Anesthesia management in a child with PHACE syndrome and agenesis of bilateral internal carotid arteries.

This is the first case report of successful anesthesia management in a high-risk neurological procedure in a patient with PHACE syndrome. PHACE syndrome is rare but an important clinical entity. Anesthesiologists should be aware of the neurological, otolaryngogical, and vascular risk associated with this syndrome.

Time course and prognostic value of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide concentration in neonates undergoing the arterial switch operation.

Background: Plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) can predict postoperative complications after cardiac surgery in adults. Our aim was to investigate BNP kinetics and prognostic value in neonates undergoing the arterial switch operation (ASO) for transposition of the great arteries (TGA).

Methods: We measured BNP concentrations in 30 neonates before, immediately after, and 6, 12, 24, and 48 h after ASO for TGA.