Serratus Anterior Plane Block in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Thoracic Surgeries: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) as an analgesic technique for thoracotomies in pediatric patients.

Double-blinded randomized controlled trial.

A single-center study at Aboelrish Pediatric Hospital, one tertiary hospital of Cairo University Hospitals.

Seventy pediatric patients aged six months-to-three years scheduled for thoracotomies.

Patients were randomized into two groups, group SF and group F. Group SF received an ultrasound-guided SAPB (n = 35), whereas group F (n = 35) did not. All groups received an intraoperative fentanyl infusion (at 0.5 μg/kg /h).

The primary outcome was the total dose of postoperatively administrated fentanyl in the first 24 hours. The secondary outcomes included the total dose of intraoperative additional fentanyl boluses; time of the first postoperative rescue analgesia; and postoperative Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability scale (FLACC) score values.

The main results of this study showed that the administrated fentanyl in the 24 hours postoperatively was significantly lower in SF group than in F group (p value ˂ 0.001). In addition, significant decreases of the postoperative FLACC pain score (p value ˂ 0.001), reduction of intraoperative fentanyl consumption (p value ˂ 0.001), and delay of the first rescue analgesia (p value ˂ 0.001) were recorded in SF group in relation to F group without significant complications in both groups.

Serratus anterior plane block can provide a safe, effective, and easy-to-perform regional technique for children undergoing thoracotomies.