Caudal neostigmine for postoperative analgesia in paediatric surgery

• Published in: Pediatric anesthesia Vol. 13; no. 4; pp. 324 - 328
• Main Authors: MemiŞ, Dilek, Turan, Alparslan, Karamanlioğlu, Beyhan, Kaya, Gaye, Süt, Necdet, Pamukçu, Zafer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01-05-2003; Blackwell
• Subjects: analgesia; Anesthesia; Anesthesia, Caudal - statistics & numerical data; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Anesthetics, Combined - therapeutic use; Anesthetics, Local - therapeutic use; anticholinesterase; Biological and medical sciences; bupivacaine; Bupivacaine - therapeutic use; caudal; Child, Preschool; Double-Blind Method; Elective Surgical Procedures; Hernia, Inguinal - surgery; Humans; Infant; Local anesthesia. Pain (treatment); Medical sciences; neostigmine; Neostigmine - adverse effects; Neostigmine - therapeutic use; paediatric; pain; Pain Measurement - statistics & numerical data; Pain, Postoperative - prevention & control; Parasympathomimetics - adverse effects; Parasympathomimetics - therapeutic use; postoperative; techniques; Neostigmine bromide; Esterases; paediatric; Caudal anesthesia; Regional anesthesia; Bupivacaine; Pain; Surgery; neostigmine; Anticholinesterase agent; Child; Anilide; Human; Postoperative; Enzyme; caudal; Enzyme inhibitor; Cholinesterase; Carboxylic ester hydrolases; Local anesthetic; Analgesia; Analgesic; techniques; anticholinesterase; Hydrolases; Organic amide
• ISSN: 1155-5645; 1460-9592
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1460-9592.2003.01020.x

Summary
Background: This study was conducted to evaluate analgesia and side‐effects of caudal neostigmine coadministered with bupivacaine in paediatric surgery.
Methods: We studied children, aged 1–5 years, undergoing elective surgery (inguinal hernia and hypospadias). After standard induction of anaesthesia, caudal anaesthesia was performed. Group 1 received 0.25% bupivacaine 0.5 ml·kg−1 and Group 2 received 0.25% bupivacaine 0.5 ml·kg−1 with 1 μg·kg−1 neostigmine via the caudal route. Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, peripheral oxygen saturation were recorded before induction, after induction but before caudal anaesthesia, and then every 5 min after caudal anaesthesia. Haemodynamic, Toddler, Preschooler, Postoperative Pain Scale (TPPPS) pain score and sedation score values were recorded 30 min after extubation and at hours 2, 4, 6, 12 and 24. A pain score >3/10 resulted in administration of rectal paracetamol. The duration of postoperative analgesia was defined as the time between caudal drug injection and the first rectal paracetamol administration.
Results: There were no differences between the groups in demographic and haemodynamic date, duration of surgery and anaesthesia, time to extubation or sedation scores. The duration of postoperative pain relief did not differ between the two groups; 15.40 ± 10.97 h for group 1 vs. 15.45 ± 10.99 h for group 2 (P > 0.05). The incidence of nausea (three patients in group 2 and one patient in group 1) was not statistically significant. No other side‐effects were seen.
Conclusions: We found that a single caudal injection of 1 μg·kg−1 neostigmine mixed with bupivacaine offers no significant advantage over bupivacaine alone for postoperative pain relief in children undergoing genitourinary surgery.