Perioperative management of children with neuromuscular disorders based on a common protocol: A prospective, national study in Italy

BACKGROUND

Children with neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) often display respiratory muscle weakness which increases the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after general anaesthesia. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) associated with mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (MI-E) can reduce the incidence and severity of PPCs. The aim of this study was to report our experience with a shared perioperative protocol that consists in using NIV combined with MI-E to improve the postoperative outcome of NMD children (IT-NEUMA-Ped).

METHOD

We conducted a multicentre, observational study on 167 consecutive paediatric patients with NMDs undergoing anaesthesia from December 2015 to December 2018 in a network of 13 Italian hospitals.

RESULTS

We found that 89% of the 167 children (mean age 8 years old) were at high risk of PPCs, due to the presence of at least one respiratory risk factor. In particular, 51% of them had preoperative ventilatory support dependence. Only 14 (8%) patients developed PPCs, and only two patients needed tracheostomy. Average hospital length of stay (LOS) was 6 (2-14) days. The study population was stratified according to preoperative respiratory devices dependency and invasiveness of the procedure. Patients with preoperative ventilatory support dependence showed significantly higher intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate and longer hospital LOS.

CONCLUSION

Disease severity seems to be more related to the outcome of this population than invasiveness of procedures. NIV combined with MI-E can help in preventing and resolve PPCs.

Efficacy and safety of exogenous surfactant therapy in patients under 12 months of age invasively ventilated for severe bronchiolitis (SURFABRON): protocol for a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, controlled, non-profit trial

INTRODUCTION

Some evidence indicates that exogenous surfactant therapy may be effective in infants with acute viral bronchiolitis, even though more confirmatory data are needed. To date, no large multicentre trials have evaluated the effectiveness and safety of exogenous surfactant in severe cases of bronchiolitis requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV).

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This is a multicentre randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, performed in 19 Italian paediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Eligible participants are infants under the age of 12 months hospitalised in a PICU, suffering from severe acute hypoxaemic bronchiolitis, requiring IMV. We adopted a more restrictive definition of bronchiolitis, including only infants below 12 months of age, to maintain the population as much homogeneous as possible. The primary outcome is to evaluate whether exogenous surfactant therapy (Curosurf, Chiesi Pharmaceuticals, Italy) is effective compared with placebo (air) in reducing the duration of IMV in the first 14 days of hospitalisation, in infants suffering from acute hypoxaemic viral bronchiolitis. Secondary outcomes are duration of non-invasive mechanical ventilation in the post-extubation phase, number of cases requiring new intubation after previous extubation within 14 days from randomisation, PICU and hospital length of stay (LOS), duration of oxygen dependency, effects on oxygenation and ventilatory parameters during invasive mechanical respiratory support, need for repeating treatment within 24 hours of first treatment, use of other interventions (eg, high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, nitric oxide, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), mortality within the first 14 days of PICU stay and before hospital discharge, side effects and serious adverse events.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The trial design and protocol have received approval by the Italian National Agency for Drugs (AIFA) and by the Regional Ethical Committee of Verona University Hospital (1494CESC). Findings will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals, conference/meeting presentations and media.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Clinicaltrials.gov, issue date 22 May 2019. NCT03959384.

A shared protocol for porcine surfactant use in pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome: a feasibility study

Background

Pediatric ARDS still represents a difficult challenge in Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU). Among different treatments proposed, exogenous surfactant showed conflicting results. Aim of this multicenter retrospective observational study was to evaluate whether poractant alfa use in pediatric ARDS might improve gas exchange in children less than 2 years old, according to a shared protocol.

Methods

The study was carried out in fourteen Italian PICUs after dissemination of a standardized protocol for surfactant administration within the Italian PICU network. The protocol provides the administration of surfactant (50 mg/kg) divided in two doses: the first dose is used as a bronchoalveolar lavage while the second as supplementation. Blood gas exchange variations before and after surfactant use were recorded.

