Effects of bupivacaine infiltration on beta-endorphin and cortisol release and postoperative pain following inguinal herniorrhaphy in children

Analgesic Effects of Regional Analgesic Techniques in Pediatric Inguinal Surgeries: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

BACKGROUND

Various regional analgesic techniques have been used in pediatric inguinal surgery to facilitate postoperative recovery. However, each technique's relative performance was undetermined owing to the lack of quantitative analysis.

METHODS

We systematically searched MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science for randomized controlled trials that compared regional analgesia in pediatric inguinal surgeries. After critical study screening and selection, a random-effects network meta-analysis was performed. The primary outcome was the time to the first rescue analgesic after surgery, and the secondary outcomes were the number of patients requiring rescue analgesics after surgery, postoperative pain scores, incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, and other adverse events.

RESULTS

This network meta-analysis included 69 randomized controlled trials (4636 patients) that compared 10 regional analgesic techniques. Our study revealed that the quadratus lumborum and transversus abdominis plane blocks had the longest time to the first rescue analgesic after pediatric inguinal surgeries, by 7.7 hours (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.0-10.3) and 6.0 hours (95% CI, 3.9-8.2) when compared with the control group, respectively. In the subgroup involving only inguinal hernia repair, the quadratus lumborum block significantly prolonged the time to the first rescue analgesic than all other regional analgesics. In contrast, in the subgroup involving orchidopexies, only the caudal block significantly prolonged the time to the first rescue analgesic when compared with the control group (4.1 hours; 95% CI, 0.7-7.5). Wound infiltration and landmark-based ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric block had relatively poor analgesic effects than other regional analgesics. No serious adverse effects related to the regional analgesic techniques were reported in any of the included studies.

CONCLUSIONS

The quadratus lumborum and transversus abdominis plane blocks had the longest time to the first rescue analgesic and the least rescue analgesic requirement for pediatric inguinal surgeries. Specifically, the quadratus lumborum block had the longest analgesic duration in inguinal hernia repair, and the caudal block was found to be the only regional analgesia that extended the time to the first rescue analgesic in pediatric orchidopexy. Most included randomized controlled trials had some concern or a high risk of bias, and future studies should focus on providing high-quality evidence to further clarify the analgesic effects of regional analgesia for pediatric inguinal surgeries.

Effect of wound infiltration with bupivacaine on postoperative analgesia in neonates and infants undergoing major abdominal surgery: a pilot randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE

Postoperative pain management is essential in the perioperative care of neonates and infants but it requires a high level of care. Wound infiltration with bupivacaine, a long-acting local anesthetic, is a simple method with minimal complications. However, studies on the effectiveness of wound infiltration in neonates and infants are lacking. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of wound infiltration with bupivacaine for postoperative analgesia in neonates and infants undergoing abdominal surgery.

METHODS

A prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted in 34 neonates and infants. The patients were randomized into two groups: the bupivacaine (B) group and the control (C) group. A standardized anesthetic protocol was used for each patient. Before wound closure, the surgical site of each patient in the B group was infiltrated with 2 mg/kg of bupivacaine, whereas no surgical site anesthetic infiltration was used in the C group. The neonatal infant pain scale (NIPS) score was used to evaluate postoperative pain, and fentanyl 0.5-1.5 μg/kg was administered when the NIPS score was ≥4. In regard to the fentanyl requirement, the NIPS score and the numbers of patients whose NIPS score was ≥4 were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The median fentanyl dose requirements in the B group and C group were 1 and 0.5 μg/kg, respectively; and the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.255). The postoperative NIPS scores in the two groups were not significantly different. In addition, there were no significant differences in the numbers of patients whose NIPS score was ≥4 at 6, 12, 18, and 24 h postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS

In neonates and infants, wound infiltration with bupivacaine had no significant effect on pain relief or fentanyl requirement during the first 24 h after major abdominal surgery.

