Effect of caudal block on stress responses in children

BACKGROUND: The present study was performed during lower abdominal and genitourinary surgery, to assess the effects of caudal block on plasma cortisol, prolactin, insulin and glucose concentrations during and after surgery. METHODS: Thirty male children aged 3-10 years who were scheduled for elective surgery, were selected for the study. The children were premedicated with oral midazolam 0.5 mg/kg. All children received induction with nitrous oxide in oxygen and sevoflurane. The children were randomly allocated into two groups: Group I, control group (n = 15) and group II, caudal group (n = 15). Anesthesia was maintained by face mask with the same agent in both groups. Caudal block was performed with 0.25% bupivacaine 2 mg/kg after induction of anesthesia in the caudal group. Blood samples were obtained after induction of anesthesia (T(0)) in order to measure baseline concentrations of cortisol, prolactin, glucose and insulin. Additional samples were obtained 30 min after the start of surgery (T(1)), and 60 min after the end of surgery (T(2)). RESULTS: All of the basal values (T(0)) were within the normal ranges accepted by Meram Medical Faculty of Selcuk University for children of this age group and there were no differences between the groups (P > 0.05). In both groups, glucose concentration increased at T(1), compared with T(0) and T(2) values (P < 0.05). However glucose concentration was lower in the caudal group than in the control group at T(1) (P < 0.05). In both groups, prolactin concentration increased at T(1), compared with T(0) (P < 0.05). The mean plasma prolactin and cortisol concentration were lower in the caudal group than the control group at T(1) and T(2) (P < 0.05). The mean insulin concentration was lower in the caudal group than the control group at T(2) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that caudal anesthesia suppresses the metabolic and endocrine responses to stress associated with lower abdominal and genitourinary surgery in children.     

小儿骶管应用左旋布比卡因复合舒芬太尼对术后镇痛作用的观察

目的 观察小儿骶管应用左旋布比卡因复合舒芬太尼对术后镇痛的影响.方法 收集2010年4月至2011年4月在我院住院的2-6岁择期行下腹部、会阴和下肢手术60例患儿.随机分成左旋布比卡因组（Ⅰ组）和左旋布比卡因复合不同浓度舒芬太尼组（Ⅱ组）和（Ⅲ组）,每组20例.入室后开放静脉通路,监测平均动脉压（MAP）、心率（HR）及脉搏血氧饱和度（SpO2）.麻醉诱导均采用静脉注射氯胺酮1 mg/kg,异丙酚2 mg/kg,置人喉罩进行机械通气.然后行骶管穿刺,成功后Ⅰ组注入0.25％左旋布比卡因,Ⅱ组注入0.25％左旋布比卡因与舒芬太尼0.5μg/ml混合液,Ⅲ组注入0.25％左旋布比卡因与舒芬太尼1.0 μg/ml混合液,三组均按l ml/kg缓慢注入.分别于术后2、4、8、12、16、24h观察镇痛效果,记录镇痛评分、镇痛时间、苏醒时间及不良反应.结果 术后4、8、12 h镇痛评分Ⅱ组和Ⅲ组明显低于Ⅰ组,差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）;术后8h镇痛评分Ⅲ组低于Ⅱ组,差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）;术后2、16、24h的镇痛评分三组相比差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）;Ⅱ组和Ⅲ组的镇痛时间明显长于Ⅰ组（P＜0.05）,Ⅲ组比Ⅱ组的镇痛时间明显延长（P＜0.05）,三组患儿术后苏醒时间差异无统计学意义（P＜0.05）,三组患儿术后均无呼吸抑制.Ⅱ和Ⅲ组各有1例患儿在术后出现面部皮肤瘙痒及1例患儿出现运动阻滞,术后约3h运动功能完全恢复,Ⅲ组有1例患儿在术后出现恶心呕吐.结论 0.25％左旋布比卡因复合0.5 μg/ml及1.0μg/ml舒芬太尼均可安全应用于小儿骶管麻醉及术后镇痛,且可增强术后镇痛效果,延长左旋布比卡因镇痛持续时间,不良反应少,而复合1.0μg/ml舒芬太尼组的术后镇痛效果更好.     

