Epigenetics in PostOperative Pediatric Emergence Delirium

Emergence delirium (ED) infers the occurrence of behavior and cognition changes during the early postoperative period. Main signs and symptoms of ED are the disturbances of consciousness and awareness of the environment, with disorientation and perceptual alterations, including hypersensitivity to external stimuli and hyperactive motor behaviors. The incidence may be higher than 80%. Risk factors include pre-school age, use of sevoflurane, ophthalmologic and otorhinolaryngologic surgeries, child anxiety, parental or caregiver anxiety. The recurrence of ED is controversial. The only validated scale for diagnosis of ED is the PAED (Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium). Prevention is the best approach, as well as the use of alpha-2 agonists, propofol and total intravenous anesthesia. There are still no clear markers for postoperative delirium, especially ED. Cognitive alterations may be related to epigenetic modifications. Anesthesia-induced epigenetic changes may be the key to understanding perioperative complications and outcomes and is a field of future research in anesthesia. The study aims to analyze the DNA methylation profile in children with ED. A prospective, randomized study will be carried out in up to 322 children undergoing general anesthesia (inhalation group or intravenous group) to perform endoscopic procedures at the Instituto da Criança, Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. Patients will have blood samples drawn, and analysis of the DNA methylation profile through the array technique will be performed in 40 children (20 of each group ) who presented ED as well as in 08 control cases. Also, the occurrence of ED will be correlated with the degree of anxiety of the child, parents and during anesthetic induction, in addition to comparing the two anesthetic techniques with the occurrence of ED and late postoperative cognitive alterations.