Pediatric Caudal Anesthesia Research Articles

Use of Ultrasound in Pediatric Caudal Anesthesia: A Randomized Comparative Study

Objective: The aim of this comparative study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided caudal anesthesia compared to blind caudal anesthesia for subumbilical surgery in pediatric patients. Methods: This prospective study included pediatric patients undergoing subumbilical surgery in the Department of Pediatric Surgery. Patients were divided into two groups: the ultrasound-guided caudal anesthesia group and the blind caudal anesthesia group. Primary outcomes assessed included the success rate of block placement, onset and duration of sensory and motor blockade, analgesic requirements, and perioperative complications. Results: A total of 40 patients were included in the study, with 20 patients in the ultrasound-guided group and 20 patients in the blind group. The success rate of block placement was significantly higher in the ultrasound-guided group compared to the blind group (p < 0.001). The ultrasound-guided group also demonstrated faster onset of sensory and motor blockade (p < 0.05) and longer duration of analgesia (p < 0.05) compared to the blind group. Postoperative analgesic requirements were significantly lower in the ultrasound-guided group (p < 0.001). No significant differences in perioperative complications were observed between the two groups. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided caudal anesthesia was found to be more effective and reliable than blind caudal anesthesia for subumbilical surgery in pediatric patients. It provided a higher success rate of block placement, faster onset and longer duration of sensory and motor blockade, reduced postoperative analgesic requirements, and comparable safety profile. Ultrasound guidance should be considered as the preferred technique for caudal anesthesia in this patient population.

Protocol for a prospective comparative randomized clinical study for the comparison of two different doses of dexmedetomidine with bupivacaine in pediatric caudal anesthesia for infraumbilical surgeries in a tertiary hospital in central India

Background Pediatric caudal anesthesia is a well-established technique for providing intraoperative and postoperative pain relief in children undergoing infraumbilical surgeries. Dexmedetomidine, an α2-adrenergic agonist, has shown promise as an adjuvant to local anesthetics in caudal blocks, potentially improving the quality and duration of pain relief. This study aims to compare two doses of dexmedetomidine with bupivacaine to assess their efficacy in pediatric caudal anesthesia. Methods A prospective comparative randomized clinical study will be conducted over two years in the Department of Anaesthesiology at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC) and Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital (AVBRH) in Central India. Patients aged six months to six years, with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Class 1 or 2, scheduled for infraumbilical surgeries, will be included. They will be randomly allocated to receive either Group A (1 ml/kg of 0.25% bupivacaine with 1 μ/kg dexmedetomidine) or Group B (1 ml/kg of 0.25% bupivacaine with 0.5 μ/kg dexmedetomidine) in a double-masked fashion. The primary outcome is the duration of postoperative pain relief. Secondary outcomes include intraoperative hemodynamic stability, time first to rescue analgesia, incidence of adverse effects, and patient and parent satisfaction. A cost-effectiveness analysis will also be conducted. Conclusions The study will provide insights into the efficacy and safety of different doses of dexmedetomidine in pediatric caudal anesthesia for infraumbilical surgeries. The results will guide clinical practice and inform anesthesia protocols for pediatric patients in the study setting. Registration CTRI (CTRI/2023/05/057050; 29 August 2023).

Bibliometric analysis on pediatric caudal anesthesia

Abstract
 Background: Bibliometric analysis studies are studies that examine the literature on a subject numerically and holistically, and have recently attracted a lot of attention in the field of medicine. The number of articles about pediatric caudal anesthesia has increased gradually over the past few decades. However, there is no bibliometric analysis study on pediatric caudal anesthesia in the literature. This study aimed to present a bibliometric analysis of articles published in the Web of Science (WoS) Core database related to pediatric caudal anesthesia.
 Method: We used the search engine of WoS and included all types of contributions (original articles, reviews, letters, etc.) in the bibliometric analysis. The keywords used to access articles are ‘’pediatric, caudal, anesthesia, analgesia, and block’’ words. For the analyses, VOSViewer 1.6.13. version was used.
 Results: The most cited publications on pediatric caudal anesthesia were in the following journals: Pediatric Anesthesia (84 articles, 1892 citations), Anesthesia and Analgesia (26 articles, 884 citations) and Anesthesiology (7 articles, 537 citations). The countries that publish and receive the most citations about pediatric caudal anesthesia starting from the highest are the USA, France, Sweden, Turkey, Canada.
 Conclusion: The following parameters were the foci of a thorough analysis of articles on pediatric caudal anesthesia: publication date, number of citations, journal name, theme, and country. It is noteworthy that pediatric caudal anesthesia currently plays a crucial role in pediatric anesthesia research. However, there is still a need for new studies from different countries on different cases in the literature on pediatric caudal anesthesia.