Results

Sixty-nine children, age 0–24 months, affected by Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome treated with exogenous porcine surfactant were enrolled. Data collection consisted of patient demographics, respiratory variables and arterial blood gas analysis. The most frequent reasons for PICU admission were acute respiratory failure, mainly bronchiolitis and pneumonia, and septic shock. Fifty-four children (78.3%) had severe ARDS (define by oxygen arterial pressure and inspired oxygen fraction ratio (P/F) < 100), 15 (21.7%) had moderate ARDS (100 < P/F < 200). PO₂, P/F, Oxygenation Index (OI) and pH showed a significant improvement after surfactant use with respect to baseline (p < 0.001 at each included time-point for each parameter). No significant difference in blood gas variations were observed among four different subgroups of diseases (bronchiolitis, pneumonia, septic shock and others). Overall, 11 children died (15.9%) and among these, 10 (90.9%) had complex chronic conditions. Two children (18.2%) died while being treated with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO). Mortality for severe pARDS was 20.4%.

Conclusion

The use of porcine Surfactant improves oxygenation, P/F ratio, OI and pH in a population of children with moderate or severe pARDS caused by multiple diseases. A shared protocol seems to be a good option to obtain the same criteria of enrollment among different PICUs and define a unique way of use and administration of the drug for future studies.

Prolonged sedation in critically ill children: is dexmedetomidine a safe option for younger age? An off-label experience

BACKGROUND

Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is an alpha-2-adrenergic agonist, recently approved by Italian-Medicines-Agency for difficult sedation in pediatrics, but few data exist regarding prolonged infusions in critically-ill children, especially in younger ages. Aim of our study was to evaluate DEX use and safety for prolonged sedation in Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs).

METHODS

Patients receiving DEX for ≥24 hours were retrospectively evaluated to analyze DEX indications, dosages, use of analgesics or sedatives, adverse events (AEs), withdrawal syndrome or delirium.

RESULTS

Forty-seven patients (median 0.7years) from nine PICUs were enrolled. Main indications were adjuvant for drugs sparing (59.6%) and for analgosedation weaning (36.2%). Median infusion duration was 82.0 hours (IQR 62.2-126.0), with dosages between 0.4 (IQR 0.2-0.5) and 0.8 mcg/kg/h (IQR 0.6-1.2). Fifty-nine-percent of patients received other sedatives, 83% other analgesics. Twenty-one-percent presented withdrawal syndrome, 4.2% delirium, none of them DEX-related. Forty-six-percent experienced a potentially-DEX-related AE. AEs were all hemodynamic, 14.9% requiring intervention but none DEX interruption. The median minimum and maximum dosages were significantly higher in patients with AEs (0.5 vs. 0.3,P=0.001; 1.0 vs. 0.7,P<0.001), without correlations with the infusion duration. AEs rate was higher in patients receiving benzodiazepines (P=0.020) or more than one analgesic (P=0.003) and in those presenting withdrawal syndrome (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

DEX was confirmed as useful and relatively safe drug for prolonged sedation in critically-ill children, particularly in younger ages. Main AEs were cardiovascular, reversible, related with higher doses, with the concomitant use of benzodiazepines or multiple sedation drugs and with the presence of withdrawal syndrome.

Comparison of three sites to check the pulse and count heart rate in hypotensive infants

BACKGROUND

Current international guidelines state that heart rate counted at the brachial pulse must be absent or <60 b x min(-1) to diagnose cardiac arrest. Some data suggest that this site may not be the best to check cardiac activity. Hypotension is a likely real scenario of the need for chest compressions in infants. We compared the performance of three sites of pulse palpation (brachial, carotid, and femoral) for detecting and counting heartbeat in hypotensive infants.

METHODS

In an operating theater of a pediatric teaching hospital in Italy, we studied 40 anesthetized hypotensive infants just prior to surgery, checked by two doctors and two nurses by a cross-sectional, repeated-measures study design. Each examiner, blind to the monitoring data of the patient, was asked to find the infant's arterial pulse within 10 s and count heart rate for 15 s. During each examination, the order of the three sites was randomized.

RESULTS

Among successful detections, femoral pulse palpation resulted as the most successful, rapid, and accurate site to detect and count heart rate in hypotensive infants.

