Safety and Efficacy of Neostigmine Against Residual Neuromuscular Blockade in Pediatric Patients During Recovery From General Anesthesia: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Chen Hongyang , Yang Lei , Wang Zining , Yang Di , Zhang Weiyi , Zhu Tao 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Introduction: with the wide application of muscle relaxants in clinic, the anesthesiologists pay more and more attention to the residual neuromuscular block. While the pediatric patients have poor tolerance to hypoxia, compared to adult patients, the residual neuromuscular block do more harm to them in recovery period of anesthesia, such as respiratory failure, hypoxia, asphyxia and even death. In order to reduce the risk of the residual neuromuscular block complications, we design the following regression cohort study to conform the safety and effectiveness of routine use of neostigmine after operation.Methods: This study was a retrospective cohort study (ChiCTR1900028048), approved by the ethics committee of West China Hospital, Sichuan University. We reviewed pediatric patients who received surgical treatment in West China Hospital, Sichuan University from January 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019.The exposure factor was the use of neostigmine during the period of anesthesia recovery. Inclusion criteria: the pediatric surgery department patients who underwent general anesthesia in West China Hospital, Sichuan University. Exclusion criteria: cases without medical electronic records; Cases with missing outcome data; No muscle relaxants were used during general anesthesia. The outcomes included: lowest pulse oxygen saturation after endotracheal extubation; incidence of hypoxemia after endotracheal extubation; in-hospital mortality; length of hospital stay; medical expenses. IBM SPSS Statistics 23.0 software was used for statistical analysis.1:1 propensity score matching was used to eliminate the influence of confounding factors. For continuous variables, student t test was used . For categorical variables, the chi-square test was used. The results were considered statistically significant, if p value < 0.05. Subgroup analysis was performed according to the age (<2 years / 3-5 years or >6 years) and the dose of neostigmine (low dose group <=0.02mg/kg or high dose group >0.02mg/kg).Results: A total of 4358 pediatric patients were included. After 1:1 propensity score matching, 1820 pediatric patients were included for statistical analysis. In-hospital mortality (1/910 vs 0/910, p = 0.32), lowest pulse oxygen saturation after endotracheal extubation (98.90±3.05 vs 98.78±3.48, p = 0.43), incidence of hypoxemia after endotracheal extubation (23/910 vs 21/910, p=0.76), length of hospital stay (5.66±6.11 vs 5.88±6.59, p= 0.46), and medical expenses (17967.04±21325.86 vs 17406.96±18358.17, p=0.55) showed no significantly statistical differences between the pediatric patients with or without neostigmine application to reverse the neuromuscular blockade during anesthesia recovery. Subgroup analysis found no significant associations between the outcomes and age of the patients or the dose of neostigmine.Conclusion: For pediatric patients, neostigmine application to reverse the neuromuscular blockade was not significantly associated with in hospital mortality, lowest pulse oxygen saturation after endotracheal extubation, incidence of hypoxemia after endotracheal extubation, medical expenses, or length of hospital stay. However, as some confounding factors cannot be eliminated in this retrospective study, the results of this study are needed to be confirmed by future prospective studies.Trial registration: Medical records based study for the recovery effect of antagonitst of muscle relaxant in pediatric patients, ChiCTR1900028048, Registered 8 September 2019, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=46686