A Comparative Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Dexmedetomidine and Clonidine to Accentuate the Perioperative Analgesia of Caudal 0.25% Isobaric Levobupivacaine in Pediatric Infraumbilical Surgeries

BackgroundCaudal block is an efficient way to offer perioperative analgesia for painful sub-umbilical interventions. It enables early ambulation and periprocedural hemodynamic stability. These are important advantages over general anesthesia, notably in preterm babies and in children with cardiopulmonary comorbidities. In this study, we aimed to compare the effect of dexmedetomidine and clonidine to accentuate the perioperative analgesia of 0.25% isobaric levobupivacaine in pediatric caudal anesthesia.MethodologyA prospective double-blind randomized control study was conducted on 60 patients with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I, between the ages of one to six undergoing infraumbilical abdominal surgery under caudal anesthesia in the Department of Anaesthesia, Sardar Patel Medical College, Bikaner. Patients were randomly allocated to the following three groups of 20 each: group L, 1 mL/kg of levobupivacaine 0.25%; group LD, 1 mL/kg of levobupivacaine 0.25% with 0.5 µg/kg of dexmedetomidine; and group LC, 1 mL/kg of levobupivacaine 0.25% with 0.5 µg/kg of clonidine. Intraoperative and postoperative hemodynamic parameters were recorded for 24 hours. Patients’ pain scores, sedation scores, and Bromage scores were recorded. In our study, the main observation was the duration of analgesia and the total analgesic requirement for 24 hours.ResultsThere was a significant difference in the duration of analgesia among the three groups (p < 0.001). Group LC had the highest duration of analgesia of 492.00 (50.01) minutes, followed by group LD 486.00 (54.71) minutes, and the lowest in group L 291.00 (40.25) minutes. There was a significant difference between the three groups in terms of the total dose of analgesics in 24 hours (p < 0.001), with the median total dose of analgesics being the highest in Group L. Three groups differed significantly in terms of motor block, which was limited to up to 180 minutes in groups LC and LD with no residual motor block.ConclusionsThe addition of α2 agonists such as clonidine or dexmedetomidine at a dose of 0.5 µg/kg as an adjuvant to caudal levobupivacaine (0.25%) at 1 mL/kg significantly prolongs the duration of opioid-free analgesia in children undergoing infraumbilical abdominal surgeries without prolonging the motor blockade and any side effects. Moreover, dexmedetomidine does not offer a significant advantage over clonidine regarding the analgesia duration.

Comparison of Landmark-guided, Nerve Stimulation-guided, and Ultrasound-guided Techniques for Pediatric Caudal Epidural Anesthesia: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.

Traditionally, caudal epidurals are performed by a landmark-guided approach using the loss of resistance technique. Improvisations to increase the success rate can be attained by implementing modalities, namely neurostimulation and ultrasound, but there is a paucity of literature comparing these 3 approaches. Here, we compare the 3 techniques in terms of the success rate. The primary outcome of this study was to compare the success rate of the 3 techniques, and the secondary outcome was the blood or cerebrospinal fluid aspiration during the procedure. It was a prospective, randomized, open-label parallel-group study. Three hundred children aged 1 to 5 years scheduled for circumcision, hypospadias repair, and minor lower extremity surgeries were enrolled after taking written informed consent from the parents. Demographic profiles were comparable in terms of age, weight, sex distribution, and types of surgeries. Success rates in landmark-guided, neurostimulation-guided, and ultrasound-guided were 97%, 97%, and 98%, respectively which was comparable (P=0.879). There was no significant difference in the incidence of blood or cerebrospinal fluid aspiration. We found a similar success rate of the caudal epidural block by using landmark-guided, nerve stimulation-guided, or ultrasound-guided techniques in children aged 1 to 5 years with normal anatomy.

