Difficult intubation management in a child with I-cell disease

Anaesthesia-Relevant Disease Manifestations and Perianaesthetic Complications in Patients with Mucolipidosis—A Retrospective Analysis of 44 Anaesthetic Cases in 12 Patients

Mucolipidosis (ML) type II, intermediate, and III are lysosomal storage disorders with progressive multiorgan manifestations predisposing patients to a high risk of perioperative morbidity. The aims of the study were to systematically assess disease manifestations relevant to anaesthesia as well as anaesthesia-related complications. This retrospective study includes ML patients who underwent anaesthesia in two centres between 2008 and 2022. We reviewed patients’ demographics, medical history, disease manifestations, as well as procedure- and outcome-related data. A total of 12 patients (7 MLII, 2 ML intermediate, 3 MLIII) underwent 44 anaesthesia procedures (per patient: median 3, range 1–11). The median age was 3.3 years (range 0.1–19.1). At least one complication occurred in 27.3% of the anaesthesia procedures. The vast majority of complications (94%) occurred in children with MLII and ML intermediate. A predicted difficult airway was found in 100% and 80% of the MLII and ML intermediate patients, respectively. Accordingly, most complications (59%) occurred during the induction of anaesthesia. Altogether, respiratory complications were the most frequent (18%), followed by difficult airway management (14%). The risk for anaesthesia-related complications is alarmingly high in patients with ML, particularly in those with MLII and ML intermediate. Multidisciplinary risk–benefit analysis and thoughtful anaesthesia planning are crucial in these patients.

Perioperative management of patients with Mucolipidosis II and III: Lessons from a case series

Mucolipidosis (ML) II and III are complex lysosomal storage disorders characterized by progressive multisystem pathology which can pose challenges to the anesthetist and increase the risks associated with general anesthesia. We sought to review the management of patients with ML II and III undergoing anesthesia in our institution in order to better define recommendations for the preoperative assessment and optimization of these children. We further elected to analyze the conduct of anesthesia, intraoperative management, and perioperative complications that our patients had experienced in order to allow improved informed consent and anesthetic planning. We performed a retrospective examination of the medical notes of those patients who had undergone anesthesia in our institution to identify their clinical features, anesthetic technique, airway management, and perioperative complications. Five children underwent 11 episodes of anesthesia. Fiber-optic or videolaryngoscopy was utilized in six out of seven intubations, with four out of seven requiring a change from the method initially chosen to enable intubation. Four of the five patients had an abnormal echocardiogram. Three patients had radiological evaluation of their cervical spine, with two demonstrating abnormalities. One patient had changes suggesting instability at the atlantoaxial junction. Children and babies with ML II and III present multisystem challenges to the anesthetist. Multidisciplinary planning and assessment, followed by a discussion of risk, should proceed any elective surgery. These complex children should undergo elective anesthesia delivered by an experienced (pediatric) anesthetist in an appropriate tertiary center with on-site pediatric ENT and critical care support.

Airway management and perioperative adverse events in children with mucopolysaccharidoses and mucolipidoses: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Children suffering from mucopolysaccharidoses (subtypes I, II, III, IV, VI, and VII) or mucolipidoses often require anesthesia, but are at high risk for perioperative adverse events. However, the impact of the disease subtype and the standard of care for airway management are still unclear.

AIMS

This study aimed to assess independent risk factors for perioperative adverse events in individuals with mucopolysaccharidoses/mucolipidoses and to analyze the interaction with the primary airway technique implemented.

METHODS

This retrospective study included individuals with mucopolysaccharidoses/mucolipidoses who underwent anesthesia at two high-volume centers from 2002 to 2016. The data were analyzed in a multivariate hierarchical model, accounting for repeated anesthesia procedures within the same patient and for multiple events within a single anesthesia.

RESULTS

Of 141 identified inpatients, 67 (63 mucopolysaccharidoses and 4 mucolipidoses) underwent 269 anesthesia procedures (study cases) for 353 surgical or diagnostic interventions. At least one perioperative adverse event occurred in 25.6% of the cases. The risk for perioperative adverse events was higher in mucopolysaccharidoses type I (OR 8.0 [1.5-42.7]; P = .014) or type II (OR 8.8 [1.3-58.6]; P = .025) than in type III. Fiberoptic intubation through a supraglottic airway was associated with the lowest risk for perioperative adverse events and lowest conversion rate. Direct laryngoscopy was associated with a significantly higher risk for airway management problems than indirect techniques (estimated event rates 47.8% vs 10.1%, OR 24.05 [5.20-111.24]; P < .001). The risk for respiratory adverse events was significantly higher for supraglottic airway (22.6%; OR 31.53 [2.79-355.88]; P = .001) and direct laryngoscopy (14.8%; OR 14.70 [1.32-163.44]; P = .029) than for fiberoptic intubation through a supraglottic airway (2.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

The disease subtype and primary airway technique were the most important independent risk factors for perioperative adverse events. Our findings indicate that in MPS/ML children with predicted difficult airway indirect techniques should be favored for the first tracheal intubation attempt.