Objective: We aimed to study the importance of lung ultrasonography in detecting postoperative pulmonary edema in pediatric cardiac surgery. Methods: Twenty-five patients were included. Lung ultrasonography was performed on postoperative days 0, 1, and 2 and classified into three profiles. We grouped patients according to the severity of pulmonary edema: group 1 (type A+B) and group 2 (type C). We investigated the relationship between lung profile and postoperative clinical parameters.Results: The median [minimum-maximum] age, body weight, and Aristotle score of the patients were determined as ten months [1-72], 6.6 kg [2.8-25], and 6 [3-9]. On postoperative day 0, 14 and 11 patients were present in Group 1 and Group 2, respectively. Serum proBNP levels were significantly higher in Group 1 (561 [200-21400] versus 189 [5-1940] pg/ml, p < .05). On postoperative day 1, there were eleven patients in Group 1 and fourteen in Group 2, and similarly, proBNP levels were significantly higher in Group 1 (17900 [5080-35000] versus 2400 [500-25150] pg/ml, p

The aim of the work is to describe a clinical case of successful anesthetic management of right-sided hemicolectomy in a patient with ischemic cardiomyopathy, critically low ejection fraction (19 %) and transplantation status. Left ventricular ejection fraction is one of the key indicators characterizing the pumping function of the heart. Normal values range within 50–75 %, while a decrease in ejection fraction below 35 % is associated with an increased risk of life-threatening arrhythmias. The presence of structural and functional cardiac abnormalities is recognized as the most important risk factor in predicting perioperative morbidity and mortality. Therefore, in the perioperative period, it is necessary to identify and correct all factors that can provoke cardiac decompensation, even before anesthesia and surgical intervention. A decrease in ejection fraction in our patient was a consequence of an acute myocardial infarction, which caused a persistent violation of myocardial contractility. In such cases, the hemodynamic changes that accompany anesthesia and surgery are of crucial importance, and the task of an anesthesiologist is to understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease in order to prevent complications, including postoperative infarction, severe arrhythmias, critical bradycardia, and pulmonary edema. This clinical case presents a patient with ischemic cardiomyopathy and critically low ejection fraction (19 %) who was a candidate for heart transplantation and had a comorbi­dity in the form of a tumor of the ascending colon. The patient was scheduled for a right-sided hemicolectomy, which had an extremely high anesthetic risk and required an individualized approach.

Minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) may require one-lung ventilation (OLV) during minithoracotomy. One of the problems associated with MICS is postoperative unilateral pulmonary edema of the collapsed lung, which may be fatal. Several reports have demonstrated the effects of inhaled nitric oxide (NO) on lung ischemia-reperfusion injury. In this study, we created an in vivo pig model using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and OLV, enabling us to compare bilateral lung injury at the same time point in the same individual. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of inhaled NO in a model that approximates MICS. Ten pigs were subjected to 3 h of CPB and OLV with clamping of the main pulmonary artery. The bilateral lungs of the pigs were categorized into 4 groups according to their ventilation status and the presence or absence of NO inhalation (n = 5 per group). Lungs were collected after the experiment, and inflammatory cytokine measurements and pathological evaluations were performed. In the OLV group (group 1 vs 2), the levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and myeloperoxidase in collapsed lung tissue increased, along with an increase in the number of apoptotic cells and exacerbation of pulmonary edema. In the collapsed lungs (group 2 vs 4), NO inhalation reduced the levels of interleukin-6 and myeloperoxidase, the number of apoptotic cells, and pulmonary edema. In an animal model using a combination of CPB and OLV, inhaled NO suppressed pulmonary edema and improved the exacerbated lung injury of collapsed lungs.

Rationale:Neurogenic pulmonary edema (NPE) is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication of severe central nervous system injury. Postoperative NPE is particularly uncommon in pediatric patients, and its pathophysiological mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Our objective is to review the perioperative management of such patients and provide recommendations and insights.Patient concerns:We report 2 pediatric cases of NPE following neurosurgical procedures. The first case involved a 2-year-old girl who developed acute respiratory distress immediately after undergoing a suboccipital craniotomy. The second case involved a 6-year-old girl who presented with progressive respiratory failure 1 day after an endoscopic third ventriculostomy.Diagnoses:Both patients exhibited clinical and radiographic findings consistent with NPE, including acute-onset pulmonary infiltrates and hypoxemia in the absence of primary cardiac dysfunction. The diagnosis was established based on characteristic postoperative timing, imaging studies, and the exclusion of other causes of pulmonary edema.Interventions:Both patients received timely mechanical ventilation and diuretic therapy. Supportive care, including oxygen supplementation and hemodynamic optimization, facilitated recovery.Outcomes:Both cases had favorable clinical outcomes, with resolution of respiratory symptoms and no long-term sequelae.Lessons:The differing onset and presentations of NPE in these cases underscore potential variations in intracranial pressure dynamics and surgical factors. Early recognition, prompt diagnosis, and immediate intervention are essential for optimal patient outcomes. Pediatric neurosurgical patients require vigilant postoperative monitoring for respiratory complications, particularly in the context of intracranial pressure changes. Strategic intraoperative management and supportive care play a crucial role in improving prognosis.

