COMPARISON OF SUBCUTANEOUS RING BLOCK OF THE PENIS WITH CAUDAL EPIDURAL BLOCK FOR POST-CIRCUMCISION ANALGESIA IN CHILDREN

A randomized, prospective, blind trial was conducted comparing caudal epidural blockade (caudal block) with subcutaneous ring block of the p enis (penile ring block) in fifty healthy boys between two and twelve years of age undergoing elective circumcision, Subjects receiving caud al block had a longer duration of analgesia (P=0.003), and took longer to first micturition (P=0.04) but there was no difference in time tak en to awaken from anaesthesia or spontaneously walk unaided. There was an 8% failure rate with the penile ring block but no local or systemi c complications related to either block and a very low incidence of vo miting. It is concluded that both techniques are effective. Caudal blo ck is more reliable and produces a longer duration of analgesia but pe nile ring block is inherently safer and has a lower incidence of adver se effects.