Evaluation of Pediatric Caudal Anesthesia Administration: A National Survey Trial

Kaudal blok pediyatrik rejyonal anestezi pratiğinde çok sık kullanılan bir tekniktir. Ancak klinik pratikte kaudal blok uygulamaları hakkında çok az bilgi mevcuttur. Bu çalışmada Türkiye’de anestezistler tarafından yaygın olarak kullanılan kaudal blok ile ilgili; anestezistin deneyimini, uygulanan teknikleri, kullanılan ilaçları ve kaudal epidural kateter tekniğinin kullanım sıklığını değerlendirmeyi amaçladık. Anket çalışmasına, etik kurul onayı sonrası, 553 Anesteziyoloji ve Reanimasyon uzmanı ve araştırma görevlisi katıldı. Formlar ilgili kişilere posta yoluyla veya elden iletildi. Katılımcıların büyük kısmı uzman anestezi doktoru olarak görev yapmaktaydı ve genelde 5 yıldan az pediyatrik anestezi deneyimine sahiplerdi. Sıklıkla 22- veya 24-gauge mandrenli kaudal iğne kullandıkları, kaudal epidural boşluğa dermoid doku implantasyonu riskinin yüksek olduğunu düşündükleri, aynı zamanda epidural aralığa yerleşimin doğrulanması için klinik belirteçleri kullandıkları saptandı. Lokal anestezik olarak sıklıkla % 0,125-0,25’lik bupivakain ve additif ilaç olarak çoğunlukla opioid kullandıkları, kaudal kateter kullanım oranının çok düşük olduğu ve asepsi yöntemi olarak genelde yalnızca eldiven kullanıldığı görüldü. Genellikle kaudal bloğun indüksiyon sonrası yapıldığı ve anestezi idamesinde inhalasyon anestezisi kullanıldığı, aynı zamanda kaudal bloğun en sık ürogenital operasyonlarda tercih edildiği saptandı. Sonuç olarak, pediyatrik anestezide kaudal bloğun güvenli olarak uygulanması için kullanılan teknik ve ilaçların değerlendirileceği uluslararası katılımlı çok merkezli çalışmalara gereksinim olduğu kanısına vardık.

Caudal dexmedetomidine in pediatric caudal anesthesia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objectives:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of caudal dexmedetomidine in pediatric caudal anesthesia (CA).Methods:We searched PubMed, Embased, and Cochrane Library (from inception to June 2019) for eligible studies. The primary outcomes were the time to first analgesia, time of postoperative eye opening, intraoperative endtidal sevoflurane concentration, and postoperative sedation score. We calculated pooled risk ratios (RR) and 95% CIs using random- or fixed-effects models.Results:Thirteen trials involving 793 patients were found. Meta-analysis showed that the time to first rescue pain medication and the time from the end of anesthesia to eye opening in the CA+dexmedetomidine group were significantly longer than in the CA group (P < .00001). The intraoperative end-tidal sevoflurane concentration in the CA+dexmedetomidine group was significantly decreased (P < .00001). Dexmedetomidine appeared to increase the rate of bradycardia in the CA+dexmedetomidine group (P = .04). Additionally, the sedation score in the CA+ dexmedetomidine group was significantly higher at 2 hours after the operation compared with the CA group (P < .00001 at 2 hours).Conclusions:Caudally administered dexmedetomidine is a good alternative for prolonging postoperative analgesia with less pain, decreased intraoperative end-tidal sevoflurane concentration, and full postoperative sedation.

