An audit of postoperative analgesia after pyloromyotomy

Seventy-two cases of pyloric stenosis treated in our institution in the las t five years were reviewed in an attempt to determine the need for postoper ative analgesia after pyloromyotomy in infants. All children had their woun d infiltrated with a mean dose of 2.16 +/- 1.43 mg.kg(-1) of bupivacaine, a nd first analgesia was required 9.12 +/- 8.04 h after surgery. Paracetamol was the main analgesic administered (average of two doses of approximately 20 mg.kg(-1)). Only three patients required postoperative opioids. In concl usion, there was a low consumption of analgesics after pyloromyotomy. Furth ermore, infiltration of the wound appeared to be beneficial since time to a dministration of first postoperative analgesia was delayed.