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Cholecystectomy in sickle cell anemia patients: Perioperative outcome of 364 cases from the National Preoperative Transfusion Study

Charles M. Haberkern, et al, and the Preoperative Transfusion in Sickle Cell Disease Study Group

The authors of this paper, the sickle Cell Disease study group, reviewed 364 patients with sickle cell disease who underwent cholecystecyomy. There were four groups of patients: Groups 1 and 2 were subjects who were randomized into aggressive (hgb 9-11gm%, hgb S < 30%) or conservative (hgb 9-11gm%) transfusion. Groups 3 and 4 were not randomized for a variety of reasons. Group 3 was not transfused and group 4 was transfused. The patients were sorted into groups as follows: Group 1: 110 patients, Group 2: 120 patients, Group 3: 37 patients, Group 4: 97 patients. Twenty-one percent of the patients were < 10 years of age.

Perioperative care was similar for the patients. All were given general anesthesia and 8% of this group had epidural analgesia as well. The overall complication rate was 39%. Overall morbidity was not affected by preoperative transfusion, but the incidence of morbid events specific to sickle cell disease was highest in patients who were not transfused. Eighteen percent of patients had vaso-occlusive (VOC) episode or acute chest syndrome (ACS). The rate of sickle events (VOC pain, ACS) was significantly higher in group 3, the patients who were not transfused. During the time of the study, laparoscopic procedures became more widely done. In this review the incidence of complications was not different between those who underwent open vs. laparoscopic cholecystecyomy, although hospital stay was shorter in the laparoscopic patients.

Table of Contents

• Editor's Corner
• President's Message
• Society for Pediatric Anesthesia Policy Statment on Provision of Pediatric Anesthesia Care
• Williams Syndrome, Supravalvar Aortic Stenosis and Cardiac Arrest During Anesthesia
• Book Corner
• Out of Africa
• Peds Passport
• MHAUS Research Opportunities
• For Patients: Frequently Asked Questions


• Reviews & Commentary
  • Bariatric surgery for severely overweight adolescents: concerns and recommendations.
    Inge T, et al. Pediatrics 2004;114;217-223
  • Conscious sedation of children with propofol is anything but conscious
    Reeves ST, Havidich JE, and Tobin DP. Pediatrics 2004;114:e74-e76. URL http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/ full/114/1/e74
  • A factorial trial of six interventions for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting.
    Apfel CC, et al. N Engl J Med 2004; 50:2441-2451
  • The effect of dexrazoxane of myocardial injury in dozorubicin-treated children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
    Lipshultz SE, et al. N Engl J Med 2004; 351:145-153
  • Unilateral negative-pressure pulmonary edema in an infant during bronchoscopy
    Shai Hannania, MD, et al. Pediatrics 2004;113:e501-e503. URL: http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/113/5/e501
  • Does pediatric surgical specialty training affect outcome after Ramstedt Pyloromyotomy? A population-based study.
    Langer J, To T. Pediatrics 2004;113:1342-1347
  • Overweight children and adolescents; A risk group for iron deficiency
    Nead KG, et al. Pediatrics 2004;114:104-108
  • A comparison of conservative and aggressive transfusion regimens in the perioperative management of sickle cell disease
    Elliot P. Vichinsky, MD, et al and the Preoperative Transfusion in Sickle Cell Disease Study Group
  • Cholecystectomy in sickle cell anemia patients: Perioperative outcome of 364 cases from the National Preoperative Transfusion Study
    Charles M. Haberkern, et al, and the Preoperative Transfusion in Sickle Cell Disease Study Group
  • Effect of hydroxyurea on the frequency of painful crises in sickle cell anemia
    Samuel Charache, MD, et al
  • Epidural Analgesia in the Management of Severe Vaso-Occlusive Sickle-Cell Crisis.
    Yaster M, et al. Pediatrics 1994;93:310-315


• Literature Reviews
  • A case of propofol toxicity: further evidence for a causal mechanism
    Davinia E Withington, Mary K. Decell, Tareq Al Ayed. Pediatric Anesthesia 2004;14:505
    Death after re-exposure to propofol in a 3-year-old child: a case report
    Josef Holzki, Christoph Aring, Alex Gillor. Paediatric Anaesthesia 2004;14:265
  • Does anaesthesia harm the developing brain - evidence or speculation?
    Andrew Davidson and Sulpicio Soriano. Paediatric Anaesthesia 2004; 14: 199-20.
  • An evaluation of pediatric in-hospital advanced life support interventions using the pediatric Utstein guidelines: a review of 203 cardiorespiratory arrests.
    J. Guay, L. Lortie.Can J Anesth 2004:51:4:373-378
  • A factorial trial of six interventions for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting
    Christian C. Apfel, MD, et al. IMPACT Investigators. N Engl J Med 2004;350:2441-51
  • Interactive Music Therapy as a Treatment for Preoperative Anxiety in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial
    Kain Z, Caldwell-Andrews A, Krivutza D, Weinberg M, Gaal D, Wang SM, Mayes L. Anesthesia & Analgesia 2004;98:1260-1266.
  • Trends in the practice of parental presence during induction of anesthesia and the use of preoperative sedative premedication in the United States, 1995-2002: results of a follow-up national survey.
    Kain, Z.N. et al. Anesth Analg 2004; 98:1252-9.
  • Anesthetic Complications of Tympanostomy Tube Placement in Children.
    Hoffmann KK, Thompson GK, Burke BL et al. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 128:1040-1043, 2002
  • Neurobehavioral Implications of Habitual Snoring in Children.
    O'Brien CM, et al. Pediatrics 2004; 116:44-50

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