A retrospective cohort study of children with spinal muscular atrophy type 2 receiving anesthesia for intrathecal administration of nusinersen

Procedural sedation for paediatric patients with spinal muscular atrophy undergoing intrathecal treatment

AIMS

Nusinersen is administered intrathecally for treating spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Procedural sedation is common with intrathecal treatment in children. The purpose of this study is to emphasize that intrathecal treatment of paediatric patients with SMA I, II and III can be tolerated with procedural sedation instead of general anaesthesia.

METHODS

Data were collected the from the anaesthesia charts and electronic medical records of 14 paediatric patients with SMA types I, II and III who underwent procedural sedation for repeated intrathecal treatments for SMA. Intravenous induction was performed, and patients were oxygenated with a face mask or nasal cannula while spontaneous breathing continued.

RESULTS

Fourteen patients were included in the study: one SMA I, eight SMA II and five SMA III. They underwent 88 intrathecal nusinersen injections in total. In the one SMA I patient, of 8 months, the procedure was performed under local anaesthesia. In all other patients, the treatments were performed under procedural sedation. Different combinations of midazolam, ketamine, propofol, fentanyl and remifentanil were used. The mean doses of the agents used were 0.03 mg kg-1 , 0.97 mg kg-1 , 2.71 mg kg-1 , 0.84 μg kg-1 and 0.5 μg kg-1 , respectively. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications.

CONCLUSION

We found the procedural sedation to be sufficient, safe and effective in SMA II and III paediatric patients who underwent nusinersen treatment intrathecally, provided anaesthetic agents are titrated and administered carefully.

Needleless inhaled anesthesia with sevoflurane: Advantages of a simplified approach for children with spinal muscular atrophy undergoing intrathecal administration of nusinersen

BACKGROUND

Intrathecal nusinersen administration, a fundamental step in the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy, is challenging in children.

AIMS

This retrospective monocentric analysis of prospectively collected data evaluated the feasibility of needleless general anesthesia exclusively with sevoflurane, without imaging guidance, for children undergoing nusinersen administration in a 24-month period.

METHODS

Clinical data included demographics, type of spinal muscular atrophy, presence and severity of scoliosis. Primary outcome was defined by the number of predefined sentinel adverse events related to anesthesia. Secondary outcomes were assessed by duration of the procedure, number of lumbar puncture attempts, and number of failures. Other measures included number and type of moderate, minor and minimal adverse events, as well as number and type of puncture-related adverse events.

RESULTS

116 patients (mean age: 8.7 (SD 6.9) years; with scoliosis: 49.1%) underwent 250 lumbar punctures; two cases of prolonged desaturation, considered as sentinel adverse events, (0.8%) were recorded during anesthesia (primary outcome). None of the patients underwent orotracheal intubation nor required an unplanned admission in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. No patient required an unplanned or prolonged hospitalization after the procedure. Mean number of puncture attempts was 1.6 (SD 1.3), and mean duration of the procedure was 14.1 (SD 8.3) minutes. No failure in the drug administration occurred (secondary outcomes).

CONCLUSION

In this single-center experience, needleless general anesthesia with inhaled sevoflurane without imaging guidance has been shown to be feasible for children with spinal muscular atrophy undergoing lumbar puncture for nusinersen administration.

Nusinersen injections in adults and children with spinal muscular atrophy: a single-center experience

PURPOSE

Nusinersen is a drug approved in December 2016 for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). We want to share our initial experience with image-guided, non-image-guided, and port-delivered nusinersen injections in a large single-center SMA patient cohort, treating both pediatric and adult patients with focus on technical considerations and other patient concerns from a combined perspective of patient, neurologist, and radiologist.

METHODS

All nusinersen injections between February 2017 and September 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. We obtained age, sex, SMA type and technical details of the injections and postprocedure complications for each procedure.

