Early experience with erector spinae plane blocks in children

Area of Science:

• Regional Anesthesia
• Pediatric Anesthesiology
• Pain Management

Background:

• The erector spinae plane block is a novel regional anesthetic technique with limited pediatric literature.
• Existing data primarily consists of case reports and small case series.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the erector spinae plane block in pediatric patients undergoing surgery.
• To assess the block's feasibility, safety, and impact on opioid consumption and pain scores.
• To conduct a literature review of pediatric erector spinae plane block studies published since 2016.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 164 pediatric patients receiving the block between October 2017 and May 2019.
• Ultrasound-guided block placement performed under anesthesia prior to surgical incision.
• Included a PubMed literature search for pediatric erector spinae plane block publications.

Main Results:

• The erector spinae plane block was successfully performed in 70.1% of patients, with 79% of single injections completed within 10 minutes.
• Only 20% of patients required intraoperative long-acting opioids.
• A literature review identified 33 publications describing the block in 128 children, with no reported complications.

Conclusions:

• Erector spinae plane blocks are technically straightforward to administer in children.
• The block demonstrates efficacy across a wide range of surgical procedures with varying incision sites (T1-L4).
• No complications have been reported to date, suggesting a favorable safety profile.