Chloroprocaine for epidural anesthesia in infants and children.

Abstract

Continuous epidural infusions are an effective and safe method of providing anesthesia and postoperative analgesia in infants and children with multiple advantages over systemic medications, including earlier tracheal extubation, decreased perioperative stress response, earlier return of bowel function, and decreased exposure to volatile anesthetic agents with uncertain long-term neurocognitive effects. Despite these benefits, local anesthetic toxicity remains a concern in neonates and infants because of their decreased metabolic capacity for amide local anesthetics. Chloroprocaine, an ester local anesthetic agent, which is rapidly metabolized in plasma at all ages, is an attractive alternative for this special population, particularly in the presence of superimposed liver impairment or when higher infusion rates are needed for surgical incisions stretching many dermatomes. The current manuscript reviews the literature pertaining to the use of 2-chloroprocaine for regional anesthesia in infants and children. Dosing regimens are presented and the applications of 2-chloroprocaine in this population are discussed.