PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Kimihiko Murase
AU  - Chihara Yuichi
AU  - Chikara Yoshimura
AU  - Tomohiro Handa
AU  - Toru Oga
AU  - Hajime Segawa
AU  - Michiaki Mishima
AU  - Kazuhiko Fukuda
AU  - Shinji Uemoto
AU  - Kazuo Chin
TI  - The use of non-invasive ventilation after liver transplantation in pediatric patients: Changes in the need for reintubation
DP  - 2011 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - p2074
VI  - 38
IP  - Suppl 55
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p2074.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p2074.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38
AB  - Introduction & aim: The role of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in preventing reintubation after abdominal surgery in paediatric patients is uncertain and should be investigated.Method: Our team has performed more than 700 liver transplantations (LT) for pediatric patients since 1990. Beginning in 2005 we began full introduction of NIV to these patients from 2005. We screened all medical records of pediatric patients less than 12 years old who underwent LT during two 4-year periods: 2001-2004 (pre full introduction of NIV) and 2006-2009 (post full introduction of NIV) and retrieved data on cases at high risk of respiratory failure. Data and clinical outcome for these cohorts were retrospectively analyzed and compared.Results: Included in the analysis were 54 cases (53 patients) from the pre-NIV period and 29 cases (28 patients) from the post-NIV period. After full introduction of NIV, NIV was applied more frequently within one week after extubation in these patients (16/54 cases (29.6%) vs. 22/29 cases (75.9%), p<0.01) and the need for reintubation was significantly decreased (11/54 (22.5%) vs. 1/29 (3.7%) p<0.05) during that period. Sequential arterial blood gas analysis suggested that NIV use beginning immediately after extubation stabilized the respiratory condition in this cohort.Conclusion: NIV is an acceptable method of respiratory management of pediatric patients undergoing LT. NIV may also stabilize their respiratory condition and decrease the need for reintubation after scheduled extubation.