Urologist Meredith Campbell Published the First Report on Pediatric Caudal Anesthesia

Urologist Meredith Campbell Published the First Report on Pediatric Caudal Anesthesia

Comparative Study between Pediatric Spinal and Caudal Anesthesia

Comparative Study between Pediatric Spinal and Caudal Anesthesia

Combined caudal anesthesia in endourological operations in infants

In pediatric practice caudal anesthesia is increasingly being used as a component of combined anesthesia.Aim. To determine the feasibility and benefits of the combined-caudal epidural anesthesia in anesthesiology maintenance of endourological surgery in young children,Methods and results. In 35 patients aged from 4 months to 2 years, the study of hemodynamics and cortisol level in blood serum during endoscopic correction of vesicoureteral reflux was conducted. It was found that there were more stable hemodynamic and cortisol levels during the combined anesthesia with caudal epidural block than in the case of traditional intravenous anesthesia.Conclusion. This demonstrates the significant benefits of anesthesia with the caudal block usage.

Analgesic effect and adverse events of dexmedetomidine as additive for pediatric caudal anesthesia: a meta-analysis.

Dexmedetomidine has become a popular additive for regional anesthesia. Aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the effect of this additive on the duration of postoperative analgesia and possible adverse events in pediatrics undergoing orchidopexy or lower abdominal surgery. The literature databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library were searched for randomized, controlled trials (RCTs). Odds ratio (OR), weighted mean difference (WMD), and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the RevMan software, version 5.2, for data synthesis and statistical analysis, which in accordance with the PRISMA statement. Six RCTs were selected for this meta-analysis, involving a total of 328 pediatric patients. There was a significant longer duration of caudal analgesia (time to first analgesic requirements) in patients receiving dexmedetomidine with CA compared with CA alone (WMD: -8.21h; 95% CI: -11.40 to -5.02; P<0.00001). Side effects in these two groups were comparable (OR: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.51-2.04; P=0.95). Subgroup analysis indicated there was no significant difference in hemodynamic changes during operation (WMD: 1.78; 95% CI: -3.20 to 6.77; P=0.48) and the emergence time (time from the end of surgery to opening the eyes on calling) after surgery (WMD: 0.47min; 95% CI: -5.27 to 6.22; P=0.87). Dexmedetomidine as an additive to local anesthetic provides a significantly longer postoperative analgesia with comparable adverse effects and hemodynamic changes, when compared to local anesthetics alone. There were insufficient data of the effects of different concentrations of dexmedetomidine; further studies are required to explore this issue.

Clinical effect of sufentanil and levobupivacaine on postoperative analgesia in pediatric caudal block anesthesia

Objective To invetigate the effect and safety of sufentanil mixed levobupivacaine on postoperative analgesia in pediatric caudal block anesthesia.Method Sixty pediatric patients (2 ～ 6 years old) who were undergoing elective abdominal surgery,such as repair hernia of high ligation,were randomly divided into three groups with 20 cases each.after intravenous induction,0.25％ levobupivacaine was injected in sacrum tube in group Ⅰ,0.5 μg/ml sufentanil mixed 0.25％ levobupivacaine and 1.0 μg/ml sufentanil mixed 0.25％ levobupivacaine were injected in sacrum tube in group Ⅱ and group Ⅲ respectively.The analgesia effect,the analgesia time,recover time and adverse reaction were observed and recorded 2,4,8,12,16,24 hours after the surgery.Results The analgesia effect in group Ⅱ、Ⅲ were significantly better than the group Ⅰ when 4、8、12 hours after the operation(P ＜0.05),and the analgesia effect in groupⅢ were significantly better than the group Ⅱ when 8 hours after the operation (P ＜ 0.05).There were no significant differences in three groups when 2、16、24 hours after the operation(P ＞0.05),the analgesia time in group Ⅱ、Ⅲ were significantly longer than the group Ⅰ (P ＜ 0.05),and the analgesia time in group Ⅲ were significantly longer than the group Ⅱ (P ＜ 0.05).There were no differences in the recovery time of three groups (P ＞ 0.05).There were no adverse reactions in three groups.Conclusions 0.5 μg/ml and 1.0 μg/ml sufentanil mixed 0.25％ levobupivacaine may be used on postoperative analgesia in pediatric caudal block anesthesia safely and analgesia effect and time were more better and longer than 0.25％ levobupivacaine singly.The analgesia effect in group with 1.0μg/ml sufentanil mixed 0.25％ levobupivacaine was the best in three groups with the fewest side effects. Key words: Caudal block; Children; Levobupivacaine; Sufentani; Postoperative analgesia

Evidence-based clinical update: Which local anesthetic drug for pediatric caudal block provides optimal efficacy with the fewest side effects?

