Adjunctive Corticosteroids for Hypotension in the Pediatric Cardiac ICU: Single-Center Retrospective Study, 2020-2021

To characterize adjunctive corticosteroid use and associations between any exposure or cumulative dose and outcomes in pediatric cardiac surgical cases.

A retrospective cohort was admitted over 24 months (from January 2020 to December 2021).

Single-center cardiac ICU (CICU) in a quaternary hospital.

Descriptive analyses of all patients receiving hydrocortisone for hypotension. Further comparative analyses were restricted to postoperative infants (< 12 mo) exposed to corticosteroids vs. not, including propensity-score inverse weighted and matched analyses.

None.

We examined associations between cumulative hydrocortisone dose and outcomes, including severe infection. Overall, 154 patients of all ages received steroids (91 post-surgical). Median (interquartile range [IQR]) cumulative hydrocortisone dose was 10.0 mg/kg (IQR, 6.0-21.2 mg/kg). Greater cumulative dose was associated with higher adjusted odds (95% CI) of severe infection (1.08 [95% CI, 1.03-1.12]). For comparative analyses, we identified 403 infants, including 68 with postoperative corticosteroid exposure. Propensity scores based on multiple factors, including peak modified Vasoactive-Inotropic Score (mVIS, excluding milrinone), compared outcomes and hemodynamic response with quantification of rate of mVIS fall from peak among 55 matched pairs. We failed to identify a difference in rate of mVIS fall between nonsteroid and steroid recipients (-0.162 [IQR, -0.228 to -0.053] vs. -0.160 [IQR, -0.300 to -0.046]; p = 0.674).

In our CICU cohort receiving adjunctive hydrocortisone for hypotension, we failed to identify a consistent signal regarding outcomes and rate of mVIS fall. Considering potential side effects, these data suggest prospective study is needed to better define the use of such treatment.