Spinal anaesthesia in neonates and infants: what about the cerebral oxygen saturation?

Does Cerebral Oxygenation Change during Peripherally Inserted Central Catheterization in Preterm Infants?

OBJECTIVE

 This study aimed to evaluate the effect of peripherally inserted central venous catheterization on cerebral oxygenation by near-infrared spectroscopy in very low birth weight preterm infants.

STUDY DESIGN

 Forty-one preterm infants (gestational age ≤32 weeks and birth weight ≤1,500 g) requiring peripherally inserted central venous catheter were included. Hemodynamic data and cerebral regional oxygen saturation values measured by near-infrared spectroscopy were prospectively collected before (T0) and every 5 minutes for 30 minutes following catheterization. When compared with baseline (T0) values, those values having relative maximum changes in the first 15 minutes and between 15 and 30 minutes were defined as T15 max and T30 max, respectively. Any change of more than a 10% decrease in baseline cerebral rSO2 was considered clinically significant. Additionally, any changes exceeding 20% in heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure values were considered significant. Following catheterization, the time interval to reach the baseline for cerebral regional oxygen saturation was noted.

RESULTS

 Cerebral regional oxygen saturation values at T15 max and T30 max were found to have decreased significantly in 46 and 22% of patients, respectively. A statistically significant difference was observed between these two time periods (p = 0.002); no significant differences in heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure, or cerebral fractional oxygen extraction values at T15 max and T30 max were observed. All patients reached their baseline cerebral regional oxygen saturation in a median of 25 (15-60) minutes.

CONCLUSION

 In very low birth weight preterm infants, monitoring cerebral regional oxygen saturation by near-infrared spectroscopy before and after peripherally inserted central venous catheterization may be useful in clinical practice. The assessment of factors affecting cerebral oxygenation and, in the case of low cerebral oxygenation, implementation of corrective actions before peripherally inserted central catheterization may offer a neuroprotective strategy.

KEY POINTS

· Monitoring cerebral rSO2 by NIRS during PICC line procedure might be useful in preterm infants.. · In this study, a significant decrease in cerebral rSO2 level following catheterization was observed.. · Implementation of corrective actions before PICC line procedure may offer a neuroprotective strategy..

Laparoscopic versus Open Inguinal Hernia Repair Is Feasible in Infants with Caudal Anesthesia and Spontaneous Respiration

INTRODUCTION

 Minimally invasive surgery (i.e., laparoscopy) and minimally invasive anesthesia (i.e., caudal anesthesia with spontaneous respiration) have separately shown benefits for inguinal hernia repair in infants, yet to what degree these techniques can be combined remains unknown. This study investigated whether laparoscopy impacts the feasibility of performing caudal anesthesia with spontaneous respiration in infants.

METHODS

 Prospectively collected data of all infants less than 12 months old and over 3 kg weight who underwent laparoscopic indirect hernia repair (LAP) at our department from 2019 to 2021 were compared with a historical control-matched group of infants who underwent open repair (OPEN) from 2017 to 2021. We assessed the patients' characteristics, anesthesia, and surgical data as well as intra- and postoperative complications.

RESULTS

 A total of 87 infants were included (LAP n = 29, OPEN n = 58). Caudal anesthesia with spontaneous respiration was feasible in 62.1% of cases (LAP n = 55.2%, OPEN n = 65.5%; nonsignificant). Neither group registered anesthetic intra- or postoperative complications. Sedatives were utilized in 97% of LAP patients versus 56.9% of OPEN patients (p < 0.00001). The airway was secured with a laryngeal mask in 89.7% of patients during LAP versus 41.4% during OPEN (p < 0.00001). No significant differences were found regarding the use frequency of opioids (48.3% LAP vs. 34.5% OPEN; nonsignificant) or neuromuscular blockers (6.9% LAP vs. 5.2% OPEN; nonsignificant).

CONCLUSION

 This is the first comparative study on caudal anesthesia and spontaneous respiration in infants undergoing laparoscopic versus open inguinal hernia surgery. Laparoscopy increased the need for ventilatory support and sedatives but did not significantly impair the feasibility of caudal anesthesia and spontaneous respiration.

Systemic and regional cerebral perfusion in small infants undergoing minor lower abdominal surgery under awake caudal anaesthesia: An observational study

BACKGROUND

Infants undergoing general anaesthesia have an increased risk of severe respiratory and cardiovascular critical events. Awake caudal anaesthesia is an alternative for small infants undergoing minor lower abdominal surgery. While clinical experience has shown stable intra-operative haemodynamic conditions, there are no studies evaluating systemic and regional cerebral perfusion during such a procedure.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of awake caudal anaesthesia on systemic and regional cerebral perfusion in small infants.

