Efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of levobupivacaine with and without fentanyl after continuous epidural infusion in children: a multicenter trial.
BACKGROUND
Levobupivacaine, the levo-enantiomer of bupivacaine, is as potent as bupivacaine but less toxic. Therefore, the authors investigated the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of perioperative epidural levobupivacaine with and without fentanyl in children.


METHODS
After Research Ethics Board approval and informed written consent, 120 healthy children aged 6 months to 12 yr who were scheduled to undergo urologic or abdominal surgery were randomized in a double-blinded and concealed manner to receive one of four epidural solutions as a continuous infusion for 24 h: 0.125% levobupivacaine; 0.0625% levobupivacaine; 1 mug/ml fentanyl; or the combination, 0.0625 levobupivacaine and 1 mug/ml fentanyl. After induction of anesthesia and tracheal intubation, a lumbar epidural catheter was sited, a loading dose was administered (0.75 ml/kg levobupivacaine, 0.175%), and the epidural infusion was commenced. The primary endpoint was the need for rescue analgesia (morphine) in the first 10 h after surgery. Pain, motor strength, and side effects were recorded for 24 h. Venous blood was collected from 18 children to determine the plasma concentrations of levobupivacaine and/or fentanyl before and 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, and 26 or 30 h after the start of the epidural infusion.


RESULTS
Of the 114 children who were analyzed for intention to treat, a similar number of children in each group reached the 10-h mark. The time to the first dose of morphine in the first 10 h was less in the plain fentanyl group (P < 0.044). All other effects were similar among the four groups. The plasma concentration of levobupivacaine increased during the infusion period, reaching a maximum of 0.76 +/- 0.11 mug/ml in the 0.125% group and 0.48 +/- 0.12 mug/ml in the 0.0625% group by 24 h. The plasma concentration of fentanyl also increased steadily, reaching a maximum concentration of 0.37 +/- 0.11 ng/ml by 24 h.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that 0.0625% levobupivacaine without fentanyl is an effective perioperative epidural solution in children when infused at a rate of 0.3 ml. kg-1. h-1. The plasma concentrations of 0.125% and 0.0625% levobupivacaine and fentanyl (1 mug/ml) at the end of a 24-h infusion are low.
Department of Anesthesiology, Children's Hospital of Buffalo, 219 Bryant Street, Buffalo, New York 14222, USA. jlerman@adelphia.net
Jerrold
J
Lerman
Judith
J
Nolan
Rob
R
Eyres
Mark
M
Schily
Peter
P
Stoddart
Christopher M
CM
Bolton
Frank
F
Mazzeo
Andrew R
AR
Wolf
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009407:Nerve Block; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D004338:Drug Combinations; D009020:Morphine; D005283:Fentanyl; D002045:Bupivacaine