Awake combined spinal caudal anesthesia has been used as an anesthetic technique for longer-duration infraumbilical surgeries in infants. Literature on the safety and feasibility of this technique is limited. We share our experience with 27 infants undergoing longer-duration urologic surgery using awake combined spinal and caudal anesthesia without the use of systemic sedatives or inhalational agents. We describe our technique, safety considerations, and details surrounding the optimal timing of caudal catheter activation for prolongation of surgical anesthesia.

暂无摘要。

暂无摘要。

BACKGROUND: Caudal block (CB) and erector spina plane block (ESPB) have been shown to provide effective postoperative analgesia following circumcision. Our aim was to compare the analgesic efficacy of sacral ESPB and CB, as well as the time to first analgesic requirement and postoperative complications.
METHODS: Patients aged 1-7 years in the ASA I-II group, who were scheduled for circumcision, were included in the study. Blocks were performed under general anesthesia before the operation. Postoperative pain was evaluated using the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (FLACC) scores. Analgesic requirements in the first 24 h postsurgery, the time of first analgesia requirement, and postoperative complications were recorded.
RESULTS: A total number of 150 patients were included in the study. In the CB group, urinary retention was observed. No side effects were observed in the sacral ESPB group. The 4th and 6th h postoperative FLACC scores were lower in the ESP group. The number of analgesic consumption in the first 24 h postsurgery was significantly lower in the ESPB group (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, sacral ESPB performed with ultrasonography is a simple and safe regional anesthesia method that can be used to provide effective postoperative analgesia for circumcision.

OBJECTIVE: One of the regional anesthetic procedures, caudal epidural block, is important for lower extremities surgeries in the pediatric patient population. The perfusion index (PI) value, which reflects vasomotor tone, can be used to indicate block success. The aim was to compare the role of perfusion index, heart rate, and mean arterial pressure in detecting the success of caudal epidural block and to investigate whether perfusion index was an earlier indicator in determining the success of the block in pediatric surgery cases.
METHODS: A randomized controlled trial.
METHODS: The study included 58 patients, American Society of Anesthesiologists\'classification 1, between the ages 1 and 6 years. In the left lateral decubitus posture, caudal epidural block was performed using a 23 or 25-gauge caudal needle and a dosage of 0.25% bupivacaine (1 mL/kg). At the 0, 1, 5, 7, 10, 15, and 20th minutes, peripheral oxygen saturation, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and PI values were obtained using a probe attached to the first toe of the left foot. A successful caudal epidural block indication was defined as an increase of at least 100% in the PI value over the baseline value and a 15% decrease in mean arterial pressure and heart rate FINDINGS: PI represents the ratio of the photoplethysmography signal to pulsatile over nonpulsatile light absorbance. An increase in the PI value indicates that the block is effective. In the 20-minute follow-up period after caudal epidural block, there was at least a 100% increase in PI value in all of the patients at the seventh minute. An expected 15% reduction in mean arterial pressure was observed in 14.5% of the patients and an expected 15% reduction in heart rate was observed in 45.6% of the patients.
CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained from our study show that the increase in PI values is associated with caudal epidural block success. The PI value is more rapid, sensitive and objective than those produced by other parameters. Benefits include an earlier change in anesthesia management due to block failure and faster initiation to surgery, which reduces exposure to anesthetic chemicals.

