Caudal Analgesia for Hypospadias in Pediatrics: Comparative Evaluation of Adjuvants Dexamethasone and Dexmedetomidine Combination versus Dexamethasone or Dexmedetomidine to Bupivacaine: A Prospective, Double-Blinded, Randomized Comparative Study

Comparison of Caudal Block and Dexmedetomidine Infusion in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Hypospadias Repair Surgery: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-blinded Clinical Study

Background

Many parents continue to reject caudal block since they worry about a rare neurological consequence that may happen. A parenteral surrogate is sought because it can induce recovery with features such as local analgesia.

Objectives

To compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous dexmedetomidine versus caudal and general anesthesia (GA) in children undergoing hypospadias surgery repair.

Methods

A randomized prospective study was conducted on 135 pediatric patients scheduled for hypospadias repair surgery in the hospital affiliated to Tanta University. The participants were divided into a control group (Group C) receiving GA, a caudal group receiving caudal block after GA, and a dexmedetomidine group (Group D) receiving intravenous dexmedetomidine after GA. The postoperative modified objective pain score (MOPS), the total pethidine received in the first 24 h postoperatively, and complications were recorded.

Results

The patients receiving GA required a significantly higher pethidine dose than the other two groups without a significant difference between caudal and dexmedetomidine. The patients receiving dexmedetomidine were extubated significantly later than patients in the other two groups. Regarding the MOPS score, there was a significant difference between Group C and the other two groups 30 minutes and one hour after operation regarding movements, posture, and agitation. Moreover, a significantly larger number of patients developed tachycardia in Group C compared to the other groups.

Conclusions

With the caudal block, the benefits of smooth emergency can be obtained by intravenous dexmedetomidine; however, it had less analgesic efficacy in the pediatric patients undergoing hypospadias repair surgery.

Randomized comparison between perineural dexamethasone and combined perineural dexamethasone-dexmedetomidine for ultrasound-guided infraclavicular block

BACKGROUND

This randomized trial compared perineural dexamethasone with combined perineural dexamethasone-dexmedetomidine for ultrasound-guided infraclavicular block. We hypothesized that the combination of perineural adjuvants would result in a longer motor block.

METHODS

Fifty patients undergoing upper limb surgery with ultrasound-guided infraclavicular block (using 35 mL of lidocaine 1%-bupivacaine 0.25% with epinephrine 5 µg/mL) were randomly allocated to receive perineural dexamethasone (2 mg) or combined perineural dexamethasone (2 mg)-dexmedetomidine (50 µg). After the performance of the block, a blinded observer assessed the success rate (defined as a minimal sensorimotor composite score of 14 out of 16 points at 30 min), the onset time (defined as the time required to reach a minimal composite score of 14 points) as well as the incidence of surgical anesthesia (defined as the ability to complete surgery without local infiltration, supplemental blocks, intravenous opioids or general anesthesia).Postoperatively, the blinded observer contacted patients with successful blocks to inquire about the duration of motor block, sensory block and postoperative analgesia.

RESULTS

No intergroup differences were observed in terms of success rate, onset time and surgical anesthesia. Compared with dexamethasone alone, combined dexamethasone-dexmedetomidine provided longer durations of motor block (21.5 (2.7) vs 17.0 (3.9) hours; p<0.001; 95% CI 2.6 to 6.4), sensory block (21.6 (3.6) vs 17.2 (3.6) hours; p<0.001; 95% CI 2.2 to 6.5), and postoperative analgesia (25.5 (9.4) vs 23.5 (5.6) hours; p=0.038; 95% CI 1.0 to 7.7).

CONCLUSION

Compared with perineural dexamethasone (2 mg) alone, combined perineural dexamethasone (2 mg)-dexmedetomidine (50 µg) results in longer durations of sensorimotor block and analgesia. Further studies are required to determine the optimal dosing combination for dexamethasone-dexmedetomidine.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04875039.

Comparison of adjuvant pharmaceuticals for caudal block in pediatric lower abdominal and urological surgeries: A network meta-analysis

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Caudal block helps relieve pain after sub-umbilical surgery in pediatric patients; however, the duration for which it exerts its analgesic effect is limited. The addition of certain adjuvant agents to local anesthetics (LAs) that are used to administer caudal block can prolong postoperative analgesia. Therefore, we aimed to compare the efficiencies and side effects of caudal adjuvants in the settings of pediatric lower abdominal and urological surgeries.

