Depth of anesthesia, temperature, and postoperative delirium in children and adolescents undergoing cardiac surgery

BACKGROUND

After pediatric cardiosurgical interventions, postoperative delirium can occur, which can be associated with undesirable consequences during and after the hospital stay. It is therefore important to avoid any factors causing delirium as far as possible. Electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring can be used during anesthesia to individually adjust dosages of hypnotically acting drugs. It is necessary to gain knowledge about the relationship between intraoperative EEG and postoperative delirium in children.

METHODS

In a dataset comprising 89 children (53 male, 36 female; median age: 0.99 (interquartile range: 0.51, 4.89) years) undergoing cardiac surgery involving use of a heart-lung machine, relationships between depth of anesthesia as measured by EEG (EEG index: Narcotrend Index (NI)), sevoflurane dosage, and body temperature were analyzed. A Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium (CAP-D) score ≥ 9 indicated delirium.

RESULTS

The EEG could be used in patients of all age groups for patient monitoring during anesthesia. In the context of induced hypothermia, EEG monitoring supported individually adjusted sevoflurane dosing. The NI was significantly correlated with the body temperature; decreasing temperature was accompanied by a decreasing NI. A CAP-D score ≥ 9 was documented in 61 patients (68.5%); 28 patients (31.5%) had a CAP-D < 9. Delirious patients with an intubation time ≤ 24 h showed a moderate negative correlation between minimum NI (NImin) and CAP-D (rho = -0.41, 95% CI: -0.70 - -0.01, p = 0.046), i.e., CAP-D decreased with increasing NImin. In the analysis of all patients' data, NImin and CAP-D showed a weak negative correlation (rho = -0.21, 95% CI: -0.40 - 0.01, p = 0.064). On average, the youngest patients had the highest CAP-D scores (p = 0.002). Patients with burst suppression / suppression EEG had a longer median intubation time in the intensive care unit than patients without such EEG (p = 0.023). There was no relationship between minimum temperature and CAP-D score.

CONCLUSIONS

The EEG can be used to individually adjust sevoflurane dosing during hypothermia. Of the patients extubated within 24 h and classified as delirious, patients with deeper levels of anesthesia had more severe delirium symptoms than patients with lighter levels of anesthesia.

[Frequency, pattern and differential diagnosis of echogenic splenic changes: sonographic follow-up study]

AIM

This study analyzes frequency, sonographic pattern and differential diagnosis of echogenic splenic foci and the value of ultrasound follow-up examinations.

METHOD

Clinical data and ultrasound examinations of 137 patients with echogenic splenic foci were evaluated. Patients with uncertain diagnosis were identified and underwent a second examination (n = 31).

RESULTS

Echogenic splenic foci are extremely rare. We found 137 cases in 12 1/2 years (12.2 of 10,000 ultrasound examinations). 5 sonographic patterns with differing but characteristic differential diagnosis were seen (round echogenic, round echogenic with halo and/or central liquefaction, round predominantly echogenic with hypoechoic parts, echogenic wedge-form, calcifications or gas). In patients with underlying malignant disorders the splenic foci were benign in 26 cases (34.7%), malignant in 36 cases (48.0%), and in 13 cases (17.3%) the diagnosis was uncertain. In patients with benign disorders the foci themselves were benign in 59 cases (95%), and in 3 cases (5%) the diagnosis was uncertain.

CONCLUSION

Echogenic splenic foci are rare. Distinguishing between benign and malignant foci based upon sonographic patterns alone is only possible in exceptional cases. Short term follow-up ultrasound examinations taking into consideration the patients' underlying disease lead to the correct diagnosis in most cases.

[Focal echogenic splenic involvement in malignant lymphoma: a diagnostic problem]

AIM

The aim of our study was to describe clinical data, frequency of the findings, sonographic patterns, confirmation of diagnosis, and differential diagnosis of focal echorich splenic lymphoma involvement.

PATIENTS

During the last 20 years a focal splenic lesion was found in 178 patients with malignant lymphoma. Echorich splenic lesions were seen in 11 out of 178 cases (6.2%).

METHODS

Splenic size, echomorphology of lesions, size and number of lesions, and presentation during sonographic follow-up examination were presented.

RESULTS

Echorich infiltrates of the spleen were predominantly seen in patients with low grade Non-Hodgkin-Lymphoma (9 out of 11), the size of lesions mostly was less than 3 cm in diameter (9 out of 11), the underlying splenic size was over 8 x 20 cm in 9 out of 11 patients. Diagnosis was confirmed by sonographic follow-up (n = 11) and autopsy (n = 1).

CONCLUSION

Echorich splenic lymphoma involvement is a rare event and is characterised by a variable presentation during follow-up. Up to date the clinic significance of our observation is still unclear.