RESULTS

A total of 52 patients (24 women [46%]; 4 patients with SMA-1 [7.6%]; 30 patients with SMA-2 [57.8%]; 18 patients with SMA-3 [34.6%]; mean age, 25.5 years [7 months to 62 years]) with a total of 265 injections were included. Of the 265 injections, 206 (77.9%) were performed with local anesthetic, 25 (9.4%) with moderate sedation, and 23 (8.6%) under general anesthesia. We performed 65 CT-guided transforaminal injections in 13 patients, 106 fluoroscopy-guided lumbar punctures in 24 patients and 83 lumbar punctures in 16 patients using conventional technique. Only 6 of 265 injections (2.2%) ended up with a post-lumbar puncture headache (PLPH) requiring medical treatment. None required an epidural blood patch. Fourteen PLPH (5.2%) occurred and resolved at the same day without any treatment. After 6 of 265 injections (2.2%), patients reported soreness at the injection site which resolved spontaneously. Three elected to have an intrathecal reservoir placement (2 lumbar, 1 intraventricular) with a total of 11 injections. One patient with lumbar catheter developed infection after surgery with subsequent meningitis and treatment delay. After the resolution of meningitis, a new intraventricular reservoir was placed without any complication in the following injections.

CONCLUSION

With the introduction of nusinersen treatment, neurologists and radiologists play an important role in treatment of SMA patients and therefore should be familiar with different techniques and complications of drug administration. Using good technique, it is possible to have very low complication rates even in this complex patient population, and various image-guided procedures can be a safe alternative to surgical approach, even in the most difficult cases.

Ultrasound assisted lumbar intrathecal administration of nusinersen in adult patients with spinal muscular atrophy: A case series

INTRODUCTION/AIMS

Intrathecal nusinersen administration can be challenging in certain adult spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients with difficult spinal anatomy who require imaging techniques (fluoroscopy or computed tomography scans) or invasive approaches (catheter placement, laminotomy) to identify the intrathecal space. We used ultrasound (US) assistance to access the lumbar intrathecal space in patients with SMA who experienced previous difficulties or failures with intrathecal dosing.

METHODS

Eighteen adult patients with difficult spines were enrolled. We used US assistance, and we recorded the successful administrations, number of attempts, procedure times, and "patient satisfaction."

RESULTS

There were 57 consecutive successful nusinersen spinal administrations in all patients enrolled. In 50% of patients, two or fewer attempts were needed to obtain a successful administration, with four or fewer attempts in 83.3%; only three patients reported more than four attempts because of both severe scoliosis and severe spine rotation (two patients) and obesity (one patient). The mean procedure time was 11.8 min (range, 1.7-28.9). Patient satisfaction was 4.97/5 (range, 4-5; median, 5) on Likert scale at 5 min and at 72 h. No major adverse events were reported, and two post dural puncture headaches were managed with medical therapy and with complete resolution within 72 h.

DISCUSSION

US assistance seems to be a valid option among treatment choices for intrathecal nusinersen administration in patients with difficult spine. The absence of radiation exposure and the lack of need for intravenous sedation or general anesthesia are additional potential advantages to US assisted administration.

[Anesthesia for patients suffering from neuromuscular diseases]

Neuromuscular diseases (NMD) are a heterogeneous group of motor unit disorders. Common to all is the main clinical symptom of muscle weakness. Depending on entity and phenotype, a broad range of disorders of neuronal, junctional or myocytic structures occurs. In addition to a weakness of the skeletal musculature, NMD can also affect throat musculature, respiratory and heart muscles. The possible consequences are immobility, deformities, tendency to aspiration as well as respiratory and cardiac insufficiency. In the context of surgery and anesthesia, complications that can result from the underlying disease and its interaction with anesthesia must be anticipated and averted. This article describes along the treatment pathway how preoperative evaluation, choice of the anesthetic procedure and postoperative care can be effectively and safely tailored to the needs of patients with NMD. Concise and practical recommendations for carrying out anesthesia for the most important NMDs are presented as well as relevant external sources of practice recommendations.

Anesthetic management of pediatric patients undergoing intrathecal nusinersen administration for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy: A single-center experience

BACKGROUND

Spinal muscular atrophy is a group of autosomal recessive inherited neurological disorders secondary to a genetic mutation that leads to progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. Recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, Nusinersen is the first treatment specifically for spinal muscular atrophy. This drug must be administered intrathecally, as it does not cross the blood-brain barrier.

AIMS

Retrospective review of the individualized perioperative care of spinal muscular atrophy type I and II patients for intrathecal Nusinersen injection.

METHODS

After approval from the Institutional Review Board and obtaining informed written consent from parents, we reviewed the anesthetic charts of nine patients who underwent 58 Nusinersen injections over a 23-month period from February 2017 to December 2018. An individualized anesthetic plan was formulated based on the patient's disease severity, anxiety level, and comfort of parents as well as the provider performing the procedure. Patients underwent intrathecal Nusinersen injection under fluoroscopic guidance, with either general anesthesia, monitored anesthesia care with medications or monitored anesthesia care without medications. Patients recovered in the postanesthesia care unit for a minimum of 1 hour after injection, irrespective of the anesthetic method utilized. Analysis included patient demographics, anesthesia type relative to spinal muscular atrophy type I vs. II, and postanesthesia recovery.

