New insights into paediatric regional anaesthesia: new drugs.
Over the years paediatric regional anaesthesia has gained a worldwide consensus, and it can now be considered a significant part of perioperative pain control in children. As in many fields, with the use of drugs administered epidurally there is a fundamental need for safety and efficacy. Two new local anaesthetic agents have recently entered the market, ropivacaine and levobupivacaine, which seem to offer a wider safety margin in comparison with the old drugs as well as valid pain control. To prolong their analgesic duration, many adjuvants can be used, and clonidine and ketamine are probably the best solution. This review summarizes the most recent data on these drugs and their use in children.
Ivani
G
G
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, Turin, Italy. gioivani@ipsnet.it
De Negri
P
P