Axillary brachial plexus block for perioperative analgesia in 250 children.
A cannula technique for axillary brachial plexus block in combination with general anaesthesia has been in use since 1994 for children undergoing surgical correction of congenital hand anomalies. During a 4-year period data were collected on 250 procedures in 185 patients of median age 3 years detailing the block technique and the intraoperative and postoperative analgesic requirements. Fifteen patients (6%) required supplemental intravenous opioid intraoperatively and this is taken as a marker of failure of the block. Ninety-five patients (38%) required postoperative codeine phosphate with a mean time to receiving codeine phosphate of 9 h. Postoperative pain was controlled in this series with oral analgesia in all but six patients who received parenteral codeine. It is proposed that a cannula technique is an effective and safe method of producing axillary brachial plexus block in children.
Fisher
W J
WJ
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.
Bingham
R M
RM
Hall
R
R
D000768:Anesthesia, General; D001917:Brachial Plexus; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003061:Codeine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006228:Hand Deformities, Congenital / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000009:adverse effects; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D003061:Codeine