DESIGN

A network meta-analysis (NMA).

PATIENTS

One hundred and twelve randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 6800 pediatric patients were included in the final analysis.

INTERVENTIONS

Different adjuvant agents, namely clonidine, dexamethasone, dexmedetomidine, fentanyl, ketamine, magnesium, midazolam, morphine, neostigmine, and tramadol.

MEASUREMENTS

The primary outcome was the duration of analgesia. The secondary outcomes included the requirement for additional analgesia, analgesic consumption, and postoperative complications. The effects and rankings were evaluated using NMA and the surface under the cumulative ranking curve scores, respectively.

RESULTS

Neostigmine, dexmedetomidine, and dexamethasone were found to be the three most effective adjuvants that prolong the duration of analgesia for caudal block, and these adjuvants extended this duration by 8.9 h (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.1-10.7), 7.3 h (95% CI, 6.0-8.6), and 5.9 h (95% CI, 4.0-7.7), respectively. Caudal neostigmine was associated with an increase in the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, whereas dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone showed no postoperative complications.

CONCLUSIONS

This NMA provided evidence and suggested that dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone may be the most beneficial adjuvant pharmaceutics adding to LAs for caudal block in children. However, given the off-label status of caudal dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone, further high-quality RCTs are still warranted, especially to determine whether delayed neurological complications will occur.

Peripheral Nerve Blockade for Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction in Pediatric Patients: The Addition of a Proximal Single-Injection Sciatic Nerve Block Provides Improved Analgesia

Purpose

We tested the hypothesis that the addition of a single-injection proximal sciatic nerve block to an adductor canal block would significantly reduce pain scores and opioid requirements compared to a group of patients that received only an adductor canal or femoral nerve block for medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction in pediatric patients. The primary end-point is the number of patients achieving a Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) (pain score less than four) for the entire 24-hour postoperative period in patients with and without a proximal sciatic block.

Patients and Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study of 144 consecutive pediatric patients, ages 10 to 18 years, undergoing medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction with peripheral nerve blockade for postoperative analgesia from 2016–2020 at a pediatric orthopedics children’s hospital. Patients were divided into 2 cohorts with and without a proximal sciatic nerve block: group A/F: adductor canal or femoral CPNB and group AS: adductor canal CPNB and a proximal single-injection sciatic nerve block.

Results

There was strong evidence for an increase in the number of patients who reported a pain score less than four for the entire 24-hour postoperative period in the group that received the additional proximal sciatic block. (PASS: A/F 13/62 (21%) vs AS 43/82 (52%), p<0.001) There was strong evidence for a reduction in mean and maximum pain scores and opioid requirements in the first 24-hours after surgery in the proximal sciatic group.

Conclusion

The addition of a proximal sciatic nerve block was associated with significantly reduced mean and maximum pain scores and opioid requirements after medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction in pediatric patients and supports a randomized clinical trial to confirm these findings. Based on the results of this study we recommend the addition of a proximal sciatic nerve block, anterior or posterior, to an adductor canal block to provide improved analgesia and reduced opioid requirements in the 24-hours after MPFLR in pediatric patients.

Guidelines for Opioid Prescribing in Children and Adolescents After Surgery: An Expert Panel Opinion

IMPORTANCE

Opioids are frequently prescribed to children and adolescents after surgery. Prescription opioid misuse is associated with high-risk behavior in youth. Evidence-based guidelines for opioid prescribing practices in children are lacking.

OBJECTIVE

To assemble a multidisciplinary team of health care experts and leaders in opioid stewardship, review current literature regarding opioid use and risks unique to pediatric populations, and develop a broad framework for evidence-based opioid prescribing guidelines for children who require surgery.

EVIDENCE REVIEW

Reviews of relevant literature were performed including all English-language articles published from January 1, 1988, to February 28, 2019, found via searches of the PubMed (MEDLINE), CINAHL, Embase, and Cochrane databases. Pediatric was defined as children younger than 18 years. Animal and experimental studies, case reports, review articles, and editorials were excluded. Selected articles were graded using tools from the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine 2011 levels of evidence. The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument was applied throughout guideline creation. Consensus was determined using a modified Delphi technique.

