Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion in children following spinal fusion

Objectives a) To determine if antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is elevated in patients undergoing spinal fusion, especially in those who have clinical evidence of syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH); b) to evaluate the relationship between ADH secretion and the secretion of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). Setting Tertiary care pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) in a university hospital. Design A prospective cross-sectional, observational study with factorial design. Patients Thirty patients > or = 10 yrs of age undergoing spinal fusion admitted to the ICU for postoperative care. Interventions Patients underwent anterior, posterior, or both anterior/posterior spinal fusion. Blood was collected for serial measurements of ADH, ANP and serum electrolyte levels. Heart rate, blood pressure and central venous pressure were measured. Measurements and main results Thirty children were studied. Nineteen had idiopathic scoliosis, nine had neuromuscular scoliosis, one had Marfan's disease, and one had congenital scoliosis. Ten (33%) children met clinical criteria of SIADH. There was no difference in duration of surgery, blood loss, volume of iv fluid administration pre- and intraoperatively, or type of scoliosis between those who developed SIADH and those who did not. Hemodynamic variables were similar in both groups. ADH levels increased in both groups immediately postoperatively and at 6 hrs after surgery, but were much more elevated in those patients with SIADH. Patients with SIADH also had significantly higher ADH levels preoperatively. In relation to serum osmolality, ADH was considerably higher in those with SIADH compared with those who did not. Although ANP values tended to be higher in the group with SIADH, this did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion SIADH occurs in a subset of children who undergo spinal fusion. The diagnosis of SIADH can be made easily using clinical parameters which are well-defined. In the face of SIADH, continued volume expansion may be harmful, and should therefore be avoided.