BACKGROUND: Although epidural anaesthesia and spinal anaesthesia are currently the general choices for patients undergoing caesarean section, these two neuraxial anaesthesia methods still have drawbacks. Caudal anaesthesia has been considered to be more appropriate for gynaecological surgery. The purpose of this study was to compare epidural anaesthesia combined with caudal anaesthesia, spinal anaesthesia and single-space epidural anaesthesia for caesarean section with respect to postoperative comfort and intraoperative anaesthesia quality.
METHODS: In this clinical trial, 150 patients undergoing elective caesarean section were recruited and randomized into three groups according to a ratio of 1:1:1to receive epidural anaesthesia only, spinal anaesthesia only or epidural anaesthesia combined with caudal anaesthesia. The primary outcome was postoperative comfort in the three groups. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative anaesthesia quality and the incidences of nausea, vomiting, postdural puncture headache, maternal bradycardia, or hypotension.
RESULTS: More patients were satisfied with the intraoperative anaesthesia quality in the EAC group than in the EA group (P = 0.001). The obstetrician was more significantly satisfied with the intraoperative anaesthesia quality in the SA and EAC groups than in the EA group (P = 0.004 and 0.020, respectively). The parturients felt more comfortable after surgery in the EA and EAC groups (P = 0.007). The incidence of maternal hypotension during caesarean section was higher in the SA group than in the EA and EAC groups (P = 0.001 and 0.019, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS: Epidural anaesthesia combined with caudal anaesthesia may be a better choice for elective caesarean section. Compared with epidural anaesthesia and spinal anaesthesia, it has a higher quality of postoperative comfort and intraoperative anaesthesia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the 50% minimum effective concentration (MEC50) and the 95% effective concentration (MEC95) of ropivacaine for ultrasound-guided caudal block during hypospadias repair surgery of pediatric patients.
METHODS: Children were enrolled with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-II undergoing elective hypospadias repair surgery. Children were grouped into two age groups: toddlerhood (1-3 years old) and preschool (3-6 years old). We measured The MEC50 using Dixon\'s up-and-down method. The first children received the caudal block with 1.0 mL/kg of 0.15% ropivacaine. We determined each subsequent patient\'s concentration based on the previous patient\'s response and adjusted the concentration in intervals of 0.015%. Meanwhile, the probit regression analysis obtains 95% effective concentration (MEC95). In addition, we recorded the general condition, adverse events, and postoperative pain of each child.
RESULTS: 46 children undergoing elective hypospadias repair surgery were included in this study, 22 in the toddlerhood group and 24 in the preschool group. Of the total number of patients, the caudal block was successful in 25 (54%) and failed in 21 (46%). The MEC50 of 1 ml/kg ropivacaine was 0.102% (95% CI 0.099%, 0.138%) in the toddlerhood group and 0.129% (95% CI 0.124%, 0.138%) in the preschool group. The MEC95 of 1 ml/kg ropivacaine was 0.148% (95% CI 0.131%, 0.149%) in the toddlerhood group and 0.162% (95% CI 0.134%, 0.164%) in the preschool group. Our results showed that ropivacaine concentration was statistically different between preschool children and toddlers (P < 0.001). None of the adverse events occurred.
CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that children in the preschool group required higher concentrations of ropivacaine than children in the toddler group during ultrasound-guided sacral block combined with non-intubated general anesthesia. At the same time, this method of anesthesia is safe and effective for children undergoing surgery for hypospadias.

The aim of this narrative review is to evaluate the literature describing the use of caudal anesthetic-based techniques in premature and ex-premature infants undergoing lower abdominal surgery.
All available literature from inception to August 2023 was retrieved according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines from Medline, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Two authors reviewed all references for eligibility, abstracted data, and appraised quality.
Of the 211 articles identified, 45 met our inclusion criteria yielding 1548 cases with awake caudal anesthesia. The review included 558 (36.0%) cases of awake caudal anesthesia, 837 cases (54.1%) of \"awake\" caudal anesthesia with sedation, and 153 cases (9.9%) of combined spinal caudal epidural anesthesia without sedation. The overall anesthetic failure rate was 7.2% (71.9:1000 caudals). Failure rates were highest for CSEA (13.7%, 7.7-18.4), intermediate for awake caudal (6.6%, 5.26-9.51), and lowest for sedated caudal anesthesia (5.85%, 4.48-7.82). The incidence (range) of perioperative apnea was highest for sedated caudal anesthesia (8.16, 0%-24%), intermediate for awake caudal (7.62%, 0%-60%), and lowest for CSEA (5.53%, 0%-14.3%). High spinal anesthesia occurred in 0.84%, or 8.35:1000 caudals overall. The incidence was highest in awake caudal anesthesia cases (1.97% or 19.7:1000 caudals), intermediate with caudal with sedation (1.07% or 10.7:1000 caudals), and lowest in CSEA (0.7% or 6.6:1000 caudals). Our review was confounded by incomplete data reporting and small sample sizes as most were case reports. There were no high-quality randomized controlled trials, and the eight single-center retrospective data reviews lacked sufficient data to perform meta-analysis.
There is insufficient evidence to validate or refute the benefits of the use of \"awake\" caudal anesthesia in premature and ex-premature infants. The high doses of local anesthetics used, the high failure rate, and the increased incidence of high spinal anesthesia would suggest that the techniques offer no real advantages over awake spinal anesthesia or general anesthesia with a regional block.

