Lung recruitment prevents collapse during laparoscopy in children: A randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Capnoperitoneum and anaesthesia impair lung aeration during laparoscopy in children. These changes can be detected and monitored at the bedside by lung ultrasound (LUS). OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to assess the impact of general anaesthesia and capnoperitoneum on lung collapse and the potential preventive effect of lung recruitment manoeuvres, using LUS in children undergoing laparoscopy. DESIGN: Randomised controlled study. SETTING: Single-institution study, community hospital, Mar del Plata, Argentina. PATIENTS: Forty-two children American Society of Anesthesiologists I-II aged 6 months to 7 years undergoing laparoscopy. INTERVENTIONS: All patients were studied using LUS before, during and after capnoperitoneum. Children were allocated to a control group (C-group, n=21) receiving standard protective ventilation, or to a lung recruitment manoeuvre group (RM-group) (n=21), in which lung recruitment manoeuvres were performed after recording baseline LUS images before capnoperitoneum. Loss of aeration was scored by summing a progressive grading from 0 to 3 assigned to each of 12 lung areas, based on the detection of four main ultrasound patterns: normal aeration = 0, partial loss-mild = 1, partial loss-severe = 2, total loss-consolidation = 3. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Lung aeration score and atelectasis assessed by ultrasound. RESULTS: Before capnoperitoneum and recruitment manoeuvres in the treated group the two groups presented similar ultrasound scores (5.95 ±â€Š4.13 vs. 5.19 ±â€Š3.33, P = 0.5). In the RM-group, lung aeration significantly improved both during (2.71 ±â€Š2.47) and after capnoperitoneum (2.52 ±â€Š2.86), compared with the C-group (6.71 ±â€Š3.54, P < 0.001, and 8.48 ±â€Š3.22, P < 0.001, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference in the percentage of atelectasis before capnoperitoneum and recruitment manoeuvres in the RM-group (62%) and in the C-group (47%, P = 0.750). However, during capnoperitoneum, only 19% of the RM-group had atelectasis compared with 80% in the C-group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The majority of children undergoing laparoscopy have anaesthesia-induced atelectasis. In most cases, lung collapse due to capnoperitoneum could have been prevented by recruitment manoeuvres followed by positive-end expiratory pressure. TRIAL REGISTRY NUMBER: NCT02824146.

Accesibilidad a ventanas ecocardiográficas transtorácicas intraoperatorias en cirugía abdominal bajo anestesia general / Accessibility to echocardiographic intraoperative transthoracic windows in abdominal surgery under general anesthesia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: There is enough bibliography that supports the use of Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and the impact it generates in the field of critical medicine. However, the main limitation in anesthesia is access to windows in patients with unchanged positions and usually in mechanical ventilation. Therefore we decided to conduct an observational study regarding the obtaining of basic echocardiographic windows in patients under general anesthesia. METHODS: 50 patiens were enrolled. After ventilator setting, in dorsal decubitus and with the surgical fields placed, 4 windows were explored: subcostal, apical, parasternal and supraesternal. PEEP, tidal volume, BMI, age, sex were recorded. Each window was evaluated with a score: 2 points: optimal,1 point: partial, 0 point: the window can not be obtained. RESULTS: The subcostal window could not be obtained in any patient (surgical fields). The remaining 3 windows on score of 6 possible points the average was 5.14. The parasternal window obtained a lowest score (p = 0,0026). The most frequent cause of impossibility of access to the window was the presence of the lung. There was no difference between subgroups (PEEP > 10 and BMI > 30) and score obtained, according to Pearson coefficient. CONCLUSION: The accessibility to the apical and suprasternal windows was close to optimal. The parasternal window had smaller scores but had no relation to the level of PEEP nor the BMI. Limitations: small number of patients and very limited shelter to extrapolate findings.

INTRODUCCIÓN Y OBJETIVO: Existe suficiente bibliografía que avala el uso de la ecocardiografía transtorácica y el impacto que genera en el campo de la medicina crítica. Sin embargo, la principal limitante es el limitado acceso a las ventanas en pacientes en posiciones inmodificables y habitualmente en ventilación mecánica. Por tanto, se condujo un estudio observacional de obtención de ventanas ecocardiográficas en pacientes bajo anestesia general. MÉTODOS: Se enrolaron 50 pacientes para cirugía abdominal. Luego del seteo del ventilador, en decúbito dorsal y con los campos quirúrgicos colocados se exploraron 4 ventanas: subcostal, apical, paraesternal y supraesternal. PEEP, volumen corriente, BMI, edad y sexo fueron registrados. Cada ventana fue evaluada con un score de accesibilidad. RESULTADOS: La ventana subcostal no pudo ser obtenida en ningún paciente (campos quirúrgicos). De las 3 ventanas restantes sobre un score de 6 puntos posibles el promedio fue 5,14. La ventana paraesternal obtuvo los scores más bajos (p = 0,0026). La causa más frecuente fue presencia del pulmón. No se encontró diferencia en el scrore de subgrupos (PEEP > 10 y BMI > 30) según el coeficiente de Pearson. CONCLUSIÓN: La accesibilidad a las ventanas apical y supraesternal fueron muy buenas. La ventana paraesternal tuvo los menores puntajes pero no tuvo relación con el nivel de PEEP y el BMI. Limitaciones: el número de pacientes y condiciones del estudio no permite extrapolar los hallazgos a otros escenarios.