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Published on: September 9, 2022
Duration of mechanical ventilation after craniosynostosis repair reduces over time
F Ferrari1, M Nacoti, B G Locatelli
1Department of Anesthesia, Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy - floriana.ferrari@gmail.com.
Insights
Surgical experience, not perioperative complications, significantly impacts prolonged mechanical ventilation after pediatric craniosynostosis repair. Early program years correlated with longer ventilation durations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Anesthesiology
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Pediatric craniosynostosis repair (CR) is a complex procedure involving extensive dissections and osteotomies.
- The surgery is associated with significant patient morbidity.
- Understanding factors influencing recovery, particularly prolonged mechanical ventilation, is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of perioperative complications on the duration of mechanical ventilation following CR.
- To identify determinants of prolonged mechanical ventilation in pediatric patients undergoing CR.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective data collection from anesthesia records, PICU notes, and discharge summaries.
- Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation.
- All patients were initially transferred to the PICU intubated and sedated.
Main Results:
- Intraoperative complications included metabolic acidosis (32%), hypotension (20%), and dural tears (22%).
- Postoperative findings included metabolic acidosis (46%) and relative polycythemia (24%).
- Only early surgical program years (first 5 years) were significantly associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation (P=0.05).
Conclusions:
- Life-threatening complications were primarily intraoperative; milder acidosis occurred postoperatively.
- All patients survived without neurological deficits.
- Surgical experience, gained over time, was the key factor influencing the duration of mechanical ventilation.
Background:
Pediatric craniosynostosis repair (CR) involves wide scalp dissections with multiple osteotomies and has been associated with significant morbidity. The aim of this study was to document the impact of perioperative complications on prolonged mechanical ventilation after CR.
Methods:
Data were collected from the anesthesia records, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) progress notes and discharge summaries. All the patients were transferred from the operating room sedated and on mechanical ventilation to the PICU. To highlight the determinants of prolonged mechanical ventilation we performed a logistic regression analysis..
Results:
Fifty-five patients underwent CR, but 6 were excluded due to incomplete records. The main intraoperative complications were: metabolic acidosis (32%), hypotension (20%), dural tears laceration (22%) and altered coagulation (18%). Metabolic acidosis (46%) and relative polycythemia (24%) were detected on arrival to the PICU. All children received intraoperative blood products and 23 (46%) were transfused in the postoperative period too. No infective complications were detected. The only determinant associated significantly with a prolonged mechanical ventilation was to have surgery in the first 5 years of the program (P=0.05) (95% CI 0.358-0.996).
Conclusion:
All life-threatening complications were intraoperative whereas only milder ones, such as hypercloremic and lactic acidosis were noticed in PICU. All children are alive without any neurological deficit. Even though we deal on a daily basis with complex surgical cases, only time, hence experience, showed an impact on prolonged mechanical ventilation.
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