BACKGROUND: This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the difference in postoperative complications as urethrocutaneous fistula or glans dehiscence, in children undergoing primary hypospadias repair with caudal block (CB) versus non-caudal block (NCB).
METHODS: Data were obtained from MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Comparative studies of CB versus NCB were identified, with reports of complications published or presented until October 2022. Subgroup analyses were performed based on study type, meatal location (distal only), type of NCB, surgeon and technique, and concentration and dose of anesthetics.
RESULTS: Compared to the reference group of NCB, CB was not significantly associated with the development of complications following primary hypospadias repair (OR 1.40, 95 % CI 0.88-2.23). After adjusting for confounding factors, such as type of study(OR 1.51, 95%CI: 0.29-7.91), type of NCB[PB (OR 1.82, 95 % CI: 0.87-3.84), GA (OR 1.26, 95 % CI: 0.39-4.04)], meatal location (distal only) (OR 1.22, 95 % CI: 0.61-2.43), surgeon and technique (OR 1.37, 95 % CI: 0.59-3.14) and concentration and dose of anesthetics(OR 2.74, 95 % CI: 0.82-9.20), subgroup analyses revealed no significant association between CB and NCB (P > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Previous studies have found a correlation between CB and increased incidence of postoperative complications (urethrocutaneous fistula or glans dehiscence) of hypospadias, but different literature have suggested that surgical technique, surgical duration and the severity of hypospadias, rather than CB, are closely related to the occurrence of complications. In order to reduce confounding factors, subgroup analyses were conducted. The results showed that no correlation could be found in postoperative complications and CB.
CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis compared the incidence of urethrocutaneous fistula or glans dehiscence in the CB and NCB groups for primary hypospadias repair in children, indicating that no clear correlation could be found in postoperative complications and CB. Subgroup analyses on study type, type of NCB, meatal location (distal only), surgeon and technique, and regional anesthetic concentration and dose supported this conclusion.

UNASSIGNED: The use of local anesthetics as part of multimodal analgesia is an attractive concept in pediatric patients, since the evaluation and management of pain is a challenge in children under 7 years of age. Despite having guidelines and multiple studies on volume calculation, no safe and effective recommendation has been issued.
UNASSIGNED: To demonstrate that ultrasound-guided caudal block with a dose of 0.75 mL/kg of 0.2% ropivacaine has the same analgesic effect as a dose of 1.2 mL/kg.
UNASSIGNED: Randomized, prospective, longitudinal, comparative equivalence clinical trial. One hundred patients 0-7 years of age scheduled for elective or emergency infraumbilical surgery were enrolled between April 2021 and January 2022. Children were randomized 1:1 to be assigned to ultrasound-guided caudal block.
UNASSIGNED: 100 patients divided into two groups with 0.2% ropivacaine volumes (0.75 mL vs. 1.2 mL). Both groups demonstrated the trans-anesthetic and post-anesthetic sedoanalgesia variables without significant differences for both groups on the FLACC pain scale after surgery and in recovery (p > 0.5), in the pain reassessment on the FLACC scale in the office called chronic pain (p > 0.5) in both groups. No complications were reported in the follow-up consultations and no arrhythmias were reported in both groups during surgery.
UNASSIGNED: the results of both groups did not show differences between a volume of 0.75 mL and 1.2 mL, the administration of 0.2% ropivacaine is favored with the use of ultrasound, which allows effective administration of lower doses of local anesthetic with reduced risk of complications. It is necessary to carry out studies in other types of surgery to compare the use of less volume of local anesthetic compared to the Melman formula used in this study.
UNASSIGNED: el uso de anestésicos locales como parte de la analgesia multimodal es un concepto atractivo en pacientes pediátricos, ya que la evaluación y manejo del dolor es un reto en menores de 7 años. A pesar de contar con guías y múltiples estudios del cálculo de volumen no se ha emitido una recomendación segura y eficaz.
UNASSIGNED: demostrar que el bloqueo caudal ecoguiado con dosis de 0.75 mL/kg de ropivacaína 0.2% tiene el mismo efecto analgésico que la dosis de 1.2 mL/kg.
UNASSIGNED: ensayo clínico aleatorizado de equivalencia, prospectivo, longitudinal, comparativo. Se enrolaron 100 pacientes de 0-7 años programados para cirugía infraumbilical electiva o de urgencia entre abril del 2021 y enero del 2022. Los niños fueron aleatorizados 1:1 para asignarse a la realización del bloqueo caudal guiado por ultrasonido.
UNASSIGNED: de los 100 pacientes divididos en dos grupos con volúmenes de ropivacaína 0.2% (0.75 mL frente a 1.2 mL). Ambos grupos demostraron las variables de sedoanalgesia transanestésicas y postanestésicas sin diferencias significativas para ambos grupos en la escala de FLACC de dolor después de la cirugía y en recuperación (p > 0.5), en la revaloración de dolor en la escala de FLACC en el consultorio denominado dolor crónico (p > 0.5) en ambos grupos. No se reportaron complicaciones en las consultas de seguimiento y tampoco arritmias en ambos grupos durante la cirugía.
UNASSIGNED: los resultados en ambos grupos no mostraron diferencias entre un volumen de 0.75 mL y 1.2 mL, la administración de ropivacaina 0.2% se favorece con el empleo de ultrasonido, lo que permite administración eficaz de dosis menores de anestésico local con reducción del riesgo de complicaciones. Es necesario realizar estudios en otros tipos de cirugía para comparar el uso de menos volumen de anestésico local frente a la fórmula de Melman que ocupamos en este estudio.