Fluid overload is associated with increased morbidity and mortality after pediatric cardiac surgery. Management of fluid overload can be difficult and conventional tools may increase the risk of acute kidney injury. This study aimed to study the effects of aminophylline on fluid balance, urine output, blood urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine. Pediatric cardiac surgical patients who received aminophylline between September 2022 and December 2023 were identified. Data for various clinical parameters before and after an aminophylline dose were collected. Paired univariable analyses and a random forest classifier were conducted to help characterize the effects of aminophylline. A total of 169 aminophylline administrations in 72 unique patients were included in the final analyses. Fluid balance decreased by 115% in the 24 h after aminophylline administration compared to the 24 h preceding. Urine output peaked at 2 h after administration and increased 100% from baseline. Heart rate increased by 5% after administration and peaked between 2 and 4 h after. In pediatric patients after cardiac surgery, a 5 mg/kg dose of aminophylline is safe and is associated with a reduction in fluid balance and increase in urine output without significantly changing blood urea nitrogen or serum creatinine levels.
Keywords: Acute kidney injury; Aminophylline; Fluid balance; Urine output.
© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.