Perioperative respiratory adverse event risk assessment in children with upper respiratory tract infection: Validation of the COLDS score

Preoperative nebulised lidocaine for children with mild symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections: A randomised controlled trial

Nebulised lidocaine was previously used in infants and children undergoing flexible bronchoscopy and was safe and beneficial. The aim of this randomised controlled trial was to assess the impact of preoperative nebulised lidocaine on the incidence of perioperative respiratory adverse events in children aged one to five years proposed for ilioinguinal ambulatory surgery while having mild symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection. Patients were randomly allocated to one of the two groups of the study: Group L (lidocaine) received 4 mg/kg of nebulised lidocaine 2% (0.2 ml/kg), and Group P (placebo) received 0.2 ml/kg of normal saline nebulisation, 30 minutes before anaesthesia. Nebulised lidocaine reduced the risk of bronchospasm, with p = 0.003 and a risk ratio (RR) = 0.326 [0.140-0.760], and prolonged oxygen support postoperatively, with p = 0.004 and RR = 0.222 [0.067-0.732]. It also reduced the risk of hospitalisation, with p = 0.001 and RR = 0.138 [0.033-0.577]. No side effects for nebulised lidocaine 2% were noted. Preoperative nebulised lidocaine seems to be a safe and efficient premedication for children with upper respiratory tract infections.

Perioperative Complications in Children with Down Syndrome: A Single Center Retrospective Analysis-Original Clinical Research Report

Background/Objectives: Down syndrome (DS) is the most common chromosomal abnormality in live births in the United States. Children with DS often require anesthesia for surgery or diagnostic imaging in their lives. These children present a unique perioperative risk profile due to a combination of anatomic and physiological alterations, along with associated comorbid conditions. There are limited studies on the perioperative outcomes of children with DS. This retrospective study assesses perioperative complications in pediatric patients with DS undergoing non-cardiac surgery or diagnostic imaging under anesthesia at a single tertiary pediatric hospital. Methods: The electronic medical record at a tertiary pediatric hospital was queried for children with DS who received anesthesia for non-cardiac surgery or diagnostic imaging from May 2016 to April 2021. The primary outcomes were complications defined as readmission, reoperation, or unexpected respiratory, cardiovascular, neurologic, surgical, or gastrointestinal issues. Exclusion criteria were cardiac surgery, age > 18 years, and records with incomplete or missing data. Results: A total of 1713 anesthetic records from 711 unique patients over five years were included in the final analysis. The study found a low overall complication rate (2.98%), with respiratory events being the most common (43.1%). While most complications are short term and resolved with treatment and time; there were also several severe, life-threatening complications. Increased procedural complexity, multiple procedures, and increased procedure duration were associated with higher complication rates, whereas patient age, sex, weight, and case urgency were not associated with higher complication rates. Conclusions: Children with DS often have comorbid conditions and require multiple life-improving surgeries. Our study found the perioperative complication rate for children with Down syndrome receiving anesthesia for non-cardiac surgery or diagnostic imaging is low, comparable to the general pediatric population. The findings indicate that anesthesia is well tolerated by children with DS. However, given patients' unique anatomic and physiological differences, careful perioperative risk assessment and planning is essential. Clinical Implications: (a) What is already known about the topic: Pediatric patients with DS often require anesthesia for surgical procedures or medical imaging. They have anatomic and physiological alterations and comorbid conditions that may influence perioperative risk. (b) What new information this study adds: In a retrospective study at a tertiary pediatric hospital, patients with DS were found to have a low overall complication rate after anesthesia for non-cardiac surgery or diagnostic imaging. Increased procedural complexity, multiple procedures, and increased procedure duration were associated with higher complication rates.

Improvement of Perioperative Efficiency via Pediatric Preanesthesia Respiratory Risk Training

PURPOSE

This process improvement to the registered nurse (RN) preanesthesia telephone call interview applied an evidence-based bundle of interventions to improve perioperative efficiency. The overarching aim was to decrease RN subjectivity regarding pediatric upper respiratory tract infection (URI) symptoms during the preoperative telephone call family outreach interview to allow for early identification of respiratory illness that could lead to a day of surgery (DOS) cancellation.

DESIGN

The design was an evidence-based process improvement with a pretest post-test design.

METHODS

An E-learning module, on pediatric preanesthesia respiratory risk training, was delivered to the RN telephone call staff. An anesthesiology-created pediatric URI algorithm with use of the Current signs and symptoms, Onset, Lung disease, airway Device, Surgery (COLDS) score, a preanesthetic risk score for children with URI symptoms, were used to trigger consultation with anesthesiology for URI symptoms. Anesthesiology consultation cards following situation-background-assessment-recommendation were used to streamline consultation with an anesthesiology attending physician. Predata were obtained from the Quality Report Card on patient illness cancellations made both on the preoperative telephone call and DOS from the previous 24 months. A plan-do-study-act cycle was completed over 10 weeks.

