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Patient-controlled regional analgesia is effective in children: a preliminary report

Frédéric Duflo1, Youssef Qamouss, Charlotte Rémond

  • 1Département d'Anesthésie-Réanimation, Hôpital Debrousse, 29, rue Soeur Bouvier, 69322 Lyon Cedex 05, France. frederic.duflo@chu-lyon.fr

Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia = Journal Canadien D'Anesthesie
|November 5, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Patient-controlled regional analgesia (PCRA) effectively manages postoperative pain in children after lower limb surgery. This method provided satisfactory pain relief, with minimal need for rescue analgesia.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Anesthesiology
  • Pain Management
  • Regional Anesthesia

Background:

  • Effective postoperative pain control is crucial for pediatric surgical recovery.
  • Lower limb surgery in children presents unique challenges for pain management.
  • Patient-controlled regional analgesia (PCRA) offers a potential solution for tailored pain relief.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of PCRA for postoperative pain control in children undergoing lower limb surgery.
  • To analyze prospectively recorded data from 27 pediatric patients using PCRA.
  • To assess the safety and effectiveness of PCRA in this specific patient population.

Main Methods:

  • Implementation of perineural catheters (popliteal and fascia iliaca compartment block) under general anesthesia.
  • Infusion of ropivacaine 0.2% at a rate of 0.02 mL.kg(-1).hr(-1) with patient-controlled demand doses.
  • A lockout interval of 30 minutes was maintained for additional analgesia administration.

Main Results:

  • Average total ropivacaine consumption was 4.9 +/- 2 mg.kg(-1) over 48 hours.
  • Visual Analogue Scale and pain scores remained below critical thresholds (5/10 and 6/13, respectively).
  • Two children experienced motor block, and two required rescue analgesia.

Conclusions:

  • PCRA demonstrates potential as a safe and effective method for managing postoperative pain in children.
  • Preliminary findings suggest PCRA provides satisfactory pain relief following lower limb surgery in pediatric patients.
  • Further research is warranted to confirm these findings in larger cohorts.
Abstract

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