Ultrasound-guided trunk and core blocks in infants and children

Tarun Bhalla1, Amod Sawardekar, Elisabeth Dewhirst

  • 1Departments of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA. tarun.bhalla@nationwidechildrens.org

Journal of Anesthesia
|September 26, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Regional anesthesia in children offers better pain relief and fewer opioid side effects. This review covers core and trunk blocks like transversus abdominis plane and paravertebral blocks for pediatric perioperative analgesia.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Anesthesiology
  • Regional Anesthesia
  • Pain Management

Background:

  • Regional anesthetic techniques are gaining traction for pediatric perioperative analgesia.
  • Advantages include superior pain management, reduced opioid use, and fewer opioid-related adverse effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the literature on core and trunk blocks in pediatric patients.
  • To detail anatomy, techniques, indications, and complications of specific blocks.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of regional anesthetic techniques for infants and children.
  • Focus on transversus abdominis plane, ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve, rectus sheath, lumbar plexus, paravertebral, and intercostal nerve blocks.

Main Results:

  • Detailed review of anatomy and techniques for each block.
  • Presentation of common indications, potential complications, and adverse effects.
  • Summary of existing literature for each peripheral nerve block.

Conclusions:

  • Core and trunk blocks are valuable tools for pediatric perioperative analgesia.
  • Understanding the anatomy and techniques is crucial for safe and effective application.
  • Further research can optimize the use of these techniques in children.

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