Objective: To report the safety and efficacy of a postoperative approach that avoids pharmacologic and physical restraints and allows liberal physical activity after single-stage laryngotracheal reconstruction in children.
Design: Retrospective study.
Setting: Tertiary care pediatric intensive care unit.
Patients: One hundred thirty-three children who underwent single-stage laryngotracheal reconstruction, including laryngotracheoplasty, tracheal resection, and cricotracheal resection.
Interventions: Five-year period of data collection regarding postoperative care and complications.
Measurements and main results: The medical records of all patients (age range, 2-336 months; mean age +/- SEM, 66 +/- 5 months) who underwent single-stage laryngotracheoplasty, tracheal resection, or cricotracheal resection between 1993 and 1998 were reviewed. Tracheally intubated, awake, and unrestrained patients (group 1, n = 54; mean age, 113 +/- 8 months) were compared with tracheally intubated, sedated, and restrained patients (group 2, n = 79; mean age, 33 +/- 3 months). Pediatric intensive care unit length of stay was less in group 1 in comparison with group 2 patients (11.2 +/- 0.5 days vs. 13.7 +/- 0.6 days; p = .007). Hospital length of stay was less in group 1 than group 2 patients (16.7 +/- 1.0 days vs. 21.1 +/- 1.1 days; p = .01). Adverse events were fewer in group 1 compared with group 2 patients: atelectasis, 44% vs. 73% (p < .001); postextubation stridor, 22% vs. 53% (p < .001); and withdrawal syndromes, 0% vs. 43% (p < .001). The occurrence of pneumonia, airleak syndromes, unplanned extubation, and aspiration events was not different between groups.
Conclusions: For developmentally appropriate children, postoperative management after single-stage laryngotracheal reconstruction does not require the use of physical and pharmacologic restraints. Older children who are not sedated or restrained and who are allowed liberal physical activity have shorter pediatric intensive care unit and hospital lengths of stay, and a decreased incidence of postoperative adverse events. Centers performing single-stage laryngotracheal reconstruction should consider a postoperative management strategy that avoids sedatives, muscle relaxants, and physical restraints, and allows liberal bedside physical activity in developmentally appropriate children.