BackgroundPostoperative negative pressure pulmonary edema (NPPE) can occur in any patient undergoing general anesthesia. There are several risk factors for it, especially postoperative laryngospasm. The disease is usually benign and quickly reversible. In our case the severity and need for advanced critical care therapy was unusual.CaseWe report a severe case of postoperative negative pressure pulmonary edema in a 62-year-old male patient undergoing elective right-sided retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy. The patient developed a severe case of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) after postoperative laryngospasm, possibly in conjunction with a suspected anaphylactic reaction. The patient was consequently treated with a combination of invasive airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) and a prone positioning regimen. After drastic improvement in respiratory function, the patient was discharged from the intensive care unit after 10 days and from the hospital after 14 days.ConclusionNPPE is a rare but relevant complication of anesthesia and laryngospasm. The disease can basically occur in any patient undergoing general anesthesia and therefore should be considered.

There is no uniformity on the safety profile of ultra-fast-track cardiac anesthesia (UFTCA), and there is a lack of research on the postoperative lung function status of patients with UFTCA. This retrospective study was to examine the benefits of UFTCA on the postoperative recovery and pulmonary function of patients undergoing minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS). This retrospective study was performed on patients who underwent MICS at Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital between January 2022 and July 2023. Patients were retrospectively segregated into two groups: UFTCA group and conventional general anesthesia (CGA group). Primary endpoints encompassed differences in the duration of postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) stay and overall hospital stay. Secondary observations included in-hospital mortality rate, 3-month post-discharge survival rate, oxygenation indexes of preoperative (T0), immediately after extubation (T1), 6 hours after extubation (T2), and 12 hours after extubation (T3), use of high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy in the ICU, postoperative total chest drainage volume, and the rate of complications. Group comparisons were performed using grouped t-tests and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). The UFTCA group (n=327) demonstrated shorter ICU and hospital stays when compared with the CGA group (n=216) (P=0.001). At the immediately after extubation, the UFTCA group exhibited a decrease in oxygenation index [arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO2)/fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2)] accompanied by elevated alveolar-arterial oxygen tension difference [P(A-a)O2] and respiratory index [P(A-a)O2/PaO2] values compared to the CGA group (P=0.001). However, by 12 hours after extubation, the UFTCA group manifested an improved PaO2/FiO2 and diminished P(A-a)O2/PaO2 values compared to the CGA group. The UFTCA group required high-flow oxygen therapy after extubation with greater frequency than the CGA group (P=0.001). However, neither the UFTCA nor CGA group had patients who needed reintubation (P>0.05). No significant differences were observed in postoperative atelectasis and pulmonary edema rates between the groups (P>0.05), the UFTCA group recorded a diminished total chest drainage volume postoperatively (P=0.001). Incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) was heightened in the UFTCA group (P=0.01), while the incidence of delirium was less frequent when compared with the CGA group (P=0.001). UFTCA demonstrates potential benefits in minimizing ICU and postoperative hospital stay in patients undergoing MICS. This approach also contributes to a reduction in postoperative chest drainage volume and a decreased likelihood of postoperative delirium. Despite the initial decline in lung oxygenation immediately following early post-extubation, subsequent lung function proves to be superior, with no differences in postoperative atelectasis or pulmonary edema rates. However, the implementation of UFTCA requires additional strategies to prevent the occurrence of PONV.

Negative pressure pulmonary edema (NPPE) can result from the increased intrathoracic and hydrostatic pulmonary pressure associated with forced inspiration against acute closures of the upper respiratory tract in the postoperative period.The associated postoperative complications include atelectasis, pneumonia and embolism.It should be kept in mind that NPPE is the cause of desaturation in the postoperative period in young patients.In patients who have undergone upper respiratory tract surgery, edema in the upper respiratory tract increases the risk of collapse, although rapid clinical response can be achieved in such patients with early diagnosis and intervention.The primary goal of treatment is to ensure the oxygenation of the patient, and non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV) can be used in addition to oxygen support in some cases.NIMV, however, is contraindicated in patients who have undergone upper respiratory tract surgery, in whom full clinical response can be achieved with high-flow oxygen, methylprednisolone and diuretic treatment.

