To assess pulmonary function in children and adolescents subjected to correction of rheumatic valve disease in order to quantify changes caused by factors inherent to surgery and rheumatic heart disease.
This was a longitudinal and quantitative intervention study, undertaken at a children's hospital that is a center of excellence for the state of Pernambuco (Instituto Materno Infantil de Pernambuco), between December 2004 and May 2005. Eighteen children suffering from rheumatic fever and indicated for surgery to repair or replace the mitral valve were assessed preoperatively and again on the first and fifth postoperative days. The parameters recorded were minute volume, rapid shallow breathing index, peak expiratory flow, forced vital capacity and inspiratory capacity.
All patients were aged 8 to 17 years (mean 12.4+/-2.1), they had a mean body mass index of 16.1+/-2.2, and were weaned off invasive mechanical ventilation during the first 10 postoperative hours. All parameters had undergone significant deterioration on the first day (statistically significant, p < or = 0.01), demonstrating gradual improvement up to the last day of assessment, although, with the exception of minute volume which was no longer significantly different from the fourth day onwards (p > 0.01), without returning to baseline levels.
We observed that the pulmonary dysfunction that results from this type of heart surgery is maintained until at least the fifth postoperative day. It appears that this dysfunction is influenced by the pain and mechanical alterations caused by sternotomy and reduced pulmonary compliance post surgery.