FINDINGS

Overall, 14 574 articles were screened for inclusion, with 217 unique articles included for qualitative synthesis. Twenty guideline statements were generated from a 2-day in-person meeting and subsequently reviewed, edited, and endorsed externally by pediatric surgical specialists, the American Pediatric Surgery Association Board of Governors, the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Surgery Executive Committee, and the American College of Surgeons Board of Regents. Review of the literature and guideline statements underscored 3 primary themes: (1) health care professionals caring for children who require surgery must recognize the risks of opioid misuse associated with prescription opioids, (2) nonopioid analgesic use should be optimized in the perioperative period, and (3) patient and family education regarding perioperative pain management and safe opioid use practices must occur both before and after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

These are the first opioid-prescribing guidelines to address the unique needs of children who require surgery. Health care professionals caring for children and adolescents in the perioperative period should optimize pain management and minimize risks associated with opioid use by engaging patients and families in opioid stewardship efforts.

A Randomized Controlled Study of Caudal Dexmedetomidine for the Prevention of Postoperative Agitation in Children Undergoing Urethroplasty

Background: Postoperative agitation is a common complication in children undergoing general anesthesia. This study aimed to investigate the effect of caudal dexmedetomidine for the prevention of postoperative agitation in children undergoing urethroplasty. Materials and Methods: Eighty children were prospectively recruited to this study and randomized to two groups (40 cases in each group), specifically, a dexmedetomidine group (group D) who received 0.2% ropivacaine + 0.5 μg/kg dexmedetomidine for caudal block, and a control group who received 0.2% ropivacaine alone. The time to wake up, the time to discharge from the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), the duration of the caudal block, and the Ramsay sedation scale (RSS) were evaluated in the patients. Adverse events such as postoperative agitation, respiratory depression, bradycardia, hypotension, excessive sedation, nausea, and vomiting were also recorded during the first postoperative 24 h. Results: The incidence of postoperative agitation was lower in group D compared with patients in the control group (2.5 vs. 22.5%, p = 0.007). The time to wake up and the time to discharge from PACU were longer in group D than in the control group (15.2 ± 2.6 vs. 13.4 ± 1.3 min, 48.2 ± 7.7 vs. 41.5 ± 8.0 min, respectively, p < 0.001). However, the extubation times were similar between the two groups. The duration of the caudal block was longer in group D compared with the control group (8.8 ± 1.6 vs. 4.6 ± 0.7 h, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Caudal dexmedetomidine prolongs the duration of caudal block and decreases the incidence of postoperative agitation in children undergoing urethroplasty. Clinical Trial Registration: ChiCTR1800016828.

Synergistic Effect of Perineural Dexamethasone and Dexmedetomidine (Dex-Dex) in Extending the Analgesic Duration of Pectoral Type I and II Blocks

Pectoral type I and II (Pecs I and II) blocks are regional anesthesia methods that have shown to decrease postoperative analgesia after breast surgery. Typically, these blocks consist only of a local anesthetic. We performed preoperative Pecs I and II blocks in a female patient undergoing surgical excision and biopsy of a breast mass. The anesthetic consisted of ropivacaine, dexmedetomidine, and dexamethasone (Dex-Dex). The patient experienced an extended postoperative pain relief period. She did not require any opiates postoperatively. Adding dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone to a local anesthetic for peripheral nerve blocks seems to have a synergistic effect and can extend the duration of pain relief. This combination has the potential to decrease postoperative opiate requirements for analgesia. Further studies need to be conducted to further determine the safety and efficacy of the Dex-Dex block.

Dual adjunct therapy with dexamethasone and dexmedetomidine in transversus abdominis plane blocks reduces postoperative opioid use in colorectal surgery

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study is to determine if the addition of dexmedetomidine to dexamethasone in transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks lowers postoperative opioid use following colorectal surgery.

METHODS

Retrospective review of patients undergoing minimally invasive colorectal surgery and perioperative TAP block with either 1) local anesthetic and dexamethasone or 2) local anesthetic, dexamethasone, and dexmedetomidine. Post-operative opioid use was converted to morphine milligram equivalents (MME).