RESULTS

Nine patients with spinal muscular atrophy types I and II underwent 58 encounters. Five spinal muscular atrophy type I patients underwent 31 encounters, general anesthesia (9), monitored anesthesia care with medications (2), and monitored anesthesia care without medications (20). Four spinal muscular atrophy type II patients underwent 27 encounters, general anesthesia (22), monitored anesthesia care with medications (2), and monitored anesthesia care without medications (3). There were no perioperative complications.

CONCLUSION

The anesthetic plan for Nusinersen injections must be individualized to the patient's specific needs and clinical manifestations of the disease. When carefully tailored to each patient, anesthetic care is safe and successful.

Real-World Data from Nusinersen Treatment for Patients with Later-Onset Spinal Muscular Atrophy: A Single Center Experience

Background Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a motor neuron disease associated with progressive muscle weakness and motor disability. Objective This study aims to report the evaluation of nusinersen, an antisense oligonucleotide, on motor function in patients with SMA types 2 and 3. Methods This single-center retrospective observational study assessed nusinersen therapy outcomes, measured by HSMFSE or CHOP-INTEND scales, in patients with SMA types 2 and 3, compared to untreated patients, for at least 24 months. Results A total of 41 patients with SMA types 2 and 3 under nusinersen treatment were included. In 30 treated patients (mean age: 10.6 years; 14 with SMA type 2), the mean change in HFMSE scores was +1.47 points (SD = 0.4) and +1.60 points (SD = 0.6) after 12 and 24 months of treatment, respectively. In contrast, the control group (N = 37) (mean age: 10.2 years; 20 with SMA type 2) presented a mean change of −1.71 points (SD = 0.02) and −3.93 points (SD = 0.55) after 12 and 24 months of follow-up, respectively. The most severe patients under nusinersen treatment (N = 11) showed a change of +2.37 (SD = 1.13) on the CHOP-INTEND scale after 12 months of follow-up. Disease duration at the beginning of treatment was the main predictor of functional improvement. Despite functional gain and motor stabilization, treatment with nusinersen did not prevent the progression of scoliosis. Conclusions Our data provide evidence for the long-term safety and efficacy of nusinersen use in the treatment of later-onset SMA, and patients with shorter disease duration showed better response to treatment.

Long-term follow-up of patients with type 2 and non-ambulant type 3 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) treated with olesoxime in the OLEOS trial

In a previous Phase 2 study, olesoxime had a favorable safety profile. Although the primary endpoint was not met, analyses suggested that olesoxime might help in the maintenance of motor function in patients with Types 2/3 SMA. This open-label extension study (OLEOS) further characterizes the safety, tolerability and efficacy of olesoxime over longer therapy durations. In OLEOS, no new safety risks were identified. Compared to matched natural history data, patients treated with olesoxime demonstrated small, non-significant changes in motor function over 52 weeks. Motor function scores were stable for 52 weeks but declined over the remainder of the study. The greatest decline in motor function was seen in patients ≤15 years old, and those with Type 2 SMA had faster motor function decline versus those with Type 3 SMA. Previous treatment with olesoxime in the Phase 2 study was not protective of motor function in OLEOS. Respiratory outcomes were stable in patients with Type 3 SMA >15 years old but declined in patients with Type 2 SMA and in patients with Type 3 SMA ≤15 years old. Overall, with no stabilization of functional measures observed over 130 weeks, OLEOS did not support significant benefit of olesoxime in patients with SMA.

Peri-operative management of children with spinal muscular atrophy

Background and Aims:

Current multi-disciplinary management of children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) often requires the surgical management of spinal deformities. We present the outcomes of our peri-operative experience around the time of their spinal surgery and share our neuromuscular perioperative protocol.

Methods:

A single-centre retrospective chart review was performed to evaluate all children with SMA types I and II that underwent thoracolumbar spinal deformity correction (posterior spinal fusion or growing rod insertion) from 1990 to 2015. Electronic medical records were reviewed to assess pre-operative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables. T-tests, Wilcoxon Rank Sum, Fisher's Exact tests were performed as appropriate.