FINDINGS

RNs' confidence in their ability to recognize the need for anesthesiology consultation was 92% after completion of the E-learning module. The rate of DOS cancellations for patient illness decreased by 10% from 2021 and 7% from 2022. The rate of preoperative telephone call-identified patient illness cancellations increased by 10% from 2021 and 7% from 2022. Decreasing DOS cancellations by early identification of illness on the preoperative telephone call is preferred to avoid loss of operating room time, patient and family dissatisfaction with a DOS cancellation, and provide a safer time frame for surgery and anesthesia.

CONCLUSIONS

RNs' confidence in anesthesiology consultation protocol was high after completion of the E-learning module. The process improvement to the RN workflow resulted in improved perioperative efficiency as evidenced by comparison of pretest post-test data indicating a reduction in DOS patient illness cancellations and an increase in preoperative telephone call patient illness cancellations.

Effect of use of cuffed endotracheal tubes on the occurrence of postoperative extubation-related respiratory adverse events in pediatric patients with airway hypersensitivity: a retrospective cohort study

PURPOSE

Whether endotracheal tube (ETT) configuration (cuffed or uncuffed) influences the occurrence of respiratory adverse events (RAEs) in patients at risk remains largely unknown. We investigated the effects of cuffed ETTs on RAE occurrence after extubation in pediatric patients with airway hypersensitivity.

METHODS

Children aged < 8 years with increased airway hypersensitivity (defined as upper airway symptoms, recent upper respiratory infection within 2 weeks, or a history of asthma) who underwent general endotracheal anesthesia with inhaled agents between January 2021 and December 2022 were included. We retrospectively examined the patients' background and intraoperative anesthesia conditions by comparing the cuffed and uncuffed ETT groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the association between ETT configuration (cuffed vs. uncuffed) and the occurrence of RAEs or respiratory interventions (laryngospasm, peripheral capillary oxygen saturation < 92%, oxygen supplementation, epinephrine inhalation, or reintubation) after extubation.

RESULTS

Cuffed ETTs were used in 163 patients and uncuffed ETTs in 143 patients. Apart from the frequency of upper airway surgery and intraoperative fluid balance, no significant differences in background characteristics were observed between the groups. RAEs after extubation were observed in 36 (22.1%) and 28 (19.6%) patients in each cuffed and uncuffed ETT groups. After adjusting for known RAE risk factors, no difference was observed in RAEs or respiratory interventions after extubation between both groups (odds ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval: 0.64, 2.06).

CONCLUSION

In pediatric patients with airway hypersensitivity, the use of cuffed ETTs did not increase the occurrence of RAEs or respiratory interventions after extubation.

Preoperative Challenges for Pediatric Ambulatory Surgery

The demand for ambulatory anesthesia in pediatric surgery has been increasing, reflecting a significant shift over recent decades toward performing a growing number of procedures in an outpatient setting.1 The growing shortage of pediatric anesthesiologists, coupled with an increase in pediatric ambulatory surgery volumes, will require general anesthesiologists to deliver anesthesia care to children. Children with prematurity, hypotonia, upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), obesity, and congenital heart disease (CHD) are frequently encountered in the ambulatory setting and present significant challenges for ambulatory anesthesiologists. In addition, the management of preoperative fasting, pregnancy testing, and perioperative anxiety further complicates the care of a pediatric patient. This review will examine the existing evidence and provide guidance for ambulatory anesthesiologists on preoperative considerations for pediatric patients undergoing ambulatory surgical procedures.

Preoperative preparation of children with upper respiratory tract infection: a focussed narrative review

This review summarises the current evidence for the perioperative preparation in children with upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), including COVID-19 infection. URTI, including COVID-19 infection, are common and frequent in children who present for elective surgery. Children with URTI are at increased risk of perioperative respiratory adverse events. Perioperative respiratory adverse events are among the most serious and impactful consequences of paediatric anaesthesia, including cardiorespiratory arrest, and therefore present a significant challenge for the paediatric anaesthetist. This review addresses the pathophysiology and time course of URTI, including COVID-19. The evidence-based patient, anaesthetic, and surgical risk factors for perioperative respiratory adverse events are summarised. These risk factors work synergistically to determine individual patient risk and allow for risk stratification both clinically and with validated scoring systems. Evidence-based optimisation of modifiable respiratory risk factors can reduce the risk of perioperative bronchospasm. The evidence for the anaesthesia management options, including the timing and setting of surgery, experience of the paediatric anaesthetist, premedication, choice of airway device, choice of agent for induction and maintenance of anaesthesia, and deep vs awake tracheal extubation techniques along with a risk stratification framework are discussed.

