Effect of Dexmedetomidine as an Adjuvant to Bupivacaine in Ultrasound Guided Transversus Abdominis Plane Block versus Caudal Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Children Undergoing Congenital Inguinal Hernia Repair

Abstract

Abstract Background Inguinal hernia is the most common lower abdominal surgery of childhood. It results from a small sac that comes through the inguinal ring that is normally open during fetal life and closes around the time of birth. For reasons we don't understand, it does not close in some infants. This sac then makes a pathway for abdominal organs to come through the inguinal ring into the groin. Analgesic techniques in pediatric patients having surgery are often delayed by the inherent difficulties of conducting a large randomized clinical trial in those patients. TAP block and caudal epidural block are two anesthetic techniques that are commonly used in pediatric age group for lower abdominal surgeries. Aim of the Work Compares the efficacy of Dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant to Bupivacaine in Ultrasound Guided Transversus Abdominis Plane Block versus Caudal Block for postoperative analgesia in children undergoing congenital inguinal hernia repair especially to provide prolonged post-operative analgesia and decrease opioid consumption. Patients and Methods We conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled and comparative study in Ain shams university hospitals in a period of 6 months including 50 patients divided on 2 groups; group A 25 of them received ultrasound guided transversus abdominis plane block with 0.3 ml/kg of 0.25% Bupivacaine with 1 µg/kg dexmedetomidine with age ranged from 2.5-8 years and they were 6 females (24%) and 19 were males (76.0%) and group B 25 patients received caudal epidural block with 0.6 ml/kg of 0.25% Bupivacaine with 1 µg/kg dexmedetomidine with age ranged from 3 – 9 years and they were also 4 females (16%) and 21 were males (84.0%). Results In the present study there was statistically significant increase in pain at 1 hr, 2 hrs and 4 hrs in caudal block group and increase in pain score at 12 hrs in tap block group but there was no statistically significant difference found between them at 6 hrs, 18 hrs and 24 hrs. There was statistically significant increase in rescue analgesia in caudal block group at 4 hr with p-value <0.001; also there was statistically significant increase in rescue analgesia in tap block than caudal block at 12 hr with p-value = 0.009 while no statistically significant difference found between both groups at the other times of follow up. Conclusion TAP block was superior to caudal epidural anesthesia in terms of early postoperative pain, less need for rescue analgesia and need for less potent analgesia e.g. Paracetamol and NSAID. Addition of dexmedetomidine to conventional regional anesthetic protocol showed significant reduction of postoperative pain and the need for rescue analgesia.