Psychological stress affects response to sublingual immunotherapy in asthmatic children allergic to house dust mite

While the clinical and immunologic efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in allergic diseases has been extensively demonstrated, some patients display a poor clinical response. Psychological stress has been shown to play a role in atopy and also to affect response to immunomodulating therapies such as vaccination with microbial antigens. This study addresses the possibility of response to SLIT being affected by psychological stress. Forty children with mild asthma caused by allergy to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and farinae were subjected to SLIT and then divided after 6 months into two groups based on the results of the stress integrated measure (SIM) test: group 1 (24 stressed patients, mean SIM value of 60.1) and group 2 (16 non-stressed patients, mean SIM value of 7.6). There was also a higher prevalence of psychosocial stressing factors (divorced/absent parents, low income households, non-working parents) among stressed patients. The symptom score, peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) and serum eosinophie cationic protein (ECP) concentration were evaluated at both times. The serum concentration of neuroendocrine parameters [prolactin, cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)] was also measured after 6 months of therapy. While all the clinical parameters and ECP concentration improved after SLIT, symptom score, PEF and ECP showed a significantly greater improvement in non-stressed patients. The concentration of neuroendocrine parameters was significantly increased in stressed patients. Our findings show that psychological stress can affect response to SLIT also in allergic subjects and are consistent with data recently reported showing a correlation between stress and poor response to antimicrobial vaccines. Our data also suggest that stress evaluation may become a useful prognostic factor in immunotherapy.     

Effects of caudal block on cortisol and prolactin responses to postoperative pain in children.

We have performed a randomized controlled study in 60 children (ASA 1.8 month to 10 yrs) undergoing lower abdominal and genitourinary surgery, to assess the effects of caudal anaesthesia on plasma cortisol and prolactin concentrations during early postoperative period. After induction of anaesthesia by inhalation or intravenously, thirty children received a standardized general anaesthetic (control group) while the remaining children received caudal anaesthetics with 0.25% bupivacaine in addition to a similar general anaesthetic (caudal group). Blood samples for cortisol and prolactin were taken after induction and 1 hour after surgery. Postoperative analgesia was assessed by modified pain objective scale and side effects were noted. Children in the caudal group had significantly smaller plasma cortisol and prolactin concentrations at 1 hr postoperatively, compared with those in the control group. Plasma cortisol concentration after induction was higher than after one hour of surgery in the caudal group. These results were correlated with pain scores. No serious side effects were recorded. In conclusion, caudal anaesthesia attenuated the postoperative cortisol and prolactin responses to surgery and pain in children.     

Evaluation of psychosomatic stress in children by measuring salivary chromogranin A

Aim: To investigate the usefulness of salivary chromogranin A (CgA) and cortisol as stress markers, and the effects of distraction on the suppression of stress in children. Methods: We examined salivary CgA and cortisol responses before and after venipuncture in hospitalized children with and without distraction using a kaleidoscope. Results: Salivary CgA levels immediately after venipuncture were significantly higher than those immediately before it, and at 60 min after venipuncture they were significantly lower than those immediately after it. However, salivary cortisol showed no significant differences at any of the three time points. In contrast, distracted by the kaleidoscope, there were no significant differences in salivary CgA and cortisol levels at all three time points.

Conclusion: In children, salivary CgA level is a useful marker of stress. As an index of the effect of distraction, the measurement of salivary CgA is useful.     

The effect of nesting positions on pain,stress and comfort during heel lance in premature infants

Background

Nesting positions are commonly used in procedural analgesic administration in premature neonates. The effectiveness of nesting positions is questioned. The aim of the this study was to assess the pain, stress, comfort and salivary cortisol and melatonin values in nesting positions during the heel lance procedure in premature infants at the NICU.

