title: Caudal ropivacaine and ketamine for postoperative analgesia in children.
abstract: In a prospective, randomised, double-blind clinical study, we studied 32 ASA grade I and II boys aged 18 months to 12 years, scheduled for circumcision under general anaesthesia on an outpatient basis. They were randomly allocated to one of two groups: those in the ropivacaine group received caudal ropivacaine 0.2% 1 ml. kg-1 for postoperative analgesia and those in the ketamine/ropivacaine group received caudal ropivacaine 0.2% 1 ml. kg-1 plus caudal ketamine 0.25 mg.kg-1. Postoperative pain was assessed using a modified 10-cm visual analogue scale and analgesia was administered if the pain score exceeded a value of 3. The median duration of analgesia was significantly longer in the ketamine/ropivacaine group (12 h) than in the ropivacaine group (3 h, p < 0.0001), and subjects in the ropivacaine group required significantly more doses of postoperative analgesia than those in the ketamine/ropivacaine group (p < 0.0001). There were no differences between the groups in the incidence of postoperative nausea, vomiting, sedation, emergence delirium, nightmares, hallucinations, motor block and urinary retention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care & Operating Services, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, 11 Chuen On Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Sanders
mesh_terms: D000577:Amides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000763:Anesthesia, Caudal / Q000379:methods; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007649:Ketamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000077212:Ropivacaine; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000577:Amides; D000700:Analgesics; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D007649:Ketamine; D000077212:Ropivacaine