PRESURGICAL ANALGESIA IN CHILDREN SUBJECTED TO HYPOSPADIAS REPAIR

We have examined the use of different pre-surgical analgesic technique s in 30 children aged 2-10 yr undergoing repair of hypospadias. They w ere allocated randomly, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, t o receive one of three analgesic techniques (n = 10): lumbar extradura l analgesia using 0.5 % bupivacaine 1 mg kg-1 plus morphine 50 mug kg- 1; morphine 100 mug kg-1 im.; or subpubic block using 0.5 % bupivacain e 0.5 mg kg-1 for each side. Analgesics were given after induction of anaesthesia and before the start of sur ery. Children given extradural analgesia had more stable haemodynamic variables and smaller catechol amine concentrations and needed less anaesthetic supplementation, with no analgesic requirement in the postoperative period. Nausea or vomit ing were not reported in children given subpubic block.