Practical pediatric regional anesthesia. 2013

Martin Jöhr
Pediatric Anesthesia, Department of Anesthesia, Kantonsspital, Lucerne 16, Switzerland. joehrmartin@bluewin.ch

OBJECTIVE To discuss the developments in pediatric regional anesthesia which are currently under discussion and relevant to the practitioner. RESULTS The ongoing interest in regional anesthesia for pain relief is justified by its inclusion in current pain guidelines as well as by a good safety record in the recent epidemiological studies. Abdominal wall blocks, for example, transversus abdominis plane block, are emergent techniques and widely used; however, there are still unanswered questions, for example, the duration of analgesia. Caudal block still remains the single most important technique. According to the recent meta-analyses, the duration of analgesia can be prolonged by approximately 4 h by the addition of clonidine to the local anesthetics. On the other hand, there is some consensus emerging that ketamine should probably be abandoned as an additive to local anesthetics. Ultrasound is increasingly being used for a variety of regional anesthetics. For caudal blocks, it probably should be used mainly for teaching purposes or in cases of anatomical variants. The visible difference between the anatomical and the clinical spread revives the discussion on the exact site of action of an epidural block. CONCLUSIONS Pediatric regional anesthesia is still a developing field, both clinically and scientifically.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D007231 Infant, Newborn An infant during the first 28 days after birth. Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D009407 Nerve Block Interruption of NEURAL CONDUCTION in peripheral nerves or nerve trunks by the injection of a local anesthetic agent (e.g., LIDOCAINE; PHENOL; BOTULINUM TOXINS) to manage or treat pain. Chemical Neurolysis,Chemodenervation,Nerve Blockade,Block, Nerve,Blockade, Nerve,Blockades, Nerve,Blocks, Nerve,Chemical Neurolyses,Chemodenervations,Nerve Blockades,Nerve Blocks,Neurolyses, Chemical,Neurolysis, Chemical
D010372 Pediatrics A medical specialty concerned with maintaining health and providing medical care to children from birth to adolescence.
D010525 Peripheral Nerves The nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord, including the autonomic, cranial, and spinal nerves. Peripheral nerves contain non-neuronal cells and connective tissue as well as axons. The connective tissue layers include, from the outside to the inside, the epineurium, the perineurium, and the endoneurium. Endoneurium,Epineurium,Perineurium,Endoneuriums,Epineuriums,Nerve, Peripheral,Nerves, Peripheral,Perineuriums,Peripheral Nerve
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D002675 Child, Preschool A child between the ages of 2 and 5. Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D004338 Drug Combinations Single preparations containing two or more active agents, for the purpose of their concurrent administration as a fixed dose mixture. Drug Combination,Combination, Drug,Combinations, Drug
D006439 Hemodynamics The movement and the forces involved in the movement of the blood through the CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM. Hemodynamic
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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