RESULTS

55 patients were identified: 38 (69%) receiving dexamethasone only and 17 (31%) receiving dexamethasone and dexmedetomidine. The dexamethasone and dexmedetomidine group had significantly lower median MME use at 12-h (2 vs. 13 mg), 24-h (4 vs. 28 mg), 36-h (8 vs. 38 mg), and 48-h (17 vs. 53 mg) (all p < 0.05). There was no difference at 72-h.

CONCLUSION

Perioperative TAP blocks with dexamethasone and dexmedetomidine following colorectal surgery results in significantly less postoperative opioid use up to 48 h after surgery.

Adductor Canal Block Duration of Analgesia Successfully Prolonged With Perineural Dexmedetomidine and Dexamethasone in Addition to IPACK Block for Total Knee Arthroplasty

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is among the most commonly performed orthopedic procedures. Controlling the pain of this patient population is essential in improving outcomes such as opioid consumption, hospital length of stay, overall function, and rehabilitation participation following their procedure. Local anesthetic infiltration of the interspace between the popliteal artery and capsule of the posterior knee, known as the IPACK block, combined with an adductor canal block (ACB) can be used to reduce pain in the challenging area of the posterior knee after knee surgery without compromising motor function of the quadriceps muscles. One limiting factor to this combination of techniques is the duration of analgesia provided. This case series demonstrates the combination of dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone (Dex-Dex) as local anesthetic adjuvants to significantly prolong the analgesic duration of ACB (in addition to IPACK block) in three patients undergoing TKA. Preoperative ACB and IPACK blocks were performed for postoperative analgesia in three TKA patients. The anesthetic mixture was 10 cc 0.2% ropivacaine combined with 25 mcg of dexmedetomidine and 5-mg preservative-free dexamethasone for the ACB, and 0.2% ropivacaine combined with 5-mg preservative-free dexamethasone was utilized for the IPACK block. Two of the patients reported experiencing four days of analgesia and one patient reported five days of analgesia following the ACB + IPACK block. Two of the patients required no opioid analgesics postoperatively. An ACB utilizing 0.75% ropivacaine has been demonstrated to provide approximately 10.8 hours of analgesia. Our series demonstrates a significantly prolonged duration of analgesia from this injectate combination. Few studies have utilized the Dex-Dex combination. The combination, however, was previously proven to safely increase the analgesic duration of a caudal block prior to hypospadias surgeries in pediatrics. More studies are needed to understand a potential synergistic effect of Dex-Dex, which could have a substantial impact on postoperative analgesia for TKA patients.

Dexamethasone and dexmedetomidine as adjuvants to local anesthetic mixture in intercostal nerve block for thoracoscopic pneumonectomy: a prospective randomized study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Perineural dexamethasone or dexmedetomidine prolongs the duration of single-injection peripheral nerve block when added to the local anesthetic solution. In a randomized, controlled, double-blinded study in patients undergoing thoracoscopic pneumonectomy, we tested the hypothesis that combined perineural dexamethasone and dexmedetomidine prolonged the duration of analgesia as compared with either perineural dexamethasone or perineural dexmedetomidine after intercostal nerve block (INB).

METHODS

Eighty patients were randomized to receive INB using 28 mL 0.5% ropivacaine, with 2 mL normal saline (R group), with 10 mg dexamethasone in 2 mL (RS group) or 1 µg/kg dexmedetomidine in 2 mL (RM group), or with 1 µg/kg dexmedetomidine and 10 mg dexamethasone in 2 mL (RSM group) administrated perineurally. The INB was performed by the surgeon under thoracoscopic direct vision; a total of six intercostal spaces were involved, each with an injection of 5 mL. The primary outcome was the duration of analgesia. Secondary outcomes included total postoperative fentanyl consumption, visual analog scale pain score and safety assessment (adverse effects).

RESULTS

The duration of analgesia in RSM (824.2±105.1 min) was longer than that in RS (611.5±133.0 min), RM (602.5±108.5 min) and R (440.0±109.6 min) (p<0.001). Total postoperative fentanyl consumption was lower in RSM (106.0±84.0 µg) compared with RS (243.0±175.2 µg), RM (237.0±98.7 µg) and R (369.0±134.2 µg) (p<0.001). No significant difference was observed in the incidences of adverse effects between the four groups.

CONCLUSION

The addition of combined perineural dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone to ropivacaine for INB seemed to be an attractive method for prolonged analgesia with almost no adverse effects.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR-IOR-17012183.