Early versus late removal of the I-Gel in paediatric patients with mild upper respiratory tract symptoms undergoing ambulatory ilioinguinal surgery: A prospective observational study

The optimal timing of I-Gel removal in children with mild respiratory symptoms remains controversial. Consequently, we tried to assess the impact of early versus late I-Gel removal on the incidence of perioperative respiratory adverse events among children aged one to five years undergoing ambulatory surgery under general anaesthesia with I-Gel airway ventilation. The anaesthesia protocol was the same for all patients. Children were divided into two groups according to the approach of I-Gel removal (early versus late). The incidence of perioperative respiratory adverse events after the I-Gel removal was the main outcome, and a multivariable regression was performed to investigate the implication of the I-Gel removal in perioperative respiratory adverse events. According to our study, the incidence of perioperative respiratory adverse events was not correlated to the timing of I-Gel removal. However, prolonged postoperative oxygen support can be seen when the I-Gel is removed in anaesthetized children.

Postoperative outcomes of pediatric patients with perioperative COVID-19 infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

OBJECTIVE

To quantify the risk of adverse postoperative outcomes in pediatric patients with COVID-19 infection.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library from December 2019 to 21 April 2023. Observational cohort studies that reported postoperative early mortality and pulmonary complications of pediatric patients with confirmed COVID-19-positive compared with COVID-19-negative were eligible for inclusion. We excluded pediatric patients underwent organ transplantation or cardiac surgery. Reviews, case reports, letters, and editorials were also excluded. We used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale to assess the methodological quality and risk of bias for each included study. The primary outcome was postoperative early mortality, defined as mortality within 30 days after surgery or during hospitalization. The random-effects model was performed to assess the pooled estimates, which were expressed as risk ratio (RR) or mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

9 studies involving 23,031 pediatric patients were included, and all studies were rated as high quality. Compared with pediatric patients without COVID-19, pediatric patients with COVID-19 showed a significantly increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) (RR = 4.24; 95% CI 2.08-8.64). No clear evidence was found for differences in postoperative early mortality (RR = 0.84; 95% CI 0.34-2.06), postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) admission (RR = 0.80; 95% CI 0.39-1.68), and length of hospital stay (MD = 0.35, 95% CI -1.81-2.51) between pediatric patients with and without COVID-19.

CONCLUSION

Perioperative COVID-19 infection was strongly associated with increased risk of PPCs, but it did not increase the risk of postoperative early mortality, the rate of postoperative ICU admission, and the length of hospital stay in pediatric patients. Our preplanned sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of our study findings.

Documentation of Assessments and Interventions Using a Pediatric Preoperative Risk Assessment Checklist in the Postanesthesia Care Unit: A Quality Improvement Initiative

PURPOSE

Describe the impact of the implementation of an evidence-based pediatric preoperative risk assessment (PPRA) checklist on the frequency of postanesthesia care unit (PACU) nursing assessments and interventions in children at risk for respiratory complications during emergence from anesthesia.

DESIGN

Prospective pre-/postdesign.

METHODS

Pediatric perianesthesia nurses assessed 100 children preintervention according to current standard. After nurses received pediatric preoperative risk factor (PPRF) education, another 100 children were assessed postintervention using the PPRA checklist. Pre-/postpatients were unmatched for statistical purposes due to two different groups. Frequency of PACU nursing respiratory assessments/interventions was evaluated.

FINDINGS

Demographic variables, risk factors, frequency of nursing assessments/interventions were summarized in pre-/postinterventions. Significant differences (P < .001) were noted between pre-/postintervention groups with increased frequency of postnursing assessments/interventions that correlated with increased risk factors and weighted risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

By identifying total PPRFs, PACU nurses used their plan of care to frequently assess and pre-emptively intervene with children who had increased risk factors to prevent or mitigate respiratory complications on emergence from anesthesia.

A machine-learning approach for decision support and risk stratification of pediatric perioperative patients based on the APRICOT dataset

BACKGROUND

Pediatric anesthesia has evolved to a high level of patient safety, yet a small chance remains for serious perioperative complications, even in those traditionally considered at low risk. In practice, prediction of at-risk patients currently relies on the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA-PS) score, despite reported inconsistencies with this method.