Results:

Twelve SMA I and twenty-two SMA II patients were included. Type I patients tended to be smaller and had a higher percentage (36.4% vs 4.5%) of American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class 4 patients. Preoperative total parenteral nutrition (TPN) was utilised in 75.0% of type I and 18.2% type II patients. A difficult intubation was experienced in around 25% of the patients (20.0% SMA I, 27.3% SMA II). Approximately two hours of anaesthetic time was required in addition to the actual surgical time in both types. The intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay averaged 6 (4.0-7.5) days for type I and 3 (3-5) days for type II (p = 0.144). Average post-operative length of stay was (8 (7-9) vs. 7 (6-8)) P = 1.0.

Conclusion:

Children with type I and II SMA have similar hospital courses. The surgical and anaesthesia team should consider perioperative TPN and NIPPV (non-invasive positive-pressure ventilation), anticipate difficult intubations, longer than usual anaesthetic times, and potentially longer ICU stays in both SMA type I and II.

Anesthetic management of pediatric patients with Niemann-Pick disease type C for intrathecal 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin injection

BACKGROUND

Niemann-Pick disease type C is an autosomal-recessive, lysosomal storage disorder with variable age of onset and a heterogeneous clinical presentation that includes neurological, psychiatric, and visceral findings. Serial intrathecal injections of 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin are being evaluated as a treatment modality for Niemann-Pick disease type C with a subset of patients requiring anesthesia for this procedure.

AIMS

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of anesthesia provided for patients undergoing intrathecal injection of 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin.

METHODS

A retrospective review of pediatric patients who received serial intrathecal injections of 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin with anesthesia at two tertiary care centers was conducted from December 2015 through April 2019. Data were extracted for analysis included preoperative comorbidities, demographics, vital signs, intraoperative anesthesia course, airway management technique, venous access, postoperative course, and perioperative complications. In total, 19 patients were identified and a total of 394 anesthetic encounters were included in this study.

RESULTS

All 394 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin administration procedures were successfully performed, and there were no changes made in the anesthetic plan during the anesthesia encounters. Three hundred forty-nine anesthetics were performed utilizing inhalation induction and mask maintenance, and 45 anesthetics were performed with placement of a supraglottic airway device due to patient body habitus and provider preference. The incidence of a major adverse event (aspirations, arterial desaturation) was 5/394 (1.3%, 95% CI 0.05%-3.1%). Minor adverse events (emesis, delirium, hypotension, seizure, and airway obstruction) were observed in 19/394 encounters (4.8%, 95% CI 3.0%-7.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that general anesthesia induced via inhalation induction and maintained with volatile anesthetic via mask or supraglottic airway is a safe and effective option for pediatric patients with Niemann-Pick disease type C undergoing serial intrathecal injections of 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin, supporting this technique as a viable option for anesthetic care in these patients.

Current Treatment Options in Neurology-SMA Therapeutics

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

In this review, we discuss the clinical and genetic features of 5q spinal muscular atrophy and highlight approved and upcoming therapies.

RECENT FINDINGS

We emphasize that multidisciplinary care has been a key component of the improved quality and length of life seen in these individuals in the past decade. We discuss the evidence leading to the approval of nusinersen and the evidence leading to the anticipated approval of onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi. Additional clinical therapies that are on the horizon are discussed and the importance of continued multidisciplinary care even after treatment is emphasized. The pursuit of therapies for spinal muscular atrophy is becoming a success story and continued development of biomarkers will allow for more informed therapeutic decision making and eventual cost-effective utilization of available therapies.

Combien de patients atteints de SMA en France ?

L’épidémiologie des amyotrophies spinales infantiles (ASI ou SMA pour spinal muscular atrophy) reste à faire en France. Bien qu’appartenant aux maladies rares, elle n’en est pas moins fréquente parmi les maladies génétiques de l’enfant. En l’absence d’un registre ou d’une banque de données vraiment opérationnels, les différents acteurs concernés par la SMA sont condamnés à se référer aux seules données de la littérature internationale. À l’heure où le comptage des individus pouvant potentiellement bénéficier de thérapies innovantes comme le nusinersen devient un enjeu crucial, notamment pour les autorités de santé, la filière de santé neuromusculaire Filnemus a pris l’initiative de contribuer à cet inventaire, à l’aide de son réseau de centres de compétence et de référence. À cet effet, deux enquêtes, de portée et de méthodologie distinctes, ont été réalisées ces derniers mois.