Local Nerve Blocks for Postoperative Analgesia

Intraoperative irrigation with bupivacaine for analgesia after orchiopexy and herniorrhaphy in children

Effective postoperative analgesia is important, especially in pediatric surgery. The efficacy of intraoperative surgical wound irrigation with bupivacaine for postoperative analgesia was investigated in 90 children undergoing elective inguinoscrotal surgery. We found that this method effectively reduced postoperative pain and narcotic drug requirement. Bupivacaine irrigation was simple and complication-free. We believe that the irrigation of surgical wounds with bupivacaine should be a routine procedure in elective inguinoscrotal surgery in children.

Continuous blockade of the lumbar plexus after knee surgery--postoperative analgesia and bupivacaine plasma concentrations. A controlled clinical trial

In a double blind, randomised, controlled investigation the analgesic effect of a continuous block of the lumbar plexus with bupivacaine compared with sodium chloride was examined in 20 patients with postoperative pain after knee-joint surgery. The infusion was given through a catheter inserted in the neurovascular fascial sheath of the femoral nerve, according to the three-in-one block technique. The patients treated with bupivacaine had significantly lower pain scores and a significantly lower demand for morphine. Side effects related to the catheters or the infusions of bupivacaine were not observed.

Analgesia following femoral neck surgery. Lateral cutaneous nerve block as an alternative to narcotics in the elderly

In a prospective controlled randomised trial on patients undergoing operative repair of fractured neck of femur via a lateral incision, the postoperative analgesic requirements of one group of patients who received a lateral cutaneous nerve block were compared with a second group who received no block. The former group were found to need significantly less intramuscular pethidine in the first 24 hours, and 44% required no supplementary analgesia whatsoever during this period. The time to first dose of opioid in the remainder was greatly increased. No untoward sequelae associated with the nerve block were seen.

Femoral nerve block in knee joint surgery

Assessment is made of the effectiveness of femoral nerve block, administered either before or after surgery, in supplementing postoperative analgesia for knee joint (anterior cruciate) reconstruction surgery. Femoral nerve block, performed before surgery, with Bupivacaine 0.5%, reduced intramuscular opiate administration by 80% in the recovery room and 40% in the first 24 postoperative hours. An effective and rapidly performed technique for femoral nerve block is described.

Penile block for pain relief after circumcision in children. A randomized, prospective trial

The value of adjunctive penile block for analgesia, after circumcision in children using 0.5 percent bupivacaine has been evaluated in this randomized, prospective trial. Significantly more children without nerve block were found to require analgesics, administered by injection orally, in the first 12 hour period when compared with children given the nerve block. Penile block is a procedure that is safe, simple to achieve, free from complications, and covers the postoperative period when analgesia is much needed.