The Evaluation of Hematologic Screening and Perioperative Management in Patients with Noonan Syndrome: A Retrospective Chart Review

Objectives To assess the potential impact of using screening recommendations for bleeding disorders in patients with Noonan syndrome on perioperative bleeding complications. Study design We performed a retrospective, single-site cohort study; patients were identified by query of the electronic medical record. All patients with a clinical diagnosis of Noonan syndrome over a 10-year period were included. Data on surgeries, hematologic evaluation, bleeding symptoms, and bleeding complications were extracted. Surgeries were graded as major or minor. Results We identified 101 patients with Noonan syndrome, 70 of whom required surgery for a total of 164 procedures. Nine patients (9/70; 12.8%) had bleeding complications, occurring in those without comprehensive testing or perioperative intervention and undergoing major or dental surgery. Based on these findings, the risk of a bleeding complication for patients with Noonan syndrome who did not have comprehensive testing or perioperative intervention was 6.2% (95% CI 2.3%-10.1%), indicating the number needed to treat or screen would be 16 to prevent 1 bleeding complication (95% CI 9.9-43.9). The majority of patients had either no or incomplete evaluation (59 of 101; 58.4%). Conclusions With proper evaluation and management, the bleeding risk in patients with Noonan syndrome can be minimized. Efforts are needed to address the knowledge and implementation gap in this evaluation.