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Serum cortisol and prolactin response to surgical stress in infants and children

R S Chana1, D Chattopadhyay, R Varshney

  • 1Department of Surgery, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital, AMU, Aligarh.

Journal of the Indian Medical Association
|October 27, 2001
PubMed

Insights

This study examined hormonal stress responses in 40 children during surgery. Serum prolactin rose more in females, while cortisol levels were unaffected by age, sex, or surgical factors.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Anesthesiology
  • Endocrinology
  • Surgical Stress Response

Background:

  • General anesthesia in pediatric patients can induce a stress response.
  • Hormonal changes, specifically cortisol and prolactin, are key indicators of this stress.
  • Understanding these responses is crucial for optimizing patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare serum cortisol and prolactin levels in infants and children undergoing elective surgery.
  • To assess the hormonal stress response in relation to age, sex, surgery duration, and anesthetic techniques.
  • To identify factors influencing the endocrine response to surgical stress in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study involving 40 pediatric patients undergoing elective surgery.
  • Measurement of serum cortisol and prolactin levels.
  • Analysis of hormonal responses in correlation with patient demographics, surgery length, and anesthetic methods.

Main Results:

  • Serum cortisol levels showed no significant variation based on age, sex, surgery duration, or anesthetic technique.
  • A significant surge in serum prolactin was observed post-induction, independent of sex.
  • Females exhibited a greater percentage increase in serum prolactin compared to males.

Conclusions:

  • The endocrine stress response in pediatric surgery is complex and sex-dependent for prolactin.
  • Cortisol response appears robust and less influenced by the studied variables in this cohort.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the clinical implications of these hormonal changes in pediatric surgical patients.

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