Anesthesia and Sedation Exposure and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Infants Undergoing Congenital Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Children undergoing complex cardiac surgery are exposed to substantial cumulative doses of sedative medications and volatile anesthetics and are more frequently anesthetized with ketamine, compared with healthy children. This study hypothesized that greater exposure to sedation and anesthesia in this population is associated with lower neurodevelopmental scores at 18 months of age.

Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted of infants with congenital heart disease who participated in a prospective observational study of environmental exposures and neurodevelopmental outcomes to assess the impact of cumulative volatile anesthetic agents and sedative medications.