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Prognostic study of sevoflurane-based general anesthesia on cognitive function in children
Qing Fan1, Yirong Cai, Kaizheng Chen
1Department of Anesthesiology, Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Rd, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200031, China.
Insights
Sevoflurane general anesthesia did not significantly impact cognitive function in children aged 4-7 undergoing strabismus surgery. Cognitive tests at 1 and 6 months post-operation showed no adverse effects on pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Anesthesiology
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Volatile anesthetics' effects on immature brains are not fully understood.
- Assessing long-term cognitive outcomes in children exposed to anesthesia is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of sevoflurane-based anesthesia on pediatric cognitive function.
- To assess cognitive changes in children undergoing strabismus surgery.
Main Methods:
- A self-controlled study involving 100 children (4-7 years old) undergoing strabismus correction.
- Cognitive function assessed using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months post-operation.
- Comparison of WPPSI scores before and after anesthesia exposure.
Main Results:
- 72 children completed all assessments.
- No statistically significant decrease in cognitive scores was observed at 1 month (T2) or 6 months (T3) compared to baseline (T1).
- Mean anesthesia duration was 67.3 ± 9.8 minutes.
Conclusions:
- Sevoflurane-based general anesthesia appears safe regarding cognitive function in 4-7 year olds.
- No significant adverse cognitive effects were detected at 1 and 6 months post-strabismus surgery.
- Further research with larger cohorts is recommended to confirm these findings.
Purpose:
It is unclear whether volatile general anesthetics have sustained adverse effects on the immature brains of children. We performed a self-controlled study to evaluate the effects of strabismus surgery under sevoflurane-based general anesthesia on the cognitive function of pediatric patients.
Methods:
The study included 100 children of ages 4 to 7 years old scheduled to undergo strabismus correction under sevoflurane-based general anesthesia. Cognitive function was tested 1 day before the operation (T1), 1 month after the operation (T2), and 6 months after the operation by the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) (Third Edition) method, which consists of 150 items. The scores at T1 were compared with scores at T2 and T3.
Results:
Seventy-two children completed the three tests. At T1, they were 66.1 ± 7.7 months old and had a mean body weight of 21.6 ± 4.0 kg. The mean anesthesia time was 67.3 ± 9.8 min. The mean interval between T1 and T2 was 25.4 ± 6.8 days, and that between T1 and T3 was 182.1 ± 27.7 days. No statistically significant decrease in WPPSI scores was observed between T1 and T2, or between T1 and T3.
Conclusion:
These findings from our self-controlled study show that sevoflurane-based general anesthesia does not have significantly adverse effects on the cognitive function of 4- to 7-year-old children at 1 month and 6 months after strabismus surgery. Additional studies with a larger sample size are needed.
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