Arterial carbon dioxide markedly increases during diagnostic laparoscopy in portal hypertensive children.

UNLABELLED: Several factors are responsible for hypercarbia during laparoscopic procedures. This study was undertaken because we observed a sudden increase in PaCO(2) in children with portal hypertension (PHT), which was unusual in healthy children undergoing laparoscopic procedures. Fifty-seven children underwent laparoscopic procedures under general anesthesia and were mechanically ventilated. Arterial blood samples were obtained 5 min after intubation (T(0)), 15 min and 30 min after CO(2) pneumoperitoneum (T(15) and T(30)), 5 min after desufflation (T(end)), and 10 min after extubation (T(ext)) for blood gas analysis. The changes in PaCO(2), pH, and ETCO(2) were statistically significant during the study periods in both groups (P < 0.05). The percentage of PaCO(2) increase between T(0) and T(15) was 11.5% and 20.1%, respectively, in the control group and the PHT group (P < 0.05). This increase reached 36.8% at T(30) in the PHT group, whereas the control group had a 17.2% increase (P < 0.05). ETCO(2) presented similar changes. The variability in base excess, bicarbonate, PaO(2), arterial oxygen saturation, and SpO(2) was not significant in either group (P > 0.05). The PaCO(2) increased remarkably in children with PHT undergoing laparoscopy, with no difference in intrahepatic or extrahepatic origin. Limiting the duration of CO(2) pneumoperitoneum and intraabdominal pressure and adjusting ventilatory variables to accommodate hypercarbia are of the utmost importance for such cases. IMPLICATIONS: We compared children with portal hypertension with systemically healthy children during laparoscopy. The increase in arterial and end-tidal CO(2) was remarkable in children with portal hypertension, regardless of bicarbonate changes. Managing ventilation to accommodate hypercarbia is of the utmost importance for such cases.