Major abdominal surgery of the neonate: anaesthetic considerations

Acute kidney injury post-abdominal surgery in infants: implications for prevention and management

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in critically ill infants and is associated with long-term sequelae including hypertension and chronic kidney disease. The etiology of AKI in infants is multifactorial. There is robust literature highlighting the risk of AKI after cardiothoracic surgery in infants. However, risk factors and outcomes for AKI in infants after abdominal surgery remains limited. This article reviews the epidemiology and association of abdominal surgery with postoperative AKI and suggests methods for AKI management and prevention. Postoperative AKI may result from hemodynamic shifts, hypoxia, exposure to nephrotoxic medications, and inflammation. Infants in the intensive care unit after intraabdominal surgeries have a unique set of risk factors that predispose them to AKI development. Prematurity, sepsis, prolonged operation time, emergent nature of the procedure, and diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis increase risk of AKI after intrabdominal surgeries. Prevention, early diagnosis, and management of AKI post-abdominal surgery is imperative to clinical practice. Close monitoring of urine output, serum creatinine, and fluid status is necessary in infants after abdominal surgery. A recent study suggests elevated levels of a urinary biomarker, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), 24 h after an abdominal procedure may improve early prediction of AKI. Identification of risk factors, avoidance of nephrotoxic medications, careful fluid balance, early detection of AKI, and maintenance of hemodynamic stability is imperative to potentially prevent and/or mitigate AKI.

A different perspective: anesthesia for extreme premature infants: is there an age limitation or how low should we go?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To put in perspective, the various challenges that faces pediatric anesthesiologists because of the recently lowered limits with regards to the viability of a fetus. Both medical and ethical considerations will be highlighted.

RECENT FINDINGS

Issues related to: who should anesthetize these tiny babies; can we provide adequate and legal monitoring during the anesthetic; does these immature babies need hypnosis and amnesia and the moral/ethical implications associated with being involved with care of doubtful long-term outcome are reviewed.

SUMMARY

There does currently not exist sufficient research data to provide any evidence-based guidelines for the anesthetic handling of extreme premature infants. Current practice relies on extrapolations from other patient groups and from attempting to preserve normal physiology. Thus, focused research initiatives within this specific field of anesthesia should be a priority. Furthermore, in-depth multiprofessional ethical discussions regarding long-term outcome of aggressive care of extremely premature babies are urgently needed, including the new concepts of disability-free survival and number-need-to-suffer.

Anästhesiologische Aspekte in der Neu- und Frühgeborenenchirurgie

The physiology of the preterm and term neonate is characterized by a high metabolic rate, limited pulmonary, cardiac and thermoregulatory reserve and decreased renal function. Multisystem immaturity creates important developmental differences in drug administration and response when compared to older children. Specific monitoring techniques are required because the neonate is not physically accessible to the anesthetist during the operation. This contribution reviews the specific pathophysiological characteristics of the newborn with relevance to anesthesia and also provides robust guidelines for the anesthetic management of the most frequent non-cardiac procedures which need surgery during the neonatal period. Consideration will also be given to the anesthetic management of very low birth-weight infants with anesthetic key issues such as avoiding hyperoxia, keeping hemodynamic parameters as stable as possible and preventing hypothermia.