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Levosimendan infused in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery was well tolerated with a potential benefit of levosimendan on postoperative hemodynamic and metabolic parameters of RACHS 3-4 neonates.

IntroductionThe aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of high-dose fenoldopam, a selective dopamine-1 receptor, on renal function and organ perfusion during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in infants with congenital heart disease (CHD).MethodsA prospective single-center randomized double-blind controlled trial was conducted in a pediatric cardiac surgery department. We randomized infants younger than 1 year with CHD and biventricular anatomy (with exclusion of isolated ventricular and atrial septal defect) to receive blindly a continuous infusion of fenoldopam at 1 μg/kg/min or placebo during CPB. Perioperative urinary and plasma levels of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocaline (NGAL), cystatin C (CysC), and creatinine were measured to assess renal injury after CPB.ResultsWe enrolled 80 patients: 40 received fenoldopam (group F) during CPB, and 40 received placebo (group P). A significant increase of urinary NGAL and CysC levels from baseline to intensive care unit (ICU) admission followed by restoration of normal values after 12 hours was observed in both groups. However, urinary NGAL and CysC values were significantly reduced at the end of surgery and 12 hours after ICU admission (uNGAL only) in group F compared with group P (P = 0.025 and 0.039, respectively). Plasma NGAL and CysC tended to increase from baseline to ICU admission in both groups, but they were not significantly different between the two groups. No differences were observed on urinary and plasma creatinine levels and on urine output between the two groups. Acute kidney injury (AKI) incidence in the postoperative period, as indicated by pRIFLE classification (pediatric score indicating Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss of function, and End-stage kidney disease level of renal damage) was 50% in group F and 72% in group P (P = 0.08; odds ratio (OR), 0.38; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.14 to 1.02). A significant reduction in diuretics (furosemide) and vasodilators (phentolamine) administration was observed in group F (P = 0.0085; OR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.07 to 0.7).ConclusionsThe treatment with high-dose fenoldopam during CPB in pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery for CHD with biventricular anatomy significantly decreased urinary levels of NGAL and CysC and reduced the use of diuretics and vasodilators during CPB.Trial registrationClinical Trial.Gov NCT00982527.

Background: Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound (TCD) is a sensitive, real time tool for monitoring cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV). This technique is fast, accurate, reproducible and noninvasive. In the setting of congenital heart surgery, TCD finds application in the evaluation of cerebral blood flow variations during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

Dynamic parameters of fluid responsiveness (FR), namely aortic blood flow velocity variation (delta V ), left ventricular velocity-time integral variation (delta VTI), stroke volume variation, and pulse pressure variation (PPV) have demonstrated good diagnostic performance for the prediction of response to fluid loading in mechanically ventilated critically ill adult patients. We aimed to evaluate these parameters in children undergoing cardiac surgery. A retrospective observational study of mechanically ventilated patients weighing less than 20 kg who received a volume expansion (VE) of 10 ml/kg after sternal closure was conducted. A 10% cardiac index (CI) increase divided patients into 7 responders (R) and 9 non-responders (NR). Transesophageal echocardiography and Pressure Recording Analytical Method data were retrieved. The percentage CI increase was 18.6 (12)% in R and 2.9 (5.7)% in NR (p = 0.037). Prior to VE, delta V, delta VTI, PPV, and SPV differed between R and NR (p = 0.045, 0.043, 0.048, 0,037 and 0.044, respectively). Systolic (p = 0.004), diastolic (p = 0.002), mean blood pressure (p = 0.003), delta V (p = 0.03), delta VTI (p = 0.04), CI (p = 0.01), PPV (p = 0.04), SPV (p = 0.04), and dP/dt (maximal pressure-to-time ratio) (p = 0.02) changed the following VE in R patients. Delta V decreased after VE in NR patients (p = 0.004). Delta VTI and PPV showed the highest predictive values, with area under receiver operator characteristic curves of 0.76 (p = 0.049) and 0.76 (p = 0.045), respectively. Delta VTI and PPV were revealed to be potential predictors of FR in ventilated children after cardiac surgery. Their combined evaluation could be useful for fluid management after sternal closure.