Cardiac Dysrhythmias in Children Undergoing Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy Under General Anesthesia or Propofol Sedation: A Prospective, Observational Cohort Study.

Objective: To assess the frequency and severity of cardiac dysrhythmias and identify any intraoperative or postoperative complications in children undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL).

Methods: All children coming to our institution for ESWL from June 2014 to January 2015 were prospectively enrolled in an observational cohort study. Intraoperative cardiac dysrhythmias and perioperative and postoperative complications were recorded.

Results: In total, 21 children aged 1-18 years were enrolled receiving a total of 26 treatments. Intravenous sedation was used in 19 cases and general anesthesia with an inhalational agent in 7 cases. Cardiac dysrhythmias occurred in 58% of children. No hemodynamic instability was noted. No therapies were terminated because of dysrhythmias, and there were no postoperative cardiac dysrhythmias.

Conclusion: ESWL remains a safe therapy for children with urinary stone disease. Although we experienced more dysrhythmias than currently published literature, there were no long-term adverse outcomes and children were able to go home the same day.