The purpose of this evidence-based clinical update is to identify the best evidence when selecting a long-acting local anesthetic agent for single-shot pediatric caudal anesthesia in children. A structured literature search was conducted using PubMed and Medline (OVID) using the terms "caudal" and combinations of at least two of "bupivacaine", "ropivacaine", and "levobupivacaine". The search limits included "randomized controlled trials" (RCTs), "meta-analysis", "evidence-based reviews" or "reviews", "human", and "all child: 0-18 yr". Seventeen RCTs were identified that concerned single-shot pediatric caudal anesthesia with at least two of the three drugs in question. Data were extracted for the areas of clinical efficacy and side effects. Study findings were assigned levels of evidence, and grades of recommendation were made according to Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine criteria. The three drugs investigated were found to be equivalent in terms of efficacy. Evidence showed bupivacaine with the highest incidence of motor block and ropivacaine with the lowest. Adverse effects were rare and unrelated to the choice of drug. There were no serious adverse events. None of the three agents was shown to be superior in terms of efficacy. Bupivacaine is preferred if motor block is desired, ropivacaine is preferred if motor block is to be minimized. Adverse effects in human studies are rare, mild, and unrelated to the choice of drug. Despite encountering the absence of serious adverse events in each of the studies reviewed, it is noted that animal studies suggest a safer profile with ropivacaine or levobupivacaine than with bupivacaine.

Hemodynamic effects of levobupivacaine after pediatric caudal anesthesia evaluated by transesophageal doppler

The aim of this study is to determine if there are significant differences in hemodynamic effects between combined general-regional anesthesia using levobupivacaine 0.25% 2 ml x kg(-1) via the caudal route in comparison with balanced general anesthesia using continuous infusion of remifentanil in young children undergoing genitourinary surgery. 62 ASA I-II pediatric patients (12 female, 50 male) aged 6 months to 7 years undergoing genitourinary surgery were included in the study. Patients were randomly allocated into one of two groups of 31 patients each. Group Caud received caudal blockade with levobupivacaine 0.25% 2 mg x kg(-1) in combined general-regional anesthesia and Group Gen received balanced general anesthesia with remifentanil. The noninvasive hemodynamic parameters were measured in each group 5 min after induction of general anesthesia or caudal block (Tcaud), after further 5 min coincident with skin incision (Tsi), 10 min after skin incision (T10i), at the end of surgical procedure (Tend). The time between Tcaud and Tsi was 10 min and the measurements during the interval time T10i-Tend were performed every 15 min according to the duration of surgical procedures. There was a decrease in all measured hemodynamic parameters at skin incision. The decreases occurred in both groups with those in the caudal group occurring at skin incision and those in the balanced anesthesia group occurring at 10 min after skin incision. These variations showed no significant differences for any of the stated outcomes; neither between the groups at each time point nor in the caudal in comparison with baseline measurements. Using transesophageal Doppler no differences in hemodynamic parameters could be detected between balanced general anesthesia with either caudal levobupivacaine or remifentanil infusion. Both techniques showed good hemodynamic stability with only minor changes from baseline over time which are unlikely to be of clinical significance except possibly in patients with preexisting cardiovascular compromise. Other studies with noninvasive monitoring in a larger population are required to better understand the consequences of caudal blockade on CO and on regional blood flow in infants.

The hemodynamic effects of pediatric caudal anesthesia assessed by esophageal Doppler.