Background: Pre-eclampsia has always been a challenge to the anaesthesiologist, in terms of choosing which type of anaesthesia to prefer. This present study was done to evaluate the maternal and foetal outcome in patients of caesarean section for pre-eclampsia under spinal and general anaesthesia.
 Methods: This prospective study was conducted in 60 parturients, ASA 1 and 2 who underwent caesarean section for pre-eclampsia. These parturients were randomly and divided into two groups, Group S receiving spinal anesthesia and Group G receiving general anesthesia. For maternal outcome, the parturients were monitored for Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, Oxygen Saturation. Post-operative ICU admissions, convulsions, and pulmonary edema chances were seen. For fetal outcome, APGAR score was noted at 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth of child.
 Results: The systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate were comparable in both the groups in the pre-operative period and at induction. However, intraoperatively, these parameters were significantly lower in the spinal anaesthesia group as compared to general anesthesia group (p<0.05). The Apgar Score was also found to be significantly higher in the newborns in spinal anaesthesia group as compared to general anaesthesia group. Post-operatively, more number of ICU admissions were seen in general anaesthesia group as compared to spinal anaesthesia group (p<0.05).
 Conclusion: Spinal Anaesthesia can be considered as a first choice of anaesthesia in parturients undergoing caesarean section for preeclampsia with better hemodynamic control in intra-operative period and lesser chances of post-operative morbidity and mortality.

Background: There is significant debate regarding the existence of sex-related differences in the presentation, treatment, and outcomes of men versus women affected by abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). The purpose of this study is to compare endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of infrarenal AAAs with the current sex-neutral 5.0–5.5 cm-diameter threshold for intervention between the two sexes. Methods: Retrospective review of consecutive cases from a single teaching institution over a period of five years of patients who had undergone elective EVAR for AAAs between 5.0 and 5.5 cm in diameter. Outcomes of interest were compared according to sex. Results: Ninety-four patients were included in the analysis, with a higher prevalence of men (53%). Females were older at the time of repair, 78 ± 5.1 years, versus 71.7 ± 7 years (p < 0.01), and had higher incidence of underlying comorbidities, namely, arrhythmia, chronic kidney disease, and previous carotid revascularization. Women had higher incidence of immediate systemic complications (p = 0.021), post-operative AMI (p = 0.001), arrhythmia (p = 0.006), pulmonary oedema (p < 0.001), and persistent renal dysfunction (p = 0.029). Multivariate analysis for post-operative factors associated to mortality and adjusted for sex confirmed that AMI (p = 0.015), arrhythmia (p = 0.049), pulmonary oedema (p = 0.015), persistent renal dysfunction (p < 0.001), cerebral ischemia (p < 0.001), arterial embolism of lower limbs (p < 0.001), and deep-vein thrombosis of lower limbs (p < 0.001) were associated to higher EVAR-related mortality; a higher incidence of post-operative AMI (p = 0.014), pulmonary edema (p = 0.034), and arterial embolism of lower limbs (p = 0.046) were associated to higher 30-days mortality. In females there was also a higher rate of suprarenal fixation (p = 0.026), insertion outside the instruction for use (p = 0.035), and a more hostile neck anatomy with different proximal aortic diameter (p < 0.001) and angle (p = 0.003). Conclusions: A similar threshold of size of AAA for elective surgery for both males and females might not be appropriate for surgical intervention, as females tend to have worse outcomes. Further population-based studies are needed to guide on sex-related differences and intervention on AAA.

Postoperative pulmonary edema (PPE) is a well-known postoperative complication. We hypothesized that a machine learning model could predict PPE risk using pre- and intraoperative data, thereby improving postoperative management. This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of patients aged > 18 years who underwent surgery between January 2011 and November 2021 at five South Korean hospitals. Data from four hospitals (n = 221,908) were used as the training dataset, whereas data from the remaining hospital (n = 34,991) were used as the test dataset. The machine learning algorithms used were extreme gradient boosting, light-gradient boosting machine, multilayer perceptron, logistic regression, and balanced random forest (BRF). The prediction abilities of the machine learning models were assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, feature importance, and average precisions of precision-recall curve, precision, recall, f1 score, and accuracy. PPE occurred in 3584 (1.6%) and 1896 (5.4%) patients in the training and test sets, respectively. The BRF model exhibited the best performance (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.91, 95% confidence interval: 0.84-0.98). However, its precision and f1 score metrics were not good. The five major features included arterial line monitoring, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status, urine output, age, and Foley catheter status. Machine learning models (e.g., BRF) could predict PPE risk and improve clinical decision-making, thereby enhancing postoperative management.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the incidence of stress-induced cardiomyopathy (SICMP). A 33-year-old woman without any notable medical history underwent an emergency operation to treat a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. She entered hemorrhagic shock attributable to massive bleeding of the ruptured ectopic sac, followed by rapid transfusion and hydration, and vasopressor therapy. Her COVID-19 rapid antigen test was negative before surgery. After surgery, her vital signs were stable and she was mentally alert. However, about 1 hour later, she developed pulmonary edema, was re-intubated, and was admitted to the intensive care unit. There, echocardiography revealed reverse SICMP, and a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction test was positive. She recovered well on conservative treatment. After 9 days, her echocardiography profile was normal and she was discharged without any cardiac symptoms or complications. Anesthesiologists should be aware that COVID-19-infected patients may develop postoperative SICMP.

