title: Patient-controlled regional analgesia is effective in children: a preliminary report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report a preliminary analysis of prospectively recorded data in 27 children in whom patient-controlled regional analgesia (PCRA) was used for postoperative pain control following lower limb surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Under general anesthesia, perineural catheters (popliteal and fascia iliaca compartment block) were inserted and infused with ropivacaine 0.2% (0.02 mL.kg(-1).hr(-1)). Additional demand doses were left to the child's discretion (0.1 mL.kg(-1)and a 30-min lockout interval).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average total dose of ropivacaine administered was 4.9 +/- 2 mg.kg(-1)over 48 hr. Visual analogue scale and Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale scores were always inferior to 5/10 and 6/13, respectively. Motor block was observed in two children and two children needed rescue analgesia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our preliminary observations indicate that PCRA in children provides satisfactory postoperative pain relief following lower limb surgery.
authors.affiliation: Département d'Anesthésie-Réanimation, Hôpital Debrousse, 29, rue Soeur Bouvier, 69322 Lyon Cedex 05, France. frederic.duflo@chu-lyon.fr
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Duflo
authors.forename: Youssef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qamouss
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rémond
authors.forename: Agnès
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pouyau
authors.forename: Armand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heilporn
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Paturel
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Combet
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boselli
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chotel
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bérard
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chassard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000577:Amides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000294:innervation / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010543:Peroneal Nerve; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000077212:Ropivacaine; D012584:Sciatic Nerve
chemical_list: D000577:Amides; D000700:Analgesics; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000077212:Ropivacaine