AIMS

The goal of this study was to develop predictive models that can classify children as low risk for anesthesia at the time of surgical booking and after anesthetic assessment on the procedure day.

METHODS

Our dataset was derived from APRICOT, a prospective observational cohort study conducted by 261 European institutions in 2014 and 2015. We included only the first procedure, ASA-PS classification I to III, and perioperative adverse events not classified as drug errors, reducing the total number of records to 30 325 with an adverse event rate of 4.43%. From this dataset, a stratified train:test split of 70:30 was used to develop predictive machine learning algorithms that could identify children in ASA-PS class I to III at low risk for severe perioperative critical events that included respiratory, cardiac, allergic, and neurological complications.

RESULTS

Our selected models achieved accuracies of >0.9, areas under the receiver operating curve of 0.6-0.7, and negative predictive values >95%. Gradient boosting models were the best performing for both the booking phase and the day-of-surgery phase.

CONCLUSIONS

This work demonstrates that prediction of patients at low risk of critical PAEs can be made on an individual, rather than population-based, level by using machine learning. Our approach yielded two models that accommodate wide clinical variability and, with further development, are potentially generalizable to many surgical centers.

The usefulness of a nasopharyngeal multiplex polymerase chain reaction system to screen pediatric patients with preoperative fever

BACKGROUND

When children have a preoperative fever, anesthesiologists must help determine whether to postpone or proceed with surgery, as fever may be a sign of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). Such infections are a known risk factor for perioperative respiratory adverse events (PRAEs), which are still one of the prime causes of anesthetic mortality and morbidity in pediatric patients. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, preoperative assessments have become drastically more complex as hospitals strive to balance practicality and safety. In our facility, if pediatric patients presented with preoperative fever, we used the FilmArray® Respiratory Panel 2.1 to determine whether to postpone or proceed with surgery.

METHODS

This is a single-center retrospective observational study evaluating the efficacy of the FilmArray® Respiratory Panel 2.1 as a preoperative screening test. This study included pediatric patients scheduled for elective surgeries between March 2021 and February 2022. FilmArray was used if a patient had a preoperative fever (determined by axillary temperature, ≥38°C for <1-year-old, ≥37.5°C for ≥1-year-old) between hospital admission and before surgery. We excluded patients if they had apparent symptoms of URTI.

RESULTS

In the FilmArray positive group, 11 of 25 (44%) cases developed subsequent symptoms after surgery was canceled. No patients in the negative group developed symptoms. The proportion of the development of subsequent symptoms between the FilmArray positive and negative groups was statistically significant (p < .001, odds ratio: 29.6, 95% confidence interval: [3.80-1356.01]).

CONCLUSIONS

Our retrospective observational study revealed that 44% of the FilmArray positive group subsequently developed symptoms, and no PRAEs were observed in the FilmArray negative group. We suggest that FilmArray could be useful as a screening test for pediatric patients with preoperative fever.

Predictors of perioperative respiratory adverse events among children with upper respiratory tract infection undergoing pediatric ambulatory ilioinguinal surgery: a prospective observational research

Objectives

Anesthesia for children with an upper respiratory tract infection (URI) has an increased risk of perioperative respiratory adverse events (PRAEs) that may be predicted according to the COLDS score. The aims of this study were to evaluate the validity of the COLDS score in children undergoing ilioinguinal ambulatory surgery with mild to moderate URI and to investigate new predictors of PRAEs.

Methods

This was a prospective observational study including children aged 1–5 years with mild to moderate symptoms of URI who were proposed for ambulatory ilioinguinal surgery. The anesthesia protocol was standardized. Patients were divided into two groups according to the incidence of PRAEs. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to assess predictors for PRAEs.

Results

In this observational study, 216 children were included. The incidence of PRAEs was 21%. Predictors of PRAEs were respiratory comorbidities (adjusted OR (aOR)=6.3, 95% CI 1.19 to 33.2; p=0.003), patients postponed before 15 days (aOR=4.3, 95% CI 0.83 to 22.4; p=0.029), passive smoking (aOR=5.31, 95% CI 2.07 to 13.6; p=0.001), and COLDS score of >10 (aOR=3.7, 95% CI 0.2 to 53.4; p=0.036).

Conclusions

Even in ambulatory surgery, the COLDS score was effective in predicting the risks of PRAEs. Passive smoking and previous comorbidities were the main predictors of PRAEs in our population. It seems that children with severe URI should be postponed to receive surgery for more than 15 days.

Do COVID-19 pandemic-related behavior changes affect perioperative respiratory adverse events in children undergoing cardiac interventional catheterization?

