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a Sibley Heart Center Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
b Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
Accepted for publication January 30, 2009.
* Address correspondence to Dr Maher, Sibley Heart Center Cardiology, McGill Building, 2835 Brandywine, Suite 300, Atlanta, GA 30341 (Email: maherk{at}kidsheart.com).
| Abstract |
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Methods: We reviewed the first 48 hours of postoperative hemodynamic data on 50 patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome at our institution who underwent the Norwood procedure. Cerebral oxygen saturation data within 48 hours of surgery were analyzed for association with subsequent adverse outcome, which was defined as intensive care unit length of stay greater than 30 days, need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or hospital death after 48 hours.
Results: There were 18 adverse events among the 50 subjects. The mean cSaO2 for the entire cohort at 1 hour, 4 hours, and 48 hours after surgery was 51% ± 7.5%, 50% ± 9.4%, and 59% ± 8.1%, respectively. Mean cSaO2 for the first 48 postoperative hours of less than 56% was a risk factor for subsequent adverse outcome (odds ratio 11.9, 95% confidence interval: 2.5 to 55.8). Mean cerebral NIRs of less than 56% over the first 48 hours after surgery yielded a sensitivity of 75.0% and a specificity of 79.4% to predict those at risk for subsequent adverse events.
Conclusions: Low regional cerebral oxygen saturation by NIRS in the first 48 hours after the Norwood procedure has a strong association with subsequent adverse outcome. Monitoring of cerebral saturation can serve as a valuable monitoring tool and can identify patients at risk for poor outcome.
| Introduction |
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| Patients and Methods |
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Cerebral saturation was measured using Somanetics INVOS probes and monitors (INVOS Somanetics, Troy, MI). The probe transmits light at wavelengths of 730 and 810 nm, providing a continuous representation of regional hemoglobin saturation by evaluating the absorption and reflection characteristics of hemoglobin in the cerebral cortex. At our institution, probes are placed on both sides of the forehead and results are displayed on bedside NIRS monitors. Cerebral saturation was recorded every 30 minutes by the bedside nurse. The first 48 postoperative hours of cSaO2 data were reviewed. Additionally, lactic acid, mean blood pressure, oxygen saturation, heart rate, intensive care unit time, and ventilatory time were recorded. Cerebral SaO2 was analyzed for association with subsequent adverse outcome. Adverse outcome was defined as hospital death, need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or cardiac intensive care unit length of stay greater than 30 days. Review of cSaO2 results from left- versus right-sided NIRS probes was completed, as was comparison of cSaO2 results based on the source of pulmonary blood flow.
Operative Procedure
After initiation of general anesthesia and cardiopulmonary bypass, 0.2 mg/kg phentolamine is administered. Regional arterial inflow is provided through a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) shunt anastomosed to the innominate artery and a second cannula in the patent ductus arteriosus at the surgeon's discretion. The patient is cooled to a core temperature of 18°C over a minimum of 20 minutes using pH stat blood gas management. After cardioplegic arrest, selective cerebral perfusion is maintained through the innominate artery shunt at 25 to 30 mL · kg–1 · min–1 during the aortic reconstruction, which is typically performed with a pulmonary homograft patch. An atrial septectomy is performed, and pulmonary blood flow is established with a 5-mm to 6-mm ringed PTFE right ventricle to pulmonary artery (RV-PA) conduit leading to the pulmonary bifurcation or with a 3.5 mm PTFE modified Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt. Choice of source of pulmonary blood flow is made based on randomization due to participation in the the National Institutes of Health–funded multicenter randomized Single Ventricle Reconstruction Trial or at the discretion of the surgeon. Sternal closure is performed in the operating room at the discretion of the surgeon at the end of the case.
Postoperative Management
Patients are admitted to a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit. Inotropic support is typically milrinone (0.5 to 1.0 µg · kg–1 · min–1), and low-dose dopamine is used. Volume ventilation is adjusted to produce pCO2 in the 35 to 45 range: FiO2 is 0.21 to 0.5 for the majority of patients, keeping systemic saturations 75% to 85%. The hematocrit is maintained between 40% and 50%. All patients were on mechanical ventilation during the first 48 hours of postoperative care. Patients do not routinely receive neuromuscular blockade.
Statistics
Data are presented as mean and standard deviation or median and range, where appropriate. Low cSaO2 was defined as any measurement of less than 56%. Statistical analysis was completed using Fisher's exact test, Student's t test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Statistical significance was defined as p less than 0.05. Analysis was performed with STATA 6.0 (STATA Corp, College Station, TX).