Background: The aim of the present study was for comparison of stroke volume versus stroke volume variations as guidance for fluid management under guide directions of electrical cardiometry, during major abdominal surgeries. The primary outcome was to compare between two fluid infusion protocols, regarding the haemodynamic changes, whereas secondary outcomes were to evaluate the impact of each protocol on extravascular lung water and oxygenation changes in the post-operative periods, study the effect of each of the adopted method on postoperative complications, incidence of acute kidney injury and intensive care unit staying duration. Settings and Design: This study was a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial. Methods: The study was carried out on 60 patients scheduled for major abdominal surgery. 30 patients, whose intraoperative fluid administration was managed by stroke volume optimization, were compared with 30 patients who received intraoperative fluid therapy guided by stroke volume variation optimization. Results: There was no difference regarding haemodynamic changes in terms of mean heart rate, mean blood pressure, stroke volume, stroke volume variation, and cardiac index. The first group showed a significant incidence of postoperative pulmonary edema which affected oxygentation process till 24 hours postoperatively.

article: Effect of 4% albumin priming solution on postoperative pulmonary edema in patients undergoing pulmonary thrombo-endarterectomy: a propensity-matched analysis - Minerva Anestesiologica 2022 September;88(9):754-5 - Minerva Medica - Journals

In patients with intraoperative massive bleeding, the effects of fluid and blood volume on postoperative pulmonary edema are uncertain. Patients with intraoperative massive bleeding who had undergone a non-cardiac surgery in five hospitals were enrolled in this study. We evaluated the association of postoperative pulmonary edema risk and intra- and post-operatively administered fluid and blood volumes in patients with intraoperative massive bleeding. In total, 2090 patients were included in the postoperative pulmonary edema analysis, and 300 patients developed pulmonary edema within 72 h of the surgery. The postoperative pulmonary edema with hypoxemia analysis included 1660 patients, and the condition occurred in 161 patients. An increase in the amount of red blood cells transfused per hour after surgery increased the risk of pulmonary edema (hazard ratio: 1.03; 95% confidence interval: 1.01–1.05; p = 0.013) and the risk of pulmonary edema with hypoxemia (hazard ratio: 1.04; 95% confidence interval: 1.01–1.07; p = 0.024). An increase in the red blood cells transfused per hour after surgery increased the risk of developing pulmonary edema. This increase can be considered as a risk factor for pulmonary edema.

Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation - Rapid Recovery for Post-Surgical Negative Pressure Pulmonary Edema

Underserved sub-Saharan countries have 0.1 to 1.4 anesthesia providers per 100 000 citizens, below the Lancet Commission's target of 20 per 100 000 needed for safe surgery. Most of these anesthesia providers are nurse anesthetists, with anesthesiologists numbering as few as zero in some nations and 2 per 7 million in others, such as Sierra Leone. In this study, we compared 2 simulation-based techniques for training nurse anesthetists on the Universal Anaesthesia Machine Ventilator-rapid-cycle deliberate practice and mastery learning. A 2-week Universal Anaesthesia Machine Ventilator course was administered to 17 participants in Sierra Leone. Seven were randomized to the rapid-cycle deliberate practice group and 10 to the mastery learning group. Participants underwent baseline and posttraining evaluations in 3 scenarios: general anesthesia, intraoperative power failure, and postoperative pulmonary edema. Performance was analyzed based on checklist performance scores and the number of times participants were stopped for a mistake. Statistical significance to 0.05 was determined with the Mann-Whitney U Test. Checklist performance scores did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. When the groups were combined, simulation-based training resulted in a statistically significant improvement in performance. The highest-frequency problem areas were preoxygenation, switching from spontaneous to mechanical ventilation, and executing appropriate treatment interventions for a postoperative emergency. Both rapid-cycle deliberate practice and mastery learning are effective methods for simulation-based training to improve nurse anesthetist performance with the Universal Anaesthesia Machine Ventilator in 3 separate scenarios. The data did not indicate any difference between these methods; however, a larger sample size may support or refute our findings.