BACKGROUND

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) suddenly broke out in China in December 2019. Pandemic-related behavioral changes can cause perioperative respiratory adverse events in children with congenital heart disease (CHD). Here, we compared the incidence of perioperative respiratory adverse events (PRAEs) in CHD children with and without upper respiratory infection (URI) undergoing the cardiac catheterization before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

This prospective observational single-center study was based at a tertiary care center in Shanghai, China. A total of 359 children with CHD with and without recent URI were included between January 2019 and March 2021. The overall incidence of PRAEs (laryngospasm, bronchospasm, coughing, airway secretion, airway obstruction, and oxygen desaturation) in non-URI and URI children undergoing elective cardiac catheterization was compared before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A logistic regression model was fitted to identify the potential risk factors associated with PRAEs.

RESULTS

Of the 564 children enrolled, 359 completed the study and were finally analyzed. The incidence of URIs decreased substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic (14% vs. 41%, P < 0.001). Meanwhile, the overall PRAEs also significantly declined regardless of whether the child had a recent URI (22.3% vs. 42.3%, P = 0.001 for non-URI and 29.2% vs. 58.7%, P = 0.012 for URI, respectively). Post-operative agitation in children without URI occurred less frequently during the pandemic than before (2.3% vs. 16.2%, P = 0.001). Behaviors before the COVID-19 pandemic (odds ratio = 2.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.76-4.58) and recent URI (odds ratio = 1.79, 95% CI 1.09-2.92) were associated with PRAEs.

CONCLUSIONS

COVID-19 pandemic-related behavioral changes were associated with a reduction in PRAEs in non-URI and URI children undergoing elective therapeutic cardiac catheterization.

Peter SD, Fisher JC, Levy-Lambert D, Reichl A, Ignacio RC, Slater BJ, Tsao K, Berman L. Postoperative respiratory complications in SARS-CoV-2 positive pediatric patients across 20 United States hospitals: A Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION

Data examining rates of postoperative complications among SARS-CoV-2 positive children are limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 positive status on postoperative respiratory outcomes for children.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included SARS-CoV-2 positive pediatric patients across 20 hospitals who underwent general anesthesia from March to October 2020. The primary outcome was frequency of postoperative respiratory complications, including: high-flow nasal cannula/non invasive ventilation, reintubation, pneumonia, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), and 30-day respiratory-related readmissions or emergency department (ED) visits. Univariate analyses were used to evaluate associations between patient and procedure characteristics and stratified analyses by symptoms were performed examining incidence of complications.

RESULTS

Of 266 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, 163 (61.7%) were male, and the median age was 10 years (interquartile range 4-14). The majority of procedures were emergent or urgent (n = 214, 80.5%). The most common procedures were appendectomies (n = 78, 29.3%) and fracture repairs (n = 40,15.0%). 13 patients (4.9%) had preoperative symptoms including cough or dyspnea. 26 patients (9.8%) had postoperative respiratory complications, including 15 requiring high-flow oxygen, 8 with pneumonia, 4 requiring non invasive ventilation, 3 respiratory ED visits, and 2 respiratory readmissions. Respiratory complications were more common among symptomatic patients than asymptomatic patients (30.8% vs. 8.7%, p = 0.01). Higher ASA class and comorbidities were also associated with postoperative respiratory complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative respiratory complications are less common in asymptomatic versus symptomatic SARS-COV-2 positive children. Relaxation of COVID-19-related restrictions for time-sensitive, non urgent procedures in selected asymptomatic patients may be reasonably considered. Additionally, further research is needed to evaluate the costs and benefits of routine testing for asymptomatic patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Iii, Respiratory complications.

[Perioperative Complications in Pediatric Anesthesia]

Perioperative complications are more frequent in younger children, especially under the age of 3 years and in infants. The anatomy and physiology of children cause more respiratory adverse events compared to adult patients. Respiratory adverse events account for 60% of all anesthetic complications. Main risk factors for respiratory adverse events are upper respiratory tract infections. Keeping the airway management as noninvasive as possible helps prevent major complications.Perioperative hypotension can compromise cerebral oxygenation, especially when hypocapnia and anemia are present. Congenital heart disease leads to a higher cardiovascular adverse event rate and should be diagnosed preoperatively whenever possible.Venous and arterial cannulation is more challenging in children and complications are more frequent even for experienced practitioners. Ultrasound is an essential tool for peripheral venous access as well as for central venous catheterization.Medication errors are more common in pediatric than in adult patients. Charts and electronic calculation of dosing can increase safety of prescriptions. Standardized storage of medications at all workplaces, avoiding look-alike medications in the same compartment and storing high-risk medications separately help prevent substitution errors.Emergence delirium and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are the most frequent postoperative adverse events. For diagnosing emergence delirium, the PAED scale is a helpful tool. Prevention of emergence delirium by pharmacological and general measures plays a key role for patient outcome. Routine prophylaxis of PONV above the age of 3 years is recommended.Frequency and severity of perioperative adverse events in pediatric anesthesia can be reduced by using algorithms and defined processes to allow for structured actions. Efficient communication and organization are mainstays for utilizing all medical options to reduce the risk of complications.

