Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
09:47
Anesthesia and Intubation of Preadolescent Mouse Pups for Cardiothoracic Surgery
Published on: June 2, 2022
Caudal clonidine in day-care paediatric surgery
Archna Koul1, Deepanjali Pant, Jayshree Sood
1Consultant, Deptt of Anaesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative medicine, Sir Gangaram Hospital, New Delhi.
Indian Journal of Anaesthesia
|July 20, 2010
Summary
Adding clonidine to bupivacaine caudal blocks significantly extends postoperative pain relief in pediatric patients undergoing surgery. This combination is a safe alternative for children
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Caudal blocks are commonly used for pediatric pain management.
- Bupivacaine is a standard anesthetic for caudal blocks.
- Optimizing analgesic duration and safety in pediatric anesthesia is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the analgesic efficacy of adding clonidine to bupivacaine for caudal blocks in children.
- To assess the hemodynamic and respiratory safety of this combined anesthetic approach.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 40 children undergoing inguinal hernia repair.
- Group C received bupivacaine with clonidine; Group B received bupivacaine alone via caudal injection.
- Postoperative analgesia duration, pain scores (OPS), sedation, heart rate, and blood pressure were recorded.
Main Results:
- The clonidine group (Group C) experienced significantly longer duration of analgesia (10.25 hours) compared to the bupivacaine-only group (Group B, 4.55 hours) (p<0.001).
- No instances of bradycardia, hypotension, or excessive sedation were observed in the clonidine group.
- Clonidine addition demonstrated a favorable safety profile.
Conclusions:
- Clonidine significantly prolongs postoperative pain relief when added to bupivacaine in pediatric caudal blocks.
- The combination of clonidine and bupivacaine is a safe and effective alternative for pain management in pediatric daycare surgeries.
- This approach enhances recovery and patient comfort post-operatively.
Related Concept Videos
01:11Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia
Spinal anesthetics are given during lower abdomen and limb surgeries to block sensory and motor neurons. They are administered in the mid to low lumbar regions, primarily acting on the cauda equina's nerve roots. The blockade level depends on the local anesthetic (LA) concentration. Usually, low LA concentrations are sufficient to block sensory fibers, while only high LA concentrations block motor fibers. Other factors like injection volume and speed, the patient's posture, and the drug...
01:29Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia
Epidural anesthetics are administered in the fat-filled epidural space, the outermost part of the spinal canal. This technique is commonly employed for pain management and anesthesia during lower abdomen and pelvis surgeries or labor and delivery.
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
01:19Depolarizing Blockers: Pharmocokinetics
Depolarizing blockers are administered through intravenous injection. Succinylcholine is the most common choice of depolarizing blockers in emergency clinical practices. Although they have a rapid onset, they readily diffuse away from the motor end plate into the extracellular fluid. They are metabolized by enzymes such as liver butyrylcholinesterase and plasma pseudocholinesterases. This produces a short duration of action, typically 5-10 minutes long, unlike nondepolarizing blockers, which...
01:29Drug Dosing: Infants and Children
Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...