The Influence of Postoperative Analgesia Techniques on Splanchic Blood Flow in Children With Intraabdominal Hypertension

Abstract

Introduction. Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) often develop in critically ill patients and can lead to affected splanchnic blood flow, intestinal mucosal ischemia, bacterial translocation, sepsis, and multiorgan dys-function. There is limited literature data on the effect of analgesic methods on splanchnic blood flow in IAG / AСS. The aim of the study was to define the effect of different postoperative analgesia techniques on splanchnic blood flow in children with appendicular peritonitis with IAH. Materials and methods. The study included 115 children who underwent surgery for appendicular peritonitis. Children were randomized into three groups depending on the method of postoperative analgesia: “Opioids” (n = 36; intravenous infusion of morphine 10 μg/kg/h); “Lidocaine” (n = 40; intravenous infusion of lidocaine 1.5 mg/kg/h); “EDA” (n = 39; epidural infusion 0.25% bupivacaine 0.4 mg/kg/h). Postoperatively intraabdominal pressure (IAP) was measured 4 times a day using the standard in-direct method through a Foley catheter in the bladder. According to the IAP level and presence of organ dysfunction patients in each group were divided in subgroups: “Without IAH”, “IAH” and “ACS”. The diameters and linear velocities of blood flow in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and portal vein (PV) were detected using US. The blood flow indices in SMA and PV (BFISMA, BFIPV, ml/min/m2) were calculated. Results. BFISMA and BFIPV were significantly higher in children without IAH than in children with IAH (p <0.0001) and ACS (p <0.0001). Among patients in all subgroups, BFISMA was significantly higher in the groups “Lidocaine” (p <0.05) and “EDA” (p <0.0001) compared with the group “Opioids”. BFIPV was higher in the group “EDA” (p <0.05) in children with IAH and in the groups “Lidocaine” (p <0.0001) and “EDA” (p <0.0001) in children with ACS compared with children of all subgroups in the group “Opioids”. Among the children without IAH a statistically significant negative correlation between IAP and BFISMA was observed only in the group “Opioids” (rs = -0.5; p <0.001). Among the children with IAH and ACS, a statistically significant negative correlation between IAP and BFISMA was observed in all analgesia groups, but it was weakest in the group “EDA” (rs = -0.24; p <0.04 and rs = -0.39; p <0.05, respectively). In the group “Opioids” a statistically significant negative correlation between IAP and BFIPV was observed only in the children with IAH (rs=-0.31; p<0.01) and ACS (rs=-0.4; p<0.0001). Conclusions. Epidural analgesia is the most optimal method of analgesia for the effect on impaired splanchnic blood flow in children with peritonitis complicated with intra-abdominal hypertension. Intravenous analgesia with lidocaine may be an alternative to epidural anesthesia.