Preanesthetic Evaluation and Preparation for Neurosurgical Procedures: An Indian Perspective

Background A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to determine the preanesthetic evaluation (PAE) practices among the members of the Indian Society of Neuroanesthesiology and Critical Care (ISNACC). The survey aimed to assess the current clinical practice of PAE and optimization of neurosurgical patients in India.

Methods An online questionnaire was designed by the working group of ISNACC and circulated among its active members. Response to individual questions was considered significant if 50% or more respondents concurred. The survey questions to which less than 50% of respondents concurred were identified as inconclusive results.

Results Out of 438 active ISNACC members, 218 responded. Responses were obtained from various parts of the country. The majority of participants were practicing neuroanesthesiology. Questions asked were regarding clinical assessment, preoperative optimization, prognostication, and airway management in neurosurgery. More than 50% of practitioners acceded to most of the questions; however, the percentage of responses varied across different questions (50–100%). The questions related to preoperative duplex scanning in chronically immobilized patients, preoperative cognitive testing, and risk stratification during neurosurgical procedures received an inconclusive response (< 50%).

Conclusion The survey highlights the variable PAE practices perused by ISNACC members across the country. A guideline for uniform PAE practices may help to enhance research and improve perioperative care.

Risk assessment and optimization strategies to reduce perioperative respiratory adverse events in pediatric anesthesia-Part 1 patient and surgical factors

Pediatric surgery cases are increasing worldwide. Within pediatric anesthesia, perioperative respiratory adverse events are the most common precipitant leading to serious complications. They can have intraoperative impact on the surgical procedure itself, lead to premature case termination and in addition may have postoperative impact resulting in longer hospitalization stays and costs. Although most perioperative respiratory adverse events can be promptly detected and managed, and will not lead to any sequelae, the risk of life-threatening progression remains. The incidence of respiratory adverse events increases in children with comorbid respiratory and/or nonrespiratory illnesses. Optimized perioperative patient care, risk-stratified care level choice, and practitioners with appropriate training allow for risk mitigation. This review will discuss patient and surgical risk factors with a focus on common patient comorbid illnesses and review scoring systems to quantify risk.

Development and Validation of a Risk Nomogram Model for Perioperative Respiratory Adverse Events in Children Undergoing Airway Surgery: An Observational Prospective Cohort Study

Purpose

The aim of this study was to explore the associated risk factors of perioperative respiratory adverse events (PRAEs) in children undergoing airway surgery and establish and validate a nomogram prediction model for PRAEs.

Patients and Methods

This study involved 709 children undergoing airway surgery between November 2020 and July 2021, aged ≤18 years in the affiliated hospital of Xuzhou Medical University. They were divided into training (70%; n = 496) and validation (30%; n = 213) cohorts. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to develop a risk nomogram model. Concordance index values, calibration plot, decision curve analysis, and the area under the curve (AUC) were examined.

Results

PRAEs were found in 226 of 496 patients (45.6%) and 88 of 213 patients (41.3%) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. The perioperative risk factors associated with PRAEs were age, obesity, degree of upper respiratory tract infection, premedication, and passive smoking. The risk nomogram model showed good discrimination power, and the AUC generated to predict survival in the training cohort was 0.760 (95% confidence interval, 0.695–0.875). In the validation cohort, the AUC of survival predictions was 0.802 (95% confidence interval, 0.797–0.895). Calibration plots and decision curve analysis showed good model performance in both datasets. The sensitivity and specificity of the risk nomogram model were calculated, and the result showed the sensitivity of 69.5% and 64.8% and specificity of 73.3% and 81.6% for the training and validation cohorts, respectively.

Conclusion

The present study showed the proposed nomogram achieved an optimal prediction of PRAEs in patients undergoing airway surgery, which can provide a certain reference value for predicting the high-risk population of perioperative respiratory adverse events and can lead to reasonable preventive and treatment measures.

