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Published on: January 31, 2025
[Pediatric epidural catheterization in Japan: a postal survey of current status in university hospitals]
Norifumi Kuratani1, Masato Kato
1Department of Anesthesiology, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan.
Background:
Despite widespread use of epidural catheter for post-operative pain management in adults, its prevalence of use for pediatric patients in Japan has not been clarified.
Methods:
Postal survey had been conducted of the anesthesia departments of university hospitals (105 institutions) throughout the country. Information was requested on hospital policy of indication and technique of pediatric epidural catheterization. Methods of pain management for typical pediatric surgical patients were also investigated.
Results:
The response rate was 68.6%. Of these respondents, 36 institutions (50%) use epidural catheter for pediatric post-operative pain treatment. However, the indication and/or policy of epidural catheterization were significantly different among hospitals. The most common reason for avoiding pediatric epidural catheter placement was fear of nerve injury during epidural puncture in unconscious patients. Pain management strategies for post-operative children were also divergent.
Conclusions:
There was little consensus regarding pediatric epidural analgesia and post-operative pain management among anesthesiologists in Japanese university hospitals.
