Comparison of levobupivacaine 0.25% and ropivacaine 0.25% for caudal epidural anaesthesia in children undergoing infraumbilical surgery”- A randomised clinical trial.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Anaesthesia for paediatric patients is highly specialised because of the physiological, pharmacological, and psychological differences between children and adults. Regional anaesthesia techniques have become routine interventions in children and infants. Paediatric regional anaesthesia is an excellent technique for balanced intraoperative and postoperative analgesia. Caudal epidural anaesthesia is a widely used regional anaesthesia technique that involves the administration of local anaesthetics into the caudal epidural space through the sacral hiatus. Caudal epidural anaesthesia is commonly practiced in paediatric anaesthesia and also done in adults for various surgical procedures, it also provides analgesia both intraoperatively and postoperatively for surgeries involving the lower abdomen, pelvis, perineum, lower limbs and reduces the usage of systemic opioids, minimises their side effects, such as respiratory depression, nausea, and vomiting.The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy and duration of analgesia of 0.25% Levobupivacaine and 0.25% Ropivacaine in paediatric patients undergoing infraumbilical surgeries under caudal epidural anaesthesia.