A novel nomogram for predicting respiratory adverse events during transport after interventional cardiac catheterization in children

OBJECTIVE

The rate and predictors of respiratory adverse events (RAEs) during transport discharged from operating room after interventional cardiac catheterization in children remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and predictors, and to construct a nomogram for predicting RAEs during transport in this pediatric surgical treatment.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study enrolled 290 consecutive pediatric patients who underwent ventricular septal defects (VSD), atrial septal defects (ASD), and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) between February 2019 and December 2020. Independent predictors were used to develop a nomogram, and a bootstrap resampling approach was used to conduct internal validation. Composite RAEs were defined as the occurrence of at least 1 complication regarding laryngospasm, bronchospasm, apnea, severe cough, airway secretions, airway obstruction, and oxygen desaturation.

RESULTS

The rate of RAEs during transport was 23.1% (67 out of 290). Multivariate analysis identified age (vs. ≤3 years, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.507, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.268-0.958, P = 0.036), preoperative upper respiratory tract infections (URI, aOR = 2.335, 95% CI, 1.223-4.460, P = 0.01), type of surgery (vs. VSD, for ASD, aOR =  2.856, 95% CI, 1.272-6.411, P = 0.011; for PDA, aOR = 5.518, 95% CI, 2.425-12.553, P < 0.001), morphine equivalent (vs. ≤0.153 mg/kg, aOR = 2.904, 95% CI, 1.371-6.150, P = 0.005), atropine usage (aOR = 0.463, 95% CI, 0.244-0.879, P = 0.019), and RAEs during extubation to transport (aOR = 5.004, 95% CI, 2.633-9.511, P < 0.001) as independent predictors of RAEs during transport. These six candidate predictors were used to develop a nomogram, which showed a C-statistic value of 0.809 and good calibration (P = 0.844). Internal validation revealed similarly good discrimination (C-statistic, 0.782; 95% CI, 0.726-0.837) and calibration. Decision curve analysis (DCA) also demonstrated the clinical usefulness of the nomogram.

CONCLUSION

The high rate of RAEs during transport reminds us of the need for more medical care and attention. The proposed nomogram can reliably identify pediatric patients at high risk of RAEs during transport and guide clinicians to make proper transport plans. Our findings have important and meaningful implications for RAEs risk prediction, clinical intervention and healthcare quality control.

Perioperative respiratory adverse events in children undergoing triple endoscopy

OBJECTIVES

Children with aerodigestive disorders often have many of the reported risk factors for development of perioperative respiratory adverse events. This study sought to evaluate the incidence of such events in this group of patients undergoing general anesthesia for "triple endoscopy" (flexible bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage, rigid laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy) and to identify any patient-specific or procedure-specific risk factors associated with higher incidence of perioperative respiratory adverse events.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective chart review of children 18 years or younger who underwent triple endoscopy as part of an aerodigestive evaluation. Data collected from medical records included: preoperative polysomnography, symptoms of acute respiratory illness, medical comorbidities, demographics, postoperative hospital or intensive care unit admission, and all respiratory events and interventions in the perioperative period. Patient-specific and procedure-specific factors were investigated via univariate analysis for any correlations with perioperative respiratory adverse events.

RESULTS

Of the 122 patients undergoing triple endoscopy, 69 (57%) experienced a perioperative respiratory adverse event. We found no difference in the incidence of perioperative respiratory adverse events among children with documented lung disease compared with those with no lung disease (OR: 0.89, p = .8 95% CI: 0.43, 1.8), and no significant difference between those children who had a respiratory illness at the time of surgery, 1-2 weeks prior, 3-4 weeks prior, and those with no preceding respiratory illness. A higher percentage of males had a perioperative respiratory adverse event, compared with females (OR: 2.7, p = .01 95% CI: 1.3, 5.09).

CONCLUSION

Patients undergoing triple endoscopy for evaluation of aerodigestive disorders at our institution experienced perioperative respiratory adverse events at a rate of 57%.

Update on the safety of anesthesia in young children presenting for adenotonsillectomy

Tonsillectomy with and without adenoidectomy is a frequently performed surgical procedure in children. Although a common procedure, it is not without significant risk. It is critical for anesthesiologists to consider preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative patient factors and events to optimize safety, especially in young children. In the majority of cases, the indication for adenotonsillectomy in young children is obstructive breathing. Preoperative evaluation for patient comorbidities, especially obstructive sleep apnea, risk factors for a difficult airway, and history of recent illness are crucial to prepare the patient for surgery and develop an anesthetic plan. Communication and collaboration with the otolaryngologist is key to prevent and treat intraoperative events such as airway fires or hemorrhage. Postoperative analgesia planning is critical for safe pain control especially for those patients with a history of obstructive sleep apnea and opioid sensitivity. In young children, it is important to also consider the impact of anesthetic medications on the developing brain. This is an area of continuing research but needs to be weighed when planning for surgical treatment and when discussing risks and benefits with patients' families.

