Patient-controlled regional analgesia is effective in children: a preliminary report.
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.
Duflo
Frédéric
F
Département d'Anesthésie-Réanimation, Hôpital Debrousse, 29, rue Soeur Bouvier, 69322 Lyon Cedex 05, France. frederic.duflo@chu-lyon.fr
Qamouss
Youssef
Y
Rémond
Charlotte
C
Pouyau
Agnès
A
Heilporn
Armand
A
Taylor
Patricia
P
Paturel
Brigitte
B
Combet
Sylvie
S
Boselli
Emmanuel
E
Chotel
Franck
F
Bérard
Jérôme
J
Chassard
Dominique
D
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
D000577:Amides; D000700:Analgesics; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000077212:Ropivacaine