Electroencephalographic discontinuity during sevoflurane anesthesia in infants and children.
BACKGROUND
Deep anesthesia in adults may be associated with electroencephalographic (EEG) suppression and higher rates of postoperative complications. Little is known about the impact of anesthetic depth on short- or long-term outcomes in pediatrics. Brain activity monitoring may complement clinical signs of anesthetic depth. This prospective observational study aimed to assess the frequency and degree of profound EEG suppression using multichannel EEG in children during sevoflurane general anesthesia.


METHODS
Children aged 0-40 months who required general anesthesia for elective surgery were included. Continuous EEG recordings were performed starting from when anesthesia began and until recovery. Discontinuity was defined as EEG amplitude <25 uV, lasting ≥2 s, and observed in all electrodes across the scalp. Frequency, duration, and inter-event interval of discontinuity events were measured. Relationships between discontinuity events and postnatal age, endtidal sevoflurane concentration (etSEVO), and multiple clinical parameters were analyzed.


RESULTS
Discontinuity events were observed in 35/68 children, with a median duration of 10 s (95%CI: 8-12) and a median of 4 events per patient (95%CI: 2-7). Children who had discontinuity events were younger (5.5 months, 95%CI: 3.6-6.5) compared to children who did not have discontinuity events (10.2 months, 95%CI: 6.1-14); (difference between medians, 4.7 months, 95%CI: 2.3-8, P = 0.0002). Younger infants exhibited a higher number of discontinuity events, and the incidence decreased with postnatal age (r68= -0.53, P < 0.0001). The majority of discontinuity events were observed during the first 30 min of anesthesia (66.4% total events), where etSEVO was >3%. Few discontinuity events were observed during maintenance and none during emergence. Blood pressure, heart rate, tissue oxygen saturation, and endtidal CO2partial pressure did not change during these events.


CONCLUSIONS
Electroencephalographic monitoring may complement clinical signs in providing information about brain homeostasis during general anesthesia. The impact of discontinuity events on immediate and long-term outcomes merits further study.
Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.|Department of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Laura
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8579-0870
L
Cornelissen
Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.|Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Ann M
AM
Bergin
Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.|Department of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Kimberly
K
Lobo
Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.|Department of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Carolina
C
Donado
Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.|Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Janet S
JS
Soul
Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.|Department of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Charles B
CB
Berde
D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000379:methods*; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000077149:Sevoflurane; D013995:Time
D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D000077149:Sevoflurane
brain; child; humans; monitoring, intraoperative; suppression