 %). Chest X-ray revealed pulmonary atelectasia in 8 patients (10 %) and pleural effusion in 7 patients (9 %). Symptoms and signs of infection related to surgery were observed in only 6 children (8 %). The absence of severe medical complications may be related to new surgical techniques and an experienced team

Hipernatremia como causa de corea y rabdomiólisis / Hypernatremia as cause of chorea and rhabdomyolysis

La hipernatremia severa asocia un estado de hiperosmolaridad que puede producir rabdomiólisis y consecuentemente desencadenar un fracaso renal agudo. La aparición de corea transitoria es una rara complicación de la hipernatremia. Presentamos un caso de un lactante de nueve meses con hipernatremia por una intoxicación salina que presentó rabdomiólisis con fracaso renal agudo y corea transitoria (AU)

[Ventilation in special situations. Mechanical ventilation in congenital cardiopathies and pulmonary hypertension]. / Ventilación en situaciones especiales. Ventilación mecánica en cardiopatías congénitas e hipertensión pulmonar.

The cardiovascular and respiratory systems act as a functional unit. Mechanical ventilation modifies pulmonary volumes, which generates changes in autonomic nervous system reactivity and provokes tachy- or brady-cardia (depending on the tidal volume used). Mechanical ventilation also decreases cardiac filling volumes (pre-load) and alters pulmonary vascular resistances. In addition, intrathoracic pressures are enlarged, which usually produces a decrease in right atrium filling and an increase in right ventricle afterload. If coronary flow is impaired, myocardial contractility is reduced. However, if cardiac failure is present, mechanical ventilation is especially beneficial because it corrects hypoxia and respiratory acidosis, decreases the work of breathing, and improves stroke volume. Mechanical ventilation in congenital heart diseases is indicated either as lifesaving support or as physiopathological treatment to modify the ratio between pulmonary and systemic flow. As a general rule, if excessive pulmonary blood flow is present, the aim of respiratory support is to increase pulmonary vascular resistance by using high levels of airway pressure and even by delivering FiO2<21%. When there is low pulmonary flow, the lowest possible intrathoracic pressures should be used, especially in cases of pulmonary hypertension, which will also require high FiO2. However, mechanical ventilation has adverse effects and consequently it must be stopped as early as possible, once the child is stable and requires minimal cardiopulmonary support. Weaning can even be performed in the operating room, when the surgical procedure is finished. When this is not possible, weaning should be performed in the pediatric intensive care unit. Because there are no criteria for successful withdrawal of mechanical support in congenital heart disease, general pediatric criteria should be used.

[Techniques and complementary techniques. Complementary treatments: nitric oxide, prone positioning and surfactant]. / Técnicas y tratamientos complementarios. Tratamientos complementarios: óxido nítrico, posición en prono y surfactante.

The management of hypoxic respiratory failure is based on oxygen delivery and ventilatory support with lung-protective ventilation strategies. Better understanding of acute lung injury have led to new therapeutic approaches that can modify the outcome of these patients. These adjunctive oxygenation strategies include inhaled nitric oxide and surfactant delivery, and the use of prone positioning. Nitric oxide is a selective pulmonary vasodilator that when inhaled, improves oxygenation in clinical situations such as persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital heart disease, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). When applied early in ARDS, prone positioning improves distribution of ventilation and reduces the intrapulmonary shunt. The surfactant has dramatically decreased mortality caused by hyaline membrane disease in premature newborns, although the results have been less successful in ARDS. Greater experience is required to determine whether the combination of these treatments will improve the prognosis of these patients.

Hipernatremia grave por administración accidental de sal común / Fatal hypernatremia due to exogenous salt intake

La hipernatremia es una alteración electrolítica común, aunque rara vez se debe a un exceso absoluto de sodio. La hipernatremia grave debida a ingestión de sal común, bien de forma accidental o bien como forma de maltrato infantil, es una entidad infrecuente pero que conlleva una alta mortalidad, así como dificultades para conseguir un tratamiento terapéutico óptimo. Apesar de ser fácilmente reconocible mediante las pruebas de laboratorio, la determinación de su etiología es con frecuencia muy difícil de establecer. Es importante tener presente que, incluso una ingesta sorprendentemente pequeña de sal puede provocar una hipernatremia aguda grave con desenlace fatal. Se describen 2casos de intoxicación salina grave en 2niñas de 20y 7meses de edad, respectivamente, cuya primera manifestación fue hipernatremia grave y convulsiones tras la ingesta accidental de sal común. En el caso1, la administración inadvertida de sal común, en lugar de azúcar, a dos yogures provocó una hipernatremia aguda y estado convulsivo. En el caso2, un error en la preparación de la solución de rehidratación oral (agua saturada con sal) originó un cuadro de convulsiones, coagulopatía de consumo y trombosis del seno venoso longitudinal. Ambos casos fallecieron con el diagnóstico de muerte encefálica (AU)

[Efficacy of various therapeutic measures in metabolic hyperammonemia]. / Eficacia de las diversas medidas terapéuticas en la hiperamoniemia de origen metabólico.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this work were to describe the therapeutic options available for severe hyperammonemia in children when ammonium levels are so high that the child's neurologic future or even their life is compromised. In addition, a comparison of the relative efficacy of each therapeutic method is made. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We present six cases, five of which suffered from inborn errors of metabolism and a six which presented with Reye's syndrome, all of whom presented or developed hyperammonemic coma. Their initial ammonium levels fluctuated between 300 and more than 2000 micrograms per deciliter. The treatment was made with exchange transfusion (ET), ET and peritoneal dialysis (DP) together or hemodialysis (HD). RESULTS: Peritoneal dialysis was the method that obtained the greatest reduction in plasma ammonium levels. However, the quickest reduction was observed with ET and HD. There were no significant complications with any of the methods except for hemodynamic deterioration in one patient during HD. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that HD is the treatment of choice for these patients because it is able to obtain a quick and lasting clearance of plasma ammonium. However, this method is not always available and has not been used very often in small babies. In these cases, the combined use of ET and DP can be very useful.