Complications of anesthesia for children with malignant infantile osteopetrosis before and after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
The primary aim was to determine the frequency of anesthetic-related complications for patients with malignant infantile osteopetrosis (MIOP) before and after hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). The secondary aims were to describe the types of complications that occurred, to determine whether the risk of anesthetic complications was altered by HSCT, and to determine the frequency of difficult intubation.


BACKGROUND
Patients with MIOP undergo HSCT, often in infancy, and anesthesia is frequently required for investigations and procedures associated with transplantation. Although MIOP has adverse implications for anesthetic management, the literature describing the anesthetic management of MIOP patients is limited.


METHODS
A retrospective review of medical and anesthetic records was undertaken between November 2000 and March 2008.


RESULTS
Eleven patients underwent 127 anesthetics. The overall complication rate was 11%. Before HSCT, there were 12 complications in 62 anesthetics (19.3%). After HSCT, there were two complications in 65 anesthetics (3.2%). This difference was not statistically significant. All of the complications were airway or respiratory events. Of the 26 intubations associated with anesthesia, 23 (88.5%) were easy, 1 (3.8%) was moderately difficult, and 2 (7.7%) were difficult.


CONCLUSIONS
Complications associated with anesthesia for infants and children with MIOP having HSCT are fairly common and are usually airway or respiratory related. Difficult endotracheal intubation is also common.
Division of Anesthesiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105-3678, USA. laura.burgoyne@stjude.org
Laura L
LL
Burgoyne
Amanpreet
A
Kaur
Catherine A
CA
Billups
Mary-Edna
ME
Parish
Roland N
RN
Kaddoum
George B
GB
Bikhazi
Lilia A
LA
Pereiras
D000758:Anesthesia / Q000009:adverse effects; D000777:Anesthetics / Q000009:adverse effects; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D008297:Male; D010022:Osteopetrosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000777:Anesthetics