Determining Optimal Mean Arterial Blood Pressure Based on Cerebral Autoregulation in Children after Cardiac Surgery

To evaluate the feasibility of continuous determination of the optimal mean arterial blood pressure (opt-MAP) according to cerebral autoregulation and to describe the opt-MAP, the autoregulation limits, and the time spent outside these limits in children within 48 h of cardiac surgery. Cerebral autoregulation was assessed using the correlation coefficient (COx) between cerebral oxygenation and MAP in children following cardiac surgery. Plots depicting the COx according to the MAP were used to determine the opt-MAP using weighted multiple time windows. For each patient, we estimated (1) the time spent with MAP outside the autoregulation limits and (2) the burden of deviation, defined as the area between the MAP curve and the autoregulation limits when the MAP was outside these limits. Fifty-one patients with a median age of 7.1 (IQR 0.7–52.0) months old were included. The opt-MAP was calculated for 94% (IQR 90–96) of the monitored time. The opt-MAP was significantly lower in neonates < 1 month old. The patients spent 24% (18–31) of the time outside of the autoregulation limits, with no significant differences between age groups. Continuous determination of the opt-MAP is feasible in children within the first 48 h following cardiac surgery.