ABSTRACT
We report on 6 infants who underwent elective surgery and developed postoperative encephalopathy, which had features most consistent with intraoperative cerebral hypoperfusion. All infants were <48 weeks' postmenstrual age and underwent procedures lasting 120 to 185 minutes. Intraoperative records revealed that most of the measured systolic blood pressure (SBP) values were <60 mm Hg (the threshold for hypotension in awake infants according to the Pediatric Advanced Life Support guidelines) but that only 11% of the measured SBP values were <1 SD of the mean definition of hypotension (<45 mm Hg) as reported in a survey of members of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia in 2009. Four infants also exhibited prolonged periods of mild hypocapnia (<35 mm Hg). One infant did not receive intraoperative dextrose. All infants developed new-onset seizures within 25 hours of administration of the anesthetic, with a predominant cerebral pathology of supratentorial watershed infarction in the border zone between the anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral arteries. Follow-up of these infants found that 1 died, 1 had profound developmental delays, 1 had minor motor delays, 2 were normal, and 1 was lost to follow-up. Although the precise cause of encephalopathy cannot be determined, it is important to consider the role that SBP hypotension (as well as hypoglycemia, hyperthermia, hyperoxia, and hypocapnia) plays during general anesthesia in young infants in the development of infantile postoperative encephalopathy. Our observations highlight the lack of evidence-based recommendations for the lower limits of adequate SBP and end-tidal carbon dioxide in anesthetized infants.
Subject(s)
Hypoxia, Brain/diagnosis , Monitoring, Intraoperative/methods , Perioperative Care/methods , Postoperative Complications/diagnosis , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Hypoxia, Brain/etiology , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Postoperative Complications/etiology , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Simple dental procedures in mentally handicapped patients can be facilitated by the use of intravenous sedation. This article describes our experiences with eleven such patients undergoing a total of eighteen procedures in 1994-1995. Sedation was administered by a consultant anesthetist using propofol in 'Sterrenberg'--a home for the mentally handicapped in the Netherlands. The article describes the organization of the patients selection and pre- per- and post-sedation care using a management protocol. It is concluded that the technique is effective and safe for simple dental procedures such as examination, removal of tartar, radiography and the treatment of cavities, provided that patients selection and care are meticulous.
Subject(s)
Conscious Sedation/methods , Dental Care for Disabled/methods , Hypnotics and Sedatives/administration & dosage , Propofol/administration & dosage , Adult , Aged , Anesthesia, Dental , Female , Humans , Injections, Intravenous , Male , Mental Competency , Middle Aged , Patient SelectionABSTRACT
Thirty six comparable patients, ASA 2, without cardiac disease, underwent aortic disobliteration, 19 under epidural 100 micrograms/kg morphine (EM) and 17 under epidural 2 micrograms/kg sufentanil (ES), combined with general anesthesia. To compare the hemodynamics, measurements were taken pre-operatively, after induction of general anesthesia, during aortic dissection, aortic cross-clamping and 3-5 minutes after the first revascularisation. Plasma and CSF drug levels were measured at intervals in 6 patients in the EM end 5 patients in the ES group. Both drugs provided satisfactory analgesia which persisted for 10.4 hours in the EM and 6.3 hours in the ES group. The fall in systemic pressure and left ventricular work in both groups after induction of general anesthesia suggests that EM and ES must be used with caution in patients with hypovolemic or cardiovascular disease. There was a significant difference in SVR between the two groups during the aortic dissection, due to a rise in SBP in the ES group and a tendency for SVR to fall in the EM group. However significant differences in left ventricular work did not occur. Notable was the absence of significant changes in filling pressure, CI and left ventricular function during aortic cross-clamping. After revascularization a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure occurred in association with an increase in heart rate in the EM group. The influence of the plasma and CSF concentrations of morphine and sufentanil on the hemodynamic changes during surgery were evaluated.
