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Risk factors for acute pulmonary edema after adenotonsillectomy in children
Nuntigar Sonsuwan1, Anothai Pornlert2, Kittisak Sawanyawisuth3
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Insights
Adenotonsillectomy can lead to rare but fatal acute pulmonary edema in children. Key risk factors include the procedure itself, young age, obesity, and pulmonary hypertension.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Anesthesiology
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Adenotonsillectomy is a frequent pediatric surgical procedure.
- Acute pulmonary edema is a rare but potentially fatal complication.
- Understanding associated risk factors is crucial for patient safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors associated with acute pulmonary edema post-adenotonsillectomy in children.
- To inform clinical practice and improve patient outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of pediatric patients (<15 years) undergoing adenotonsillectomy.
- Data collected from January 2004 to December 2008.
- Multiple logistic regression used to determine significant risk factors.
Main Results:
- Four hundred and sixteen patients underwent adenotonsillectomy; 211 were included after exclusions.
- Significant factors linked to post-operative pulmonary edema were identified.
- These factors included the adenotonsillectomy procedure, younger age, obesity, and pulmonary hypertension.
Conclusions:
- Adenotonsillectomy procedure, young age, obesity, and pulmonary hypertension are associated with acute pulmonary edema in children.
- Clinicians must recognize these risk factors during adenotonsillectomy.
- Awareness can help mitigate this rare complication.
Objective:
Adenotonsillectomy is a common surgical procedure in children. Acute pulmonary edema after this procedure is a rare complication but may be fatal. The factors associated with pulmonary edema after adenotonsillectomy were studied.
Methods:
All consecutive patients with an age of less than 15 years who underwent adenotonsillectomy at Chiang Mai University Hospital were enrolled. The study period was from January 2004 to December 2008. Clinical factors were retrospectively retrieved from medical records. Factors associated with acute pulmonary edema after adenotonsillectomy were computed using multiple logistic regression analysis.
Results:
There were 216 patients who underwent adenotonsillectomy due to airway obstruction during the study period. Five patients were excluded due to incomplete data. Of those included, 129 patients (61.1%) were male with mean age of 6.6 (SD 3.2) years. Four significant factors associated with the development of post-operative pulmonary edema after the adenotonsillectomy were procedure, age, obesity, and pulmonary hypertension.
Conclusion:
Factors associated with acute pulmonary edema after adenotonsillectomy in children were adenotonsillectomy procedure, young age, obesity, or having pulmonary hypertension. Clinicians should be aware of these risk factors while performing adenotonsillectomy in children.
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