Effect of upper respiratory infection on anaesthesia induced atelectasis in paediatric patients

Upper respiratory tract infection (URI) symptoms are known to increase perioperative respiratory adverse events (PRAEs) in children undergoing general anaesthesia. General anaesthesia per se also induces atelectasis, which may worsen with URIs and yield detrimental outcomes. However, the influence of URI symptoms on anaesthesia-induced atelectasis in children has not been investigated. This study aimed to demonstrate whether current URI symptoms induce aggravation of perioperative atelectasis in children. Overall, 270 children aged 6 months to 6 years undergoing surgery were prospectively recruited. URI severity was scored using a questionnaire and the degree of atelectasis was defined by sonographic findings showing juxtapleural consolidation and B-lines. The correlation between severity of URI and degree of atelectasis was analysed by multiple linear regression. Overall, 256 children were finally analysed. Most children had only one or two mild symptoms of URI, which were not associated with the atelectasis score across the entire cohort. However, PRAE occurrences showed significant correspondence with the URI severity (odds ratio 1.36, 95% confidence interval 1.10–1.67, p = 0.004). In conclusion, mild URI symptoms did not exacerbate anaesthesia-induced atelectasis, though the presence and severity of URI were correlated with PRAEs in children.

Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03355547).

Hot Topics in Safety for Pediatric Anesthesia

Anesthesiology is one of the leading medical specialties in patient safety. Pediatric anesthesiology is inherently higher risk than adult anesthesia due to differences in the physiology in children. In this review, we aimed to describe the highest yield safety topics for pediatric anesthesia and efforts to ameliorate risk. Conclusions: Pediatric anesthesiology has made great strides in patient perioperative safety with initiatives including the creation of a specialty society, quality and safety committees, large multi-institutional research efforts, and quality improvement initiatives. Common pediatric peri-operative events are now monitored with multi-institution and organization collaborative efforts, such as Wake Up Safe.

Recognizing Risks and Optimizing Perioperative Care to Reduce Respiratory Complications in the Pediatric Patient

There have been significant advancements in the safe delivery of anesthesia as well as improvements in surgical technique; however, the perioperative period can still be high risk for the pediatric patient. Perioperative respiratory complications (PRCs) are some of the most common critical events that can occur in pediatric surgical patients and they can lead to increased length of hospitalization, worsened patient outcomes, and higher hospital and postoperative costs. It is important to determine the various factors that put pediatric patients at increased risk of PRCs. This will allow for more detailed and accurate informed consent, optimized perioperative management strategy, improved allocation of clinical resources, and, hopefully, better patient experience. There are only a few risk prediction models/scoring tools developed for and validated in the pediatric patient population, but they have been useful in helping identify the key factors associated with a high likelihood of developing PRCs. Some of these factors are patient factors, while others are procedure-related factors. Some of these factors may be modified such that the patient’s clinical status is optimized preoperatively to decrease the risk of PRCs occurring perioperatively. Fore knowledge of the factors that are not able to be modified can help guide allocation of perioperative clinical resources such that the negative impact of these non-modifiable factors is buffered. Additional training in pediatric anesthesia or focused expertise in pediatric airway management, vascular access and management of massive hemorrhage should be considered for the perioperative management of the less than 3 age group. Intraoperative ventilation strategy plays a key role in determining respiratory outcomes for both adult and pediatric surgical patients. Key components of lung protective mechanical ventilation strategy such as low tidal volume and moderate PEEP used in the management of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in pediatric intensive care units have been adopted in pediatric operating rooms. Adequate post-operative analgesia that balances pain control with appropriate mental status and respiratory drive is important in reducing PRCs.

Preoperative Risk Factors Associated With PACU Pediatric Respiratory Complications: An Integrative Review

PURPOSE

This article reviews state of the science of preoperative risk factors associated with postanesthesia care unit (PACU) pediatric respiratory complications.

DESIGN

An integrative review.

METHODS

A search of PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane, and Joanna Briggs Institute databases was performed. Thirty-one articles, published between 2006 and 2018, were appraised for quality and the level of evidence using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model.

FINDINGS

These articles were grouped into the following categories: age, American Society of Anesthesiologists status, gender, airway comorbidities, syndromes, anomalies, pulmonary comorbidities, ethnicity, obesity, neurologic comorbidities, and cardiac comorbidities.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence identified significant preoperative and anesthesia risk factors that are associated with PACU pediatric respiratory complications. This article reveals the importance for the perioperative team to identify, assess for, communicate, and develop a management plan for pediatric respiratory complications.