Post-traumatic stress responses following liver transplantation in older children

Eighteen children aged between 7 and 16 years who had undergone a liver transplantation were interviewed using the Child Post-Traumatic Stress Reaction Index (CPTS-RI) to discover if they had post-traumatic stress symptoms. A case control design was used to define which factors were important for the development of post-traumatic stress. Results of a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), with post-traumatic stress symptom intensity as measured on the CPTS-RI as the dependent variable, revealed a significant difference between the liver transplantation group compared with children who had a chronic life-threatening illness or had undergone a routine surgical operation. A post hoc (Tukey's HSD test) statistical analysis was performed and significance at the .05 level was found between the liver transplantation group and both the chronic illness group and the routine surgical operation group. Our results indicate that the acute life-threat involved in the liver transplantation contributed to the development of post-traumatic stress. It was thought that dissociation may be important in preventing the resolution of the trauma. Additional investigations are needed with larger numbers in a longitudinal study beginning before the transplant to determine the course of the PTSD symptoms and the appropriate timing of interventions to reduce the harmful effects of these symptoms.     

Cortisol response to surgical stress in neonates

To determine the metabolic response of newborns to surgical stress, 36 neonates between 2 h and 3 weeks of age and 11 infants of 1–3 months were included in a 7-year study. Plasma cortisol levels were determined by radioimmunoassay with blood samples taken before, during, and after surgery until they were within normal limits; the response to chemical stress (ACTH) was also studied and compared. The preliminary conclusions on cortisol response were: (1) absence of the circadian cycle in all neonates in the study; (2) a statistical relationship was observed between age and cortisol response; and (3) in newborns less than 9–10 days of age, the response to surgical stress was statistically different from that of newborns older than 10 days, whose response was similar to that of infants. These results suggest that there are two different stages during the neonatal period that correspond to different degrees of neuroendocrinological maturation. Offprint requests to: J. Boix-Ochoa     

The role of new technologies in treating children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Abstract:  Given the physiological and psychological impact of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents, these patients present special challenges to pediatric health care providers. The goals of intensive management of diabetes have been clearly established since the publication of the Diabetes Control and Complication Trial (DCCT) in 1993 (1), which demonstrated that tight metabolic control achieved with intensive insulin therapy is superior to conventional treatment in reducing the risk of long-term microvascular complications. Thus, current recommendations mandate that youth with type 1 diabetes should aim to achieve metabolic control as close to normal as possible. However, strict glycemic control is hard to achieve requiring frequent blood glucose measurements and several insulin injections per day, and in addition is associated with an increased risk of severe hypoglycemia (1). Recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia, especially at young ages, may cause adverse effects on neurocognitive function, may lead to hypoglycemia unawareness, and may be associated with significant emotional morbidity for the child and parents. Since the discovery of insulin in 1921 there has been constant progress in the way patients with type 1 diabetes are treated. The introduction of recombinant insulin and insulin analogs as well as new insulin delivery systems and glucose monitoring devices enhanced the ability of both patients and medical teams to better define the therapeutic goals and to develop more effective therapeutic strategies. Recent advances in devices for insulin administration and glucose monitoring and the introduction of telemedicine are having a profound effect on the lives of youth with type 1 diabetes. This review focuses on the new technologies which have been developed for treating children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.     

危重儿糖代谢紊乱与血清胰岛素的关系

目的　 探讨危重病患儿糖代谢紊乱与胰岛素的关系。 方法 　OneTouch仪测定血糖 ,放射免疫法测定胰岛素。结果 　 2 1例危重病患儿危重期和恢复期分别检测血糖和血清胰岛素为 (13 5 7± 4 78)mmol/L、(5 2 4 2± 6 2 2 3) pmol/L ,和 (5 17± 1 10 )mmol/L、(12 6 0± 11 5 6 )pmol/L。 结论 　危重病患儿危重期高血糖和高胰岛素同时存在 ,胰岛素对血糖起重要作用。