Patient-controlled regional analgesia is effective in children: a preliminary report

To report a preliminary analysis of prospectively recorded data in 27 children in whom patient-controlled regional analgesia (PCRA) was used for postoperative pain control following lower limb surgery. Under general anesthesia, perineural catheters (popliteal and fascia iliaca compartment block) were inserted and infused with ropivacaine 0.2% (0.02 mL.kg(-1).hr(-1)). Additional demand doses were left to the child's discretion (0.1 mL.kg(-1)and a 30-min lockout interval). The average total dose of ropivacaine administered was 4.9 +/- 2 mg.kg(-1)over 48 hr. Visual analogue scale and Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale scores were always inferior to 5/10 and 6/13, respectively. Motor block was observed in two children and two children needed rescue analgesia. Our preliminary observations indicate that PCRA in children provides satisfactory postoperative pain relief following lower limb surgery.