Evaluation of Analgesic Efficacy of Intravenous Fentanyl versus Sacral Epidural Block versus Ilioinguinal Block in Pediatric Inguinal Area Surgery

Abstract

Worldwide pediatric regional anesthesia continues to evolve. In some countries, regional anesthesia forms part of the anesthetic culture, and it is almost expected that analgesia is provided for children after surgery. The use of regional anesthesia in children remains limited in some institutions because of the perception that the advantages of regional anesthesia over opiate analgesia does not worth the potential risks. Caudal anesthesia is the most frequently used regional technique in children; accounting for almost 50%of all regional technique, its popularity is due its simplicity and high success rate. The ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve block is also a popular regional anesthetic technique and has been shown to be equally effective when compared with caudal blockade for inguinal surgeries. But the failure rate with this ‘blind’ technique is a disappointing 20–30%, even in experienced hands. In addition, complications such as colonic or small bowel punctures and pelvic hematoma have been described. The present study was conducted on 90 children aged from one to five years old, ASA physical status I–II scheduled for elective inguinal area surgery.30 patients