DESIGN

A prospective observational cohort study.

SETTING

Clinic of Anaesthesiology, University Children's Hospital, between November 2017 and June 2018.

PATIENTS

Twenty small infants (postmenstrual age 36 to 54 weeks, weight 1800 to 5700 g) scheduled for lower abdominal surgery under awake caudal anaesthesia were enrolled in this study.

INTERVENTION

Standard monitoring was expanded to include cardiac index using electrical velocimetry and regional cerebral oxygen saturation using near infrared spectroscopy. The caudal block was performed with 0.3% ropivacaine 1 ml kg Hypotension was defined as mean arterial blood pressure (BP) less than 35 mmHg and regional cerebral desaturation as regional cerebral oxygen saturation less than 80% of baseline.

MAIN OUTCOMES

Mean arterial BP, cardiac index and regional cerebral oxygen saturation parameters under awake caudal anaesthesia.

RESULTS

Mean arterial BP, cardiac index and regional cerebral oxygen saturation remained above the predefined lower limits. No episodes of hypotension or regional cerebral desaturation were observed. Operation time was 35 ± 13 (range 20 to 71) min. The infants were discharged to the neonatal ward after the end of surgery, and milk was fed 22 ± 15 (range 6 to 55) min thereafter. Five preterm infants experienced self-limiting episodes of apnoea intra-operatively.

CONCLUSION

The current study shows that awake caudal anaesthesia does not impair systemic and regional cerebral perfusion in small infants.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

German registry of clinical studies (DRKS-ID: 800015742).

Spinal anesthesia compared with general anesthesia for neonates with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. A retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Studies of spinal anesthesia in children are limited to a reduced group of high-risk patients and it remains relatively underused compared with general anesthesia in this age group in most institutions. In our experience, spinal anesthesia appears to be a good alternative to general anesthesia during pyloromyotomy in neonates and infants.

AIMS

The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate respiratory morbidity of spinal anesthesia compared to general anesthesia in infants undergoing pyloromyotomy.

METHODS

The University Hospital of Salamanca used spinal or general anesthesia on infants undergoing pyloromyotomy between 2003 and 2017. The primary outcome assessed was the prevalence of apnea. The second one was the prevalence of oxygen saturation below 95%. An analysis was performed using t test or Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables, and Chi-square for categorical variables. Logistic regression was done to account for differences in demographic and clinical covariates.

RESULTS

The study sample consisted of 68 infants and neonates undergoing pyloromyotomy (48 with spinal anesthesia and 20 with general anesthesia). There was a significant difference in apneic episodes after surgery between general (number/percentage = 5/20, 25%) and spinal (number/percentage = 0/48, 0%) groups. Absolute risk reduction is 25% (CI 95%: 6%-44%), P < .001.

CONCLUSION

Spinal anesthesia in neonates with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis undergoing pyloromyotomy was a viable alternative to general anesthesia, reducing the respiratory morbidity associated with the latter.

Neuromonitoring in paediatric anaesthesia

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

There has been a steady advance in neuromonitoring during anaesthesia. Inevitably much of the research is first done in adults and later in children. This review will focus on the recent paediatric publications (2017-2019) in two areas of neuromonitoring - measuring anaesthesia effect and cerebral perfusion and oxygenation.

RECENT FINDINGS

For EEG-derived depth monitors, the main recent advances have been in better understanding their performance in infants. For the first time, large multichannel EEG studies on infants have focused on understanding the basic principles of how anaesthesia impacts on the EEG of the developing brain in a way different to the older brain. Nociception monitors are beginning to be studied in children. In the area of optical neuromonitoring, studies show that cerebral desaturation during both general and spinal anaesthesia in infants is uncommon in neonates and infants. Further work emphasizes the importance of CO2 levels on cerebral oxygenation, and demonstrates impaired cerebral autoregulation in premature infants undergoing laparotomies.

SUMMARY

The impact of anaesthesia on the EEG of small infants has some gross similarities to older children but there are fundamental differences, which mandate separate calibration of anaesthesia depth monitors. The role of nociception monitors in children has yet to be defined. Cerebral oxygenation monitoring during paediatric anaesthesia is improving our understanding of cerebral perfusion in this period, but as with almost all monitoring, evidence that its use improves outcome is not yet available.