CONCLUSIONS

Femoral palpation proved to be the best site for detecting heartbeat and counting heart rate in hypotensive infants. These findings challenge the current guidelines. More data are needed, but the current standard of brachial pulse assessment is debatable.

Heartbeat assessment in infants: a comparison of four clinical methods

OBJECTIVE

To compare the performance of four clinical methods (apex ear auscultation; brachial, carotid, and femoral pulse palpation) for detecting and counting heart beat in infants.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional, repeated-measures study design. Prospective data collection.

SETTING

A postanesthesia care unit of a pediatric teaching hospital in Italy.

PATIENTS

Fifty-six normotensive sedated infants, aged 1-12 mos, were evaluated by 14 pediatric basic life support (PBLS)-qualified health professionals.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The proportion of successful heartbeat detections ranged from 60% with carotid pulse palpation to 98% with apex auscultation. Among successful detections, apex auscultation proved to be the most rapid way to detect heart rate (median, 4 secs) and the most accurate with a median discrepancy of 8 beats/min (vs. 12 with the other methods) from the electrocardiographic results. Differences between apex auscultation and pulse palpation were statistically significant (p < .0001). In contrast, no significant differences were found among the three methods of pulse checking.

CONCLUSIONS

Apex listening is the most successful, rapid, and accurate method to detect and count the heartbeat by PBLS-certified professionals in normotensive infants without instruments. Pulse checking remains important for assessing the effectiveness of circulation. Palpating the brachial, carotid, or femoral pulse is equally effective.

Acute airway obstruction in an infant with Pierre Robin syndrome after palatoplasty

This report describes a complication of post-operative oedema of the palate, tongue and pharynx after a Perko-revised cleft palate repair, which resulted in a life-threatening airway obstruction in an infant with Pierre Robin syndrome. Although infants experiencing airway problems after Wardill-Kilner, von Langenbeck and Furlow palatoplasty have been described, airway complications in a group of Perko-revised repair children have not been previously reported. We speculate that this complication, which occurred in the absence of a history of previous airway problems, is due to prolonged operating time and excessive pressure exerted on the base of the tongue by the Kilner-Doughty retractor. Acknowledgments of this risk permits to identify those patients prior to surgery so that they can be managed appropriately.

[ARDS in a severe case of primary pulmonary infection caused by Legionella pneumophila]

The authors report a case of ARDS following pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila, in a thirty year old young man. Mechanical ventilation was maintained for twenty days. The gravity of ARDS and pneumonia, perhaps was caused because infective agent and the efficacious antibiotic were identified too late: twelve days after the comparison of symptoms. In fact, early laboratory diagnosis of Legionella pneumonia, is currently very difficult. A primitive extranocosomial pneumonia with rapid development to ARDS, in a good health young man, is an uncommon event. The exclusion of particular causes of ARDS, such as narcotic over-dose, AIDS, lung cancer, lymphatic carcinomatosis, and the clinical suspicion of Legionella pneumonia presence, can be useful: waiting for the right diagnosis from the laboratory, it will be possible to begin antibiotic therapy with Erythromycin (often used for slight respiratory infections), and to prevent the evolution of illness.

[Effectiveness of regional anesthesia for loco-regional carotid surgery. Retrospective review of 147 interventions]

The Authors present a retrospective review that compares general anesthesia with regional anesthesia performed during carotid endarterectomy surgery. The study includes 147 procedures, performed on 144 patients: 76 had general anesthesia and 71 had regional anesthesia. After emphasizing the importance of conscience preservation during regional anesthesia to allow a simple and secure monitoring of the patient's neurologic functions, the Authors point out the decrease of peri- and postoperative accidents, whether neurologic or not, obtained with regional anesthesia. Another essential advantage of this technique is the possibility to insert the transitory shunt only when objectively necessary, ulteriorly reducing neurologic complications. Cervical plexus block is primarily indicated for high risk patients with instable neurologic simptomatology, severe stenosis of the contralateral carotid, coronary heart disease. The technique has proved to be of easy execution, safe and well accepted by the patient and the surgeon.