PARAVERTEBRAL VS EPIDURAL BLOCK IN CHILDREN - EFFECTS ON POSTOPERATIVE MORPHINE REQUIREMENT AFTER RENAL SURGERY

Continuous thoracic paravertebral blockade (PVB) has only recently bee n reported in pediatric patients. The aim of the present study was to compare retrospectively the postoperative analgesic efficacy of PVB vs conventional lumbar epidural blockade (EDA) in children. Thirty-five consecutive pediatric patients undergoing renal surgery, receiving eit her PVB (n = 15) or EDA (n = 20), were reviewed. The need for suppleme ntal morphine administration during the first 24 postoperative hours w as used to assess the postoperative analgesic efficacy of the two diff erent regional techniques. Both the total amount of supplemental morph ine and the number of patients with no need for supplemental morphine administration, were compared between the two groups. The need for sup plemental morphine administration was significantly lower (P = 0.046) and the number of patients with no need for supplemental morphine admi nistration postoperatively was significantly higher (P = 0.019) in pat ients treated with PVB vs EDA. The present study indicates that PVB ma y possess a potential for postoperative analgesia equal to or maybe ev en superior to conventional lumbar EDA in pediatric patients undergoin g renal surgery. Further prospective studies investigating the analges ic efficacy of this novel technique are warranted.