Novel cerebral physiologic monitoring to guide low-flow cerebral perfusion during neonatal aortic arch reconstruction.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to describe the combined measurement of cerebral blood flow velocity and cerebral oxygen saturation as a guide to bypass flow rate for regional low-flow perfusion during neonatal aortic arch reconstruction.

METHODS: Data were prospectively collected from 34 patients undergoing neonatal aortic arch reconstruction with regional low-flow perfusion. Cerebral oxygen saturation and blood flow velocity were measured by near-infrared spectroscopy and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, respectively, throughout cardiopulmonary bypass. After cooling to 17 degrees C to 22 degrees C, baseline values of cerebral oxygen saturation and blood flow velocity were recorded during full-flow bypass. Regional low-flow perfusion was instituted for aortic arch reconstruction, and bypass flow rate was adjusted to maintain cerebral oxygen saturations and blood flow velocities within 10% of baseline recorded during cold full-flow bypass. Cerebral oxygen saturations and blood flow velocities were recorded again after repair during full-flow hypothermic bypass. Bypass flow during regional low-flow perfusion was recorded, as were arterial pressure and blood gas data. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to determine differences in values during regional low-flow perfusion relative to baseline and after perfusion.

RESULTS: A mean bypass flow of 63 mL/(kg x min) was required to maintain cerebral oxygen saturations and blood flow velocities within 10% of baseline. Mean arterial pressure had a poor correlation with the required bypass flow rate (r(2) = 0.006 by linear regression analysis). Fourteen of 34 patients had a cerebral oxygen saturation of 95% during regional low-flow perfusion, placing them at risk for cerebral hyperperfusion if the cerebral oxygen saturation had been used alone to guide bypass flow. Pressure was detected in the umbilical or femoral artery catheter (mean 12 mm Hg) in all patients during regional low-flow perfusion.

CONCLUSIONS: Cerebral blood flow velocity, as determined by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, adds valuable information to cerebral oxygen saturation data in guiding bypass flow during regional low-flow perfusion. Its most important use may be prevention of cerebral hyperperfusion during periods with high near-infrared spectroscopic saturation values.