Background: Cardiac catheterization of children with congenital heart disease is increasingly being performed under general anesthesia. Haemodynamic stability during anesthesia and fast and adequate recovery after the procedure is crucial in these patients. We performed a pilot study to evaluate hemodynamic stability when using remifentanil for anesthesia during cardiac catheterization. We also evaluated extubation times and recovery characteristics.
Methods: In a randomized, prospective, double-blind study 30 children (aged 1.5-20 months) received a continuous infusion of either 0.2 (group 0.2) or 0.3 microg/kg/min remifentanil (group 0.3) as part of a balanced anesthesia with 0.6 MAC sevoflurane. Heart rate, noninvasive arterial blood pressure, end tidal CO2 and pulse oxymetry were monitored throughout the procedure. Extubation times were noted, and recovery from anesthesia was evaluated using Aldrete scores.
Results: : Haemodynamic response to intubation was well blunted in both groups. No significant changes in hemodynamic variables were noted from induction of anesthesia until 10 min after intubation. From then on there was a decrease in HR and systolic arterial pressure, which remained significant throughout the procedure in both groups. Extubation times were similar in both groups: 7.3 min (2,1) in group 0.2 vs. 6.6 min (2,1) in group 0.3 (NS). The number of patients with an Aldrete score of nine or more was 14 (group 0.2) vs. 15 (group 0.3), 10 min after extubation (NS).
Conclusion: Both dose regimens of remifentanil provided stable hemodynamic conditions during anesthesia for cardiac catheterization of children with congenital heart disease and allowed for rapid and adequate recovery.