Background: Although there is a wide breadth of literature on glucose homeostasis in infants, standardization of perioperative hypoglycemia diagnosis and management is lacking.
Aims: Survey of academic pediatric anesthesiology departments across the USA to evaluate institutional policies regarding the perioperative use of glucose containing solutions in infants less than 6 months of age.
Methods: A questionnaire was sent to 20 United States university affiliated academic pediatric anesthesiology departments.
Results: The responses suggest that, in the centers surveyed, glucose administration in infants is largely practitioner dependent. Two respondents (10%) claim to have a departmental policy regarding glucose administration in infants less than 6 months of age. In premature infants, 75% of respondents administer glucose. When administering glucose, 75% of physicians surveyed replete infants at their maintenance intravenous fluid rate. There was discrepancy among practitioners regarding initiation of hypoglycemia treatment, 35% treat infants at a blood glucose level of 70 mg/dl, 30% at BG 60 mg/dl, 25% at 50 mg/dl, and 10% are unsure.
Discussion: This survey highlights the lack of consensus, at least among pediatric anesthesiologists working in US academic centers, regarding blood glucose management in infants less than 6 months of age. There is a need to define the indications for using glucose containing solutions in infants during the perioperative period, their ideal content, the appropriate thresholds for hypo- and hyperglycemia as well as the optimal point-of care glucose monitoring intervals.
Keywords: adverse events; age; complications; fluids; infant.
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