Ultrasound Guided TAP Block Versus Caudal Block in Pediatrics

Zagazig University

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Anesthesia

Treatments: Procedure: Caudal Block; Device: Ultra-sound guidance; Drug: Bupivacaine 0.25% Injectable Solution; Procedure: Transversus Abdominis Plane Block

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03701126

TAP/caudal block in pediatric

Details and patient eligibility

About

The use of pediatric regional anesthesia has increased because of its effective pain control, improved safety profile of local anesthetic agents, in addition to the introduction of ultra-sound. At present, caudal block is one of the most common regional anesthetic techniques employed in pediatric surgery. In addition to providing postoperative analgesia, caudal block significantly reduces intraoperative analgesic requirements and upper airway complications. Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block involves infiltration of local anesthetics to the plane between the internal oblique and transversus abdominis muscles. Indeed, TAP block offers a hemodynamic stability, appropriate intra-operative analgesia and post surgical analgesia of the abdominal wall.

Full description

The use of pediatric regional anesthesia has increased because of its effective pain control, improved safety profile of local anesthetic agents, in addition to the introduction of ultra-sound.

At present, caudal block is one of the most common regional anesthetic techniques employed in pediatric surgery. In addition to providing postoperative analgesia, caudal block significantly reduces intraoperative analgesic requirements and upper airway complications.

However, in recent days there is a trend toward the use of peripheral nerve blockade wherever applicable, given the lower incidences of adverse effects when compared with neuron-axial techniques. Furthermore, there may be specific anatomic variations or abnormalities which preclude the use of caudal block.

The abdominal wall consists of three muscular layers, the external oblique abdominis muscle (EOAM), the internal oblique abdominis muscle (IOAM), and the tranversus abdominis muscle (TAM), and their associated fascial sheaths. The central abdominal wall also includes the rectus abdominis muscles and its associated fascial sheath. This muscular wall is innervated by nerve afferents that course through the transversus abdominis neuron-fascial plane.

Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block involves infiltration of local anesthetics to the plane between the internal oblique and transversus abdominis muscles. Indeed, TAP block offers a hemodynamic stability, appropriate intra-operative analgesia and post surgical analgesia of the abdominal wall.

Enrollment: 44 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 3 to 10 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• ASA (American society of anesthiologists) physical status grade I-II.
• Operations not extending more than two hours.
• Unilateral surgeries.

Exclusion criteria

• Refusal of parents.
• Urgent cases.
• Bilateral or Complicated hernias (i.e., obstructed, strangulated, irreducible ...).
• Other contraindication of regional anesthesia e.g. septic focus at site of injection, patients on anticoagulant therapy or suffering from coagulopathy, allergy to local anesthetic drug.
• Prolonged operations more than two hours.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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44 participants in 2 patient groups

group A

Active Comparator group

Description:

Transversus Abdominis Plane block using 1ml/kg of bupivacaine 0.25% under ultrasound guidance

Treatment:

Procedure: Transversus Abdominis Plane Block

Device: Ultra-sound guidance

Drug: Bupivacaine 0.25% Injectable Solution

group B

Active Comparator group

Description:

Caudal block using 1ml/kg of bupivacaine 0.25% under ultrasound guidance

Treatment:

Procedure: Caudal Block

Device: Ultra-sound guidance

Drug: Bupivacaine 0.25% Injectable Solution