Journal of Anesthesia

, Volume 21, Issue 4, pp 497–499 | Cite as

Steroid replacement therapy for severe heart failure after Norwood procedure

  • Hitoshi Inafuku
  • Muneyuki Takeuchi
  • Kazuya Tachibana
  • Hideaki Imanaka
Article

Abstract

A 15-day-old neonate demonstrated severe heart failure and capillary leak syndrome after undergoing a Norwood procedure for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Because she developed severe subcutaneous edema and baseline blood cortisol was low, we suspected relative adrenal insufficiency. After 18 days of dexamethasone administration, her hemodynamics and respiratory function improved, and she was successfully extubated and discharged from hospital. When hemodynamics are unstable in neonates after major cardiac surgery, relative adrenal insufficiency and steroid replacement should be considered.

Key words

Adrenal insufficiency Corticosteroids Heart failure Norwood procedure 

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. 1.
    Annane, D, Sebille, V, Charpentier, C, Bollaert, PE, Francois, B, Korach, JM, Capellier, G, Cohen, Y, Azoulay, E, Troche, G, Chaumet-Riffaut, P, Bellissant, E 2002Effect of treatment with low doses of hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone on mortality in patients with septic shockJAMA288862871PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. 2.
    Cooper, MS, Stewart, PM 2003Corticosteroid insufficiency in acute ill patientsNew Engl J Med348727734PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. 3.
    Seri, I, Tan, R, Evans, J 2001Cardiovascular effects of hydrocortisone in preterm infants with pressor-resistant hypotensionPediatrics10710701074PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. 4.
    Ng, PC, Lam, CWK, Fok, TF, Lee, CH, Ma, KC, Chan, IHS, Wong, E 2001Refractory hypotension in preterm infants with adrenocortical insufficiencyArch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed84122124CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. 5.
    Shore, S, Nelson, DP, Pearl, JM, Manning, PB, Wong, H, Shanley, TP, Keyser, T, Schwartz, SM 2001Usefulness of corticosteroid therapy in decreasing epinephrine requirements in critically ill infants with congenital heart diseaseAm J Cardiol88591594PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. 6.
    Laffey, JG, Boylan, JF, Cheng, DC 2002The systemic inflammatory response to cardiac surgery: implications for the anesthesiologistAnesthesiology97215252PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. 7.
    Lecamwasam, HS, Baboolal, HA, Dunn, PF 2004Acute adrenal insufficiency after large-dose glucocorticoids for spinal cord injuryAnesth Analg9918131814PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. 8.
    Ando, M, Park, IS, Wada, N, Takahashi, Y 2005Steroid supplementation: a legitimate pharmacotherapy after neonatal open heart surgeryAnn Thorac Surg8016721678PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. 9.
    Bronicki, RA, Backer, CL, Baden, HP, Mavroudis, C, Crawford, SE, Green, TP 2000Dexamethasone reduces the inflammatory response to cardiopulmonary bypass in childrenAnn Thorac Surg6914901495PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. 10.
    American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Fetus and Newborn, and Canadian Paediatric Society, Fetus and Newborn Committee2002Postnatal corticosteroids to treat or prevent chronic lung disease in preterm infantsPediatrics109330338CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. 11.
    Kopelman, AE, Moise, AA, Holbert, D, Hegemier, SE 1999A single very early dexamethasone dose improves respiratory and cardiovascular adaptation in preterm infantsJ Pediatr135545550Google Scholar

Copyright information

© JSA 2007

Authors and Affiliations

  • Hitoshi Inafuku
    • 1
  • Muneyuki Takeuchi
    • 2
  • Kazuya Tachibana
    • 2
  • Hideaki Imanaka
    • 2
  1. 1.Department of Cardiovascular SurgeryNational Cardiovascular CenterSuita, OsakaJapan
  2. 2.Surgical Intensive Care UnitNational Cardiovascular CenterSuita, OsakaJapan

Personalised recommendations