Masimo said that a new study has revealed that the use of Masimo SedLine Brain Function Monitoring significantly reduces the amount of sevoflurane required during paediatric surgeries.
This reduction leads to a decrease in the incidence of paediatric anesthesia emergence delirium (PAED), according to the study published in the JAMA Pediatrics journal.
Conducted by Dr Yasuko Nagasaka and colleagues at Tokyo Women’s Medical University, this research highlights how EEG-guided anaesthesia using Masimo SedLine not only enhances safety but also optimises operational efficiency.
The study involved children aged one to six scheduled for elective surgeries at Japan’s largest children’s hospital. Patients were randomly assigned to either the experimental group monitored with Masimo SedLine or a control group following standard sevoflurane administration practices.
Key metrics such as sevoflurane exposure, time to extubation, post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU) discharge timings, and PAED incidence were meticulously recorded.
Results showed that children monitored using Masimo SedLine experienced a 14% reduction in PAED incidence compared to those under standard care.
Additionally, these patients required an average of 1.4 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) hours less sevoflurane, regained consciousness 53% faster, and exited the PACU 48% sooner than those in the control group.
These efficiencies translate into potential cost savings of $240 to $920 per patient, due to reduced operating room and PACU time, said Masimo.
The decrease in PAED is particularly significant as this complication is prevalent in paediatric anesthesia and can cause short-term distress for both patients and their families.
While current practices often employ fixed doses of sevoflurane, this study suggests that more precise titration using bilateral EEG from Masimo SedLine can mitigate such risks.
Nagasaka and her team hypothesised that EEG-guided anaesthesia could lead to more effective management by reducing unnecessary exposure to volatile anaesthetics like sevoflurane.
The findings point towards a safer and more cost-effective approach in paediatric anaesthesia, offering valuable insights for healthcare providers seeking to enhance surgical outcomes for young patients.
Nagasaka said: “That increasing the depth of anaesthesia is relatively easy to learn. On the other hand, developing the confidence and skill to safely reduce anaesthesia requires deeper understanding.
“Our results may offer a great step forward towards the improvement of our common practice, which may lead to the development of guidelines for EEG monitoring in paediatric areas to eventually mandate EEG monitoring during general anaesthesia in the future.
“But comprehensive training in EEG-guided anaesthesia should be considered a critical next step for the entire anaesthesia community.”