Postoperative Naloxone-Induced Pulmonary Edema

"Introducción: la fibrilación auricular (FA) es una complicación frecuente del posoperatorio de cirugía cardíaca (POCC). Internacionalmente se registra una incidencia de 30%, siendo su pico máximo entre el segundo y tercer día de posoperatorio; nuestro objetivo fue conocer los datos en nuestro centro. Método: se realizó un estudio de cohorte prospectivo, aprobado por el Comité de Ética institucional. Incluyó pacientes mayores de 18 años que recibieron cirugía cardíaca entre el 1. de enero y el 31 de diciembre de 2018 en un centro cardiovascular universitario. Se excluyeron aquellos pacientes con FA al momento de la cirugía. Se registraron variables preoperatorias, operatorias y posoperatorias. Las variables continuas se presentaron como mediana e intervalo intercuartílico, las categóricas en valor absoluto y frecuencias relativas. La incidencia se calculó como número de casos nuevos/población total. Las asociaciones se evaluaron con chi cuadrado y Mann-Whitney test. Se realizó regresión logística univariada y multivariada. Se consideró significativo una p < 0,05. Resultados: se incluyeron 104 pacientes. Mediana de edad 66 años; 51% sexo masculino. La incidencia de FA en el POCC (FAPO) fue de 29%, con un máximo entre el segundo y tercer día, y una duración menor a 24 horas en 83% de los casos. La recurrencia durante el ingreso fue de 38%. Se utilizó amiodarona para tratamiento agudo de la FAPO en el 100% de los casos, betabloqueantes en 63%, digoxina en 7% y cardioversión eléctrica en 27%. Todos los pacientes se encontraban en ritmo sinusal al alta, y al mes de la cirugía en los 20 casos en que se realizó electrocardiograma. Las variables con asociación significativa en análisis univariado para riesgo de FAPO fueron edad (OR 1,07, IC 95%: 1,01-1,12 p=0,007) y enfermedad renal crónica (OR 3,75, IC 95%: 1,4-9,4 p=0,005). Un score de riesgo menor a 14 en el Multicenter Risk Index (OR 0,18, IC 95%: 0,34-0,93 p=0,04) y el tabaquismo resultaron “protectores” en el análisis univariado (OR 0,38, IC 95%: 0,14-0,98 p=0,048). En el análisis multivariado ninguna variable alcanzó significancia estadística. Se identificó asociación significativa entre FAPO y edema pulmonar (p<0,001), shock (p<0,04) e insuficiencia renal aguda (p<0,01). Los pacientes con FAPO tuvieron una mediana de 5 días más de hospitalización (p<0,0003). Conclusión: en la población estudiada se encontró una alta incidencia de FAPO. Se identificaron factores asociados a mayor riesgo de FAPO, así como asociación con otras complicaciones graves en el posoperatorio. Los resultados destacan la importancia de protocolizar el reconocimiento de los pacientes de riesgo así como su tratamiento."

Introduction: Acute respiratory failure is a common cause of Intensive care Unit admission for cancer patients. Non-invasive ventilation comes in between the two extreme situations: either provide only oxygen or ventilate invasively. This study was done to find the usefulness and efficacy of non-invasive ventilation in a cancer patient.
 Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done at Nepal Cancer Hospital. Data analysis of patients requiring non-invasive ventilation at the Intensive care Unit from April 14, 2018, to April 13, 2019, were included.
 Results: Among 68 studied patients, the primary reason for the initiation of non-invasive ventilation sepsis (16.32%), pneumonia (10.88%), and lung cancer (10.2%). Postoperative atelectasis, pulmonary edema, and morphine overdose were associated with good respiratory improvement and Intensive care Unit survival (100%, 75% and 66.67% respectively). Respiratory failure with carcinoma lung, lung fibrosis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, terminally ill patients, and patients with low Glasgow Coma Scale had high failure rates (Survival: 13.33%, 14.29%, 16.67%, 0%, and 20% respectively).
 Conclusions: Non-invasive ventilation seems to be an effective way of ventilation for cancer patients. The selection of patients and timely initiation of non-invasive ventilation is of utmost importance for a better outcome.

Anestesia para transplante renal em pacientes com cardiomiopatia dilatada: estudo retrospectivo de 31 casos