A general linear model repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to compare cerebral NIRs values between patients with and without subsequent adverse events. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to identify optimal cutpoint that maximized the probability of correctly identifying those at greatest risk of decompensation, using dichotomous adverse event as the classifier. The ROC analysis is a graphical and quantitative technique which, for a given continuous criterion variable X, can determine an optimal cutpoint c for a classified decision. Here, the criterion variable X is mean cerebral NIRs in the first 48 hours after surgery. We used a bootstrap approach to build confidence intervals for optimizing c and its corresponding optimal sensitivity and specificity. A greater degree of separation between the distributions of those with and without adverse events will result in a higher area under the ROC curve. Paradoxically, this can result in a wider confidence interval for the cutpoint because of the flatness of the objective function. For the form of our rule, increasing the cutpoint cSaO2 will increase sensitivity and decrease specificity for identifying those with adverse events.
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| Comment |
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Tweddell and colleagues [10, 11] have advocated continuous monitoring of systemic venous saturation (SvO2) with indwelling catheters as part of the postoperative management of the Norwood procedure. These investigators demonstrated that SvO2 was strongly correlated with clinical outcome and may be predictive of later neurodevelopmental status [10, 11]. Complications were predicted by higher systemic oxygen saturation, lower heart rate, higher inspired oxygen requirement, lower pH, younger age, and lower SvO2. However, SvO2 was the only marker that was associated with mortality. In a study by Bhutta and coworkers [12], NIRS estimation of cSaO2 correlated well with mixed venous oxygenation in children with biventricular anatomy. In a recent study by Kirshbom and colleagues [13] of our program, NIRS was compared with superior vena cava saturation obtained during catheterization of single-ventricle patients. They demonstrated that cSaO2 is closely correlated with superior vena cava saturation in patients with this type of anatomy [13]. As SvO2 has been shown to correlate with survival as well as with the NIRS estimate of cSaO2, one might predict that cSaO2 would also be predictive of outcome from the Norwood procedure. The NIRS estimation of cSaO2 has the advantage of being noninvasive; it can be used in both the inpatient and outpatient setting, and will not put venous vessels at risk of thrombosis. In addition, no known infectious complications are associated with its use.
Patients with a BT shunt Norwood tended to have a lower mean cSaO2 as compared with the RV-PA conduit patients, with a p value of 0.054. Although the small sample size (only 9 patients in the BT shunt group) limits the power of this study to clearly delineate the association between source of pulmonary blood flow and postoperative cSaO2 in Norwood patients, this is an interesting trend that merits further study. The reasons for a lower cSaO2 may be explained by known differences in pulmonary and systemic blood flow (Qp and Qs) for these patients. Maher and coworkers [14] and others [15, 16] have previously demonstrated a higher ratio of pulmonary to systemic blood flow for the BT shunt Norwood in comparison with the RV- PA conduit patients. This increase in systemic blood flow for the RV-PA conduit patients may account for the increased cSaO2.
Several types of monitoring are performed in the neonate after the Norwood procedure to assess overall stability and cardiovascular hemodynamics. These include sVO2, cSaO2, oxygen saturation, arterial pressure, intracardiac pressures, lactic acid level, arterial blood gas, and base deficit. Li and colleagues [4] recently demonstrated the strong correlation of cSaO2 with systolic blood pressure, systemic saturation, systemic blood flow and oxygen delivery. Many of the determinants of cSaO2 for these patients are individually followed postoperatively after the Norwood procedure. Determination of cSaO2 by NIRS may provide an overall assessment of cardiovascular status of these patients, with the result being based on a number of important physiologic variables. Perhaps more importantly is the ability to have a continuous evaluation of cSaO2, allowing for the monitoring of trends in cSaO2. This type of monitoring can also alert the clinician to additional causes of cardiovascular compromise. In one case report, when a pericardial effusion developed several days after the Norwood procedure, the cSaO2 dropped significantly while the other noninvasive and invasive measures of cardiac hemodynamic status remained stable, leading to echocardiography and diagnosis of pericardial effusion [17].
A lower cerebral saturation in the early postoperative period is associated with a higher risk for adverse events. Knowing the hourly normative values can assist in the continuous postoperative evaluation of these patients. Data from the current study as well as prior research demonstrate that cSaO2 is typically in the low 50s upon arrival from the operating room and gradually rises into the high 50s and low 60s in the first 2 postoperative days [4]. A persistently low cSaO2 or a decrease in the cSaO2 should cause further evaluation and intervention for these patients. The ability to observe these changes early and monitor continuously may improve outcomes for these high risk patients in a similar fashion as SvO2 measurement. The extent to which caregivers can improve or modify a low cSaO2 is not well understood. Interventions such as transfusion of red blood cells, addition of inotropic support, or sedation are strategies that may increase cSaO2 in this patient population.
Study Limitations
The retrospective nature of this investigation and relatively small sample population may limit generalizations of these findings. Further research is required to determine whether changes in operative technique or postoperative management aimed at increasing cSaO2 will improve outcome for patients undergoing the Norwood procedure.
In conclusion, low cerebral oxygen saturation as measured by NIRS is predictive of subsequent adverse outcome in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome after the Norwood procedure. Monitoring of the cerebral saturation after the Norwood procedure provides additional hemodynamic information that can be used as a part of the postoperative management for these patients.
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