Evaluation of Aortic-Radial Blood Pressure Gradient in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery With Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Invasive blood pressure monitoring is essential during heart surgery. Usually, doctors measure blood pressure using a small tube (a catheter) placed in an artery, typically in the wrist or arm. During surgeries that require a heart-lung machine (cardiopulmonary bypass), doctors can also measure blood pressure directly near the heart in the main artery (the aorta). This is done using a tube already in place for the machine, so no extra procedure is needed. In adult patients, doctors have noticed that blood pressure readings taken at the arm can sometimes be significantly different from readings taken near the heart right after coming off the heart-lung machine. This difference could lead to unnecessary or incorrect treatments if medical teams rely only on arm readings. However, it is still unknown whether this same difference occurs in children. The goal of this study is to measure and compare blood pressure from both the arm and near the heart in children aged 3 years and younger as they come off the heart-lung machine during heart surgery. This research will help medical teams make safer, more accurate treatment decisions for children undergoing heart surgery.