Safety and efficacy of peribulbar block as adjunct to general anaesthesia for paediatric ophthalmic surgery.
METHODS
Fifty children (age 5-14 years, ASA I-II) undergoing elective ophthalmic surgery were chosen for the study. Of these, 25 received intravenous pethidine (control group) and 25 received a peribulbar block (block group) for perioperative analgesia, and were monitored intraoperatively and postoperatively by an investigator blinded to the analgesic technique.


RESULTS
Intraoperative values of haemodynamic variables were significantly higher in the control group (P < 0.01). Requirement for intraoperative rescue analgesic and postoperative analgesia was higher in the control group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively). Children in the block group had lower postoperative pain scores at all times. Incidence of oculocardiac reflex was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the control group. Seventy-six percent of children in the control group had postoperative nausea and vomiting compared to 20% children in the block group (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
There were no complications related to the block. Peribulbar block appears to be a safe and useful analgesic technique for paediatric ophthalmic surgery.
Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110029, India.
K
K
Deb
R
R
Subramaniam
M
M
Dehran
R
R
Tandon
D
D
Shende
D000293:Adolescent; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002045:Bupivacaine; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005123:Eye / Q000294:innervation*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008012:Lidocaine; D008297:Male; D008614:Meperidine; D009407:Nerve Block; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D020250:Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D008012:Lidocaine; D008614:Meperidine; D002045:Bupivacaine