Although BIS, AAI, and CePROP were influenced by remifentanil during propofol administration, their ability to detect OAA/S and LORlash remained accurate. Improved performance is obtained when BIS and AAI are measured in conjunction with drug targeted effect-site concentrations. Remifentanil decreases the ability of these independent variables to detect LORnoxious.

secutive neonates of less than 2,500 g underwent early surgery for congenital heart disease. A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate the early to medium term outcome.Methods. Major cardiac surgery for congenital heart defects included a complete correction in 31 patients (group I) and a palliative procedure in 18 patients (group II). Mean age at operation was 15.2 days (1 day-90 days) and mean weight was 2,190 g (1,300 g-2,500 g). Twentyfour children (49%) were born prematurely. All neonates were critically ill and 47% were already ventilated preoperatively. Heart defects included mainly ventricular septal defect (10), tetralogy of Fallot complexes (8), aortic coarctation (8), transposition complexes (7), single ventricle anomalies (4), pulmonary atresia with intact septum (4), interrupted aortic arch (3), totally anomalous pulmonary venous return (3), and common atrioventricular septal defect (2).Results. Overall surgical mortality was 18%: 4 neonates died after definitive repair and 5 after palliation; repre-

The high prevalence of significant cerebral oxygen desaturation during shoulder surgery in the upright position underlines the need for close monitoring. NIRS might constitute a valuable technique to detect cerebral hypoperfusion in this high-risk group of patients.

Implementation of an information transfer checklist in postoperative paediatric cardiac surgery patients resulted in a more complete transfer of information, with a decrease in the handover duration.