Pediatric caudal anesthesia is an effective method with an infrequent complication rate. However, little is known about its cardiovascular consequences. Transesophageal Doppler, a noninvasive method, provides the opportunity for a reappraisal of the hemodynamic effects of this technique. After parental informed consent, we studied 10 children aged 2 mo to 5 yr who were scheduled for lower abdominal surgery. General anesthesia was induced using sevoflurane and was followed by the insertion of a transesophageal Doppler probe. Caudal anesthesia was performed using 1 mL/kg of 0.25% bupivacaine with 1/200,000 epinephrine. Hemodynamic variables were collected before and after caudal anesthesia. No complications arose during insertion of the probe. The mean time between the two sets of measurements was 15 min. Heart rate, systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures were not modified by caudal anesthesia. Descending aortic blood flow increased significantly from 1.14 to 1.92 L/min. (P = 0.0002). Aortic ejection volume increased from 8.5 to 14.5 mL (P = 0.0002). Aortic vascular resistances decreased from 6279 to 3901 dynes. s(-1) x m(-5) (P = 0.005). Caudal anesthesia did not affect heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure but induced a significant increase in descending aortic blood flow. Although pediatric caudal anesthesia does not alter heart rate nor arterial blood pressure, significant changes occur in regional blood flow distribution. Descending aortic blood flow increases significantly after caudal anesthesia, whereas lower body vascular resistances decrease.

The Effects of Clonidine in Pediatric Caudal Anesthesia

The Effects of Clonidine in Pediatric Caudal Anesthesia

The Sedative Effect of Propofol and Midazolam in Pediatric Caudal Anesthesia

Pediatric patients often could not be cooperated with physician during various procedures. So, many agents such as inbalation anesthetics and intravenous anesthetics have been used to decrease pain, anxiety and awareness during regional anesthesia in children. The purpose of this study was to compare propofol with midazolam and inhalation anesthetics for emergence time from sedation in caudal anesthesia of children. Forty five patients were randomly divided three groups. In propofol group(Group P, n=15), induction dose of 1.0 mg/kg propofol(Diprivan) was received followed by continuous infusion of 3~5 mg/kg/hr. In midazolam group(Group M, n=15), induction dose of 0.15 mg/kg midazolam(Dormicum) was received followed by continuous infusion of 0.06~0.08 mg/kg/hr. In inhalation anesthetic group(Group E, n=15), O2-NO2-Enflurane(3L/min, 3L/min, 0.6~1.0 vo1% respectively) inhalated through face mask by non-rebreathing system for sedation. The blood pressure, heart rate, arterial oxygen saturation during anesthesia and emergence time, complications were measured. The results were as follows: 1) The blood pressure was significantly decreased in group M and E. Heart rate was also significantly increased in group M and E. 2) The arterial oxygen saturation was not significantly changed in each three groups. 3) In the group P and E, emergence time was shorter than in the group M. From the above results, we conclude that propofol is more excellent intravenous anesthetics than midazolam in respect to emergence time and hemodynamic changes in pediatric caudal anesthesia.(Korean J Anesthesiol 1995; 29: 666~670)

Optimum Concentration of Lidocaine in Pediatric Caudal Anesthesia for Inguinal Herniorraphy

Optimum Concentration of Lidocaine in Pediatric Caudal Anesthesia for Inguinal Herniorraphy

Changes of Plasma Concentration of Lidocaine Associated with Pediatric Caudal Anesthesia

Changes of Plasma Concentration of Lidocaine Associated with Pediatric Caudal Anesthesia

Caudal Anesthesia for pediatric Inguinal Region Surgery

Pediatric caudal anesthesia was done in 50 infants and children under 10 years of age, who were to undergo surgery of inguinal region. All cases were given 10mg/kg body weight of 1% lidocaine solution with epinephrine 1:200,000. The results were as follows : 1) Pediatric caudal anesthesia was simple, easy and reliable in technique. 2) Additional intravenous administration of Ketamine or pentothal sodium was needed. ie, to provide a more cooperative state. 3) Anesthetic effect was judged very Excellent. 4) Cardiovascular and respiratory changes were minimal. Author's came to conclusion that caudal anesthesia for pediatric inguinal region surgery is reliable, simple in technique, favorable to surgeon, and is considered to be a good technique for pediatric anesthesia.