Two groups of patients were allowed to self-administer morphine (n = 17) or pethidine (n = 15) extradurally after abdominal surgery, for a mean period of 16 h. Bolus increments of morphine 1 mg or pethidine 20 mg were administered by programmable pump. Pain relief from extradural patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) was excellent in all but two patients in the morphine group. Pain relief was not ...

Five healthy, unmedicated male volunteers, aged 19-25 yr, participated in a double-blind, crossover study. Each subject received, on separate occasions and via a catheter placed at L2, 1.5% etiodocaine HCl20 ml with adrenaline 5 mug/ml, or 0.75% bupivacaine HCl 20 ml with adrenaline 5 mug/ml for extradural analgesia. In addition, in order to calculate the absorption rate of the local anaestheti...

Caudal analgesia is a very popular route to provide intraoperative and postoperative analgesia in children because of its simple technique, predictable level of blockade, high success rate and smooth recovery. It can be used mainly for perineal and sub umbilical procedures. Ropivacaine, the S-enantiomer of the amide local anesthetic, produces differential neural blockade, with lesser motor bloc...

BACKGROUND Caudal block is a common technique for paediatric analgesia but with the disadvantage of short duration of action after single injection. Caudal dexmedetomidine and clonidine could offer significant analgesic benefits. We compared the analgesic effects and side-effects of dexmedetomidine and clonidine added to bupivacaine in paediatric patients undergoing lower abdominal surgeries. ...

Caudal block is the regional anesthetic technique that is used most frequently in pediatric surgery and bupivacaine and levobupivacaine are widely utilized in this technique. Opioid drugs have been added to local anesthetic solutions to prolong duration of analgesia but ideal combination were not found. We compared the postoperative analgesic efficacy of equal concentrations of bupivacaine or l...

Background: Pain is an unpleasant subjective sensation which can only be experienced and not expressed, especially in children. The primary reason to treat or prevent pain is humanitarian. Aim and objectives: To assess Ultrasound Guided Ilioinguinal / Iliohypogastric nerve block versus Caudal block for post-operative analgesia in children undergoing unilateral groin surgery in ASA grade I and I...

Low-frequency (1.6-2.2 Hz) and weak-intensity electrical stimulation in the spinal extradural space produced complete to partial pain relief in a majority of patients (22 of 25) who suffered from intractable pain. Also it produced analgesia or hypoalgesia over a wide area of the body surface in 19 of the 25.

Evidence of central nervous system toxicity was noted in two patients undergoing extradural analgesia for Caesarean section. There was no cardiovascular depression and both patients recovered rapidly. The patients had received total doses of bupivacaine plain solution of 357.5 mg and 356.25 mg, respectively and the relationship of these to the clinical signs of bupivacaine toxicity is discussed.

Correspondence Adjuncts to caudal blockade in children Editor—We read with great interest the editorial by Lön-nqvist 1 regarding caudal additives. The author gives an excellent description of the chronological development of caudal adjuncts. Nevertheless, we were somewhat surprised by his affirmations regarding caudal neostigmine. The author claims that two studies are proof enough to show tha...