Minimal access surgery of pediatric inguinal hernias: a review

Inguinal hernia is a common problem among children, and herniotomy has been its standard of care. Laparoscopy, which gained a toehold initially in the management of pediatric inguinal hernia (PIH), has managed to steer world opinion against routine contralateral groin exploration by precise detection of contralateral patencies. Besides detection, its ability to repair simultaneously all forms of inguinal hernias (indirect, direct, combined, recurrent, and incarcerated) together with contralateral patencies has cemented its role as a viable alternative to conventional repair. Numerous minimally invasive techniques for addressing PIH have mushroomed in the past two decades. These techniques vary considerably in their approaches to the internal ring (intraperitoneal, extraperitoneal), use of ports (three, two, one), endoscopic instruments (two, one, or none), sutures (absorbable, nonabsorbable), and techniques of knotting (intracorporeal, extracorporeal). In addition to the surgeons' experience and the merits/limitations of individual techniques, it is the nature of the defect that should govern the choice of technique. The emerging techniques show a trend toward increasing use of extracorporeal knotting and diminishing use of working ports and endoscopic instruments. These favor wider adoption of minimal access surgery in addressing PIH by surgeons, irrespective of their laparoscopic skills and experience. Growing experience, wider adoption, decreasing complications, and increasing advantages favor emergence of minimal access surgery as the gold standard for the treatment of PIH in the future. This article comprehensively reviews the laparoscopic techniques of addressing PIH.

Relationship Between Release of β-Endorphin, Cortisol, and Trauma Severity in Children With Blunt Torso and Extremity Trauma

PURPOSE

To determine the levels of beta-endorphin and cortisol in children with multiple injuries and to determine whether there is any difference between and compare the severity of trauma and beta-endorphin and cortisol release as calculated using Pediatric Trauma Score (PTS).

METHODS

During a 10-month period, 80 children with multiple injuries admitted to a University Hospital's Pediatric Surgery Department were studied. Blood samples were obtained immediately at admission and a PTS of each patient was calculated. The correlation between PTS and hormonal values were searched. The children were classified into two groups according to their PTS. Group 1 had PTS >8 and group 2 had PTS < or =8. The two groups were also compared with respect to their beta-endorphin and cortisol values.

RESULTS

There was a linear correlation between beta-endorphin and cortisol values and the injury severity. The levels were higher in the patients with more severe injuries. There were 60 patients in group 1 and 20 patients in group 2. Their ages were 9.2 +/- 4.1 and 9.7 +/- 4.2 years, respectively (p > 0.05). The mean PTS for group 1 patients was 11 +/- 0.8 and for group 2 patients was 7.4 +/- 1.2 (p < 0.001). The mean plasma beta-endorphin concentrations were 124.4 +/- 114.4 pg/mL in group 1 patients and 261.6 +/- 231.2 pg/mL in group 2 (p < 0.001). The respective plasma cortisol concentrations in the two groups were 22.5 +/- 10.3 microg/dL and 30.8 +/- 17.2 microg/dL (p < 0.05), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study show that the plasma beta-endorphin and cortisol levels are elevated in children after blunt trauma and the degree of elevation is related to the injury severity.

Effects of ropivacaine infiltration on cortisol and prolactin responses to postoperative pain after inguinal hernioraphy in children

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Painful interventions may have a serious adverse psychological impact, particularly in young patients. Inguinal hernia repair is the most common surgical outpatient procedure performed on infants and children. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of pre- and postincisional infiltration of the surgical area with ropivacaine on cortisol (C) and prolactin (PRL) release and postoperative pain in children undergoing inguinal hernia repair.

METHODS

Forty-five school-age children, aged 6 to 10 years, undergoing outpatient inguinal hernia repair under general anesthesia were placed randomly into 3 groups. Preincisional wound infiltration of 3 mg/kg ropivacaine was performed in group I patients before surgery. Postincisional wound infiltration was performed in group II patients after hernia repair but before skin closure, and group III patients (controls) did not received any local anesthetic. In the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), objective pain assessments were performed every 5 minutes using a standardized 10-point objective pain scale.

RESULTS

Plasma C concentrations increased at the end of the operation in all groups but significantly only in the control group (P <.001). There was no significant difference between the pre- and postincisional groups with regard to pre- and postoperative C alterations (P >.05). Although plasma PRL concentrations increased significantly at the end of the operation in the control group (P <.001), no significant difference was found between pre- and postoperative values in the infiltration groups (P >.05). The pre- and postoperative plasma PRL differences were significant between only groups I and III (P <.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of the current study suggest that wound infiltration with ropivacaine decreases the stress response to surgery and the postoperative pain.