Charles Schrock, M.D.

DEPARTMENT OF Anesthesiology
Keywords: Down syndrome, cardiovascular, pediatric, anesthesia

Down syndrome is a heterogeneous disorder that occurs as a result of various abnormalities of chromosome 21. Anecdotally, children with Down syndrome have been reported to have greater cardiovascular sensitivity to general anesthetic agents. This has not been quantitated previously. The aim of this study is to determine how routinely monitored vital signs differ between children with Down syndrome and those without while undergoing routine elective general anesthesia. If results of this pilot study indicated significant cardiovascular differences, then more detailed study will be undertaken to determine means of anticipating and minimizing unexpected cardiovascular responses in children with Down syndrome.