Safety of Normothermic Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery: A System Review and Meta-Analysis

Objectives: Hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (HCPB) has been used successfully in cardiac surgery for more than half a century, although adverse effects have been reported with its use. Many studies on temperature management during CPB published to date have shown that normothermic CPB (NCPB) provides more benefits to children undergoing cardiac surgery. The present meta-analysis investigated the effect of NCPB on clinical outcomes based on results of randomized controlled trials and observational studies on pediatric cardiac surgery.Methods: Databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Clinical Trials.gov were searched from inception to May 2021 to identify relevant studies published in English.Results: The present meta-analysis included 13 studies characterizing a total of 837 pediatric patients. The random effects model exhibited that the NCPB group had reduced revision for postoperative bleeding [odds ratio (OR): 0.11; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.01–0.89; I2 = 0%, P = 0.04], serum lactate 2–4 h after CPB (mean difference: −0.60; 95% CI: −1.09 to −0.11; I2 = 82%, P = 0.02), serum creatinemia 24 h after CPB (mean difference: −2.73; 95% CI: −5.06 to −0.39; I2 = 83%, P = 0.02), serum creatinemia 48 h after CPB (mean difference: −2.08; 95% CI: −2.78 to −1.39; I2 = 0%, P < 0.05), CPB time (mean difference: −19.10, 95% CI: −32.03 to −6.18; I2 = 96%, P = 0.04), and major adverse events (OR: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.15–0.93; Z = 2.12, P = 0.03) after simple congenital surgery compared with the HCPB group.Conclusion: NCPB is as safe as HCPB in pediatric congenital heart surgery. Moreover, NCPB provides more advantages than HCPB in simple congenital heart surgery.

Efficacy of Short-Term Oral Prednisolone Treatment in the Management of Pericardial Effusion Following Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

A standard treatment for pericardial effusion without cardiac tamponade after pediatric cardiac surgery has not been established. We evaluated the efficacy of short-term oral prednisolone administration, which is the initial treatment for postoperative pericardial effusion without cardiac tamponade at our institution. Between October 2008 and March 2020, 1429 pediatric cardiac surgeries were performed at our institution. 91 patients required postoperative treatment for pericardial effusion. 81 were treated with short-term oral prednisolone. Pericardial effusion was evaluated using serial echocardiography during diastole. Pericardial drainage was performed for patients with circumferential pericardial effusion with a maximum diameter of ≥ 10 mm or signs of cardiac tamponade. Short-term oral prednisolone treatment was administered to patients with circumferential pericardial effusion with a maximum diameter of < 10 mm or localized pericardial effusion with a maximum diameter of ≥ 5 mm. Patients with localized pericardial effusion with a maximum diameter of < 5 mm were observed. Prednisolone (2 mg/kg/day) was administered orally for 3 days, added as needed. Short-term oral prednisolone treatment was effective in 71 cases and 90% of patients were regarded as responders. The remaining patients were deemed non-responders who required pericardial drainage. Overall, 55 responders were deemed early responders whose pericardial effusion disappeared within 3 days. There were no cases of deaths, infections, or recurrence of pericardial effusion. The amount of drainage fluid on the day of surgery was higher in the non-responders. In conclusion, short-term oral prednisolone treatment is effective and safe for treating pericardial effusion without cardiac tamponade after pediatric cardiac surgery.

Impact of the nutritional status of children with congenital heart diseases on the early post-operative outcome

Background Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) frequently become malnourished due to many factors including hypermetabolic state, inadequate caloric intake, malabsorption, and fluid restriction as part of the hemodynamic intervention. The abnormal nutritional status may affect early outcome after pediatric cardiac surgery; we aim to prove the importance of nutritional assessment and patient nutritional preparation before performing pediatric cardiac surgery. Results We conducted a prospective observational cohort study from March 2013 till January 2015. All children from birth until 14 years of age admitted to the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU) after cardiac surgery. Nutritional status was assessed preoperatively and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) was calculated. All post-operative outcome parameters, PCICU and hospital length of stay (LOS), ventilation time, the rate of infection, and ICU mortality were recorded. Two hundred fifty-nine children were evaluated. At admission, 179 patients (69%) had intake less than 50% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calories intake. There was a statistically significant relationship between pre-admission RDA and the infection rate (P value 0.018). Severely malnourished patients had significantly longer ICU length of stay (LOS) (P value = 0.049). Similarly, weight and height percentiles have a significant effect on ICU LOS (P value 0.009 and 0.045) respectively. There was a significant relation between PNI ≥ 55 and the ICU LOS (P < 0.05), and ventilation time (P = 0.036). Delay in feeding postoperatively was associated with a higher risk of infection (P = 0.005), and higher mortality (P = 0.03). Conclusions Children with CHD were significantly malnourished preoperatively and had further weight loss postoperatively. Preoperative nutritional status and delayed postoperative enteral feeding were associated with a higher infection rate and mortality.

Hypogammaglobulinemia as a Predictive Factor of Postoperative Complications in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

Hypogammaglobulinemia, developed as a result of cardiac surgery accompanied by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), may be caused by hemodilution, destruction of immunoglobulin, extravasation into the interstitial space related to systemic inflammation, and capillary leak syndrome. Therefore, to address this gap, we analyzed the characteristics of the infants who developed hypogammaglobulinemia after cardiac surgery and could benefit from Immunoglobulin supplementation. Methods: This is a retrospective study evaluating infants undergoing surgery for repair of congenital heart defects from October 1, 2019 to June 30th, 2020 in the neonatal unit of our institution. Due to its retrospective design, informed consent was not required. Patients were divided in two groups: Group 1 (IgG >= 340mg/dL) and Group 2 (IgG < 340mg/dL). The value cut point was defined taking into consideration p10 level of Immunoglobulin according to Fujimura. Results: From October 1, 2019 to June 30th, 2020, 62 children were born or admitted in our neonatal unit. Among them, 19 (30%) have their IgG dosed, according to attending physician decision. Among patients with hypogammaglobulinemia, Pseudomonas sp was present in 87.5% of blood stream and/or tracheal secretion cultures. Regarding survival analysis, mortality was not different between Group 1 and 2. Conclusion: Hypogammaglobulinemia has proved to be a predictor factor of postoperative complications in pediatric cardiac surgery. However, prospective trials are needed to determine the incidence of this problem, its real impact on survival, and the appropriate therapy.