Comparison of Ropivacaine with Bupivacaine for Caudal Block in Paediatric Patients Undergoing Infra Umbilical Surgery

Anil Thakur; Kiranpreet Kaur; Rajesh Chetiwal; Neeraj Gupta

Volume : V, Issue : X, October - 2015

Comparison of Ropivacaine with Bupivacaine for Caudal Block in Paediatric Patients Undergoing Infra Umbilical Surgery

Anil Thakur, Kiranpreet Kaur, Rajesh Chetiwal, Neeraj Gupta

Abstract :

Background: Regional anaesthesia produces excellent postoperative analgesia in infants and children. Bupivacaine as local anaesthetic has proven its efficacy in producing long lasting analgesia. Ropivacaine, an enantiomer of propivacaine, and is a long acting amide local anaesthetic agent, producing nerve block via reversible inhibition of sodium influx in nerve fies. The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the perioperative analgesic effect of single shot caudal epidural 0.75 ml kg–1 of 0.25% bupivacaine versus 0.75mlkg–1 of 0.2% ropivacaine in paediatric patients undergoing infraumbilical surgery. Material and methods: Sixty children in the age group of 2 to 8 years enrolled in the study were randomly divided into two groups of 30 each. Group B received 0.75 mlkg–1 of 0.25% bupivacaine and group R received 0.75 mlkg–1 of 0.2% ropivacaine. Patient’s heart rate, respiratory rate, peripheral arterial oxygen saturation, objective pain scale (OPS), motor power score (MPS) and time for rescue analgesia were recorded. The data recorded was statistically analyzed using Student‘s unpaired t test. P value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Variations in OPS in both groups at different time intervals were comparable (p>0.05). Motor power scale was recorded in all the patients in both the Groups. In 90 minutes about 27 patients in group B and 29 patients in group R had MPS of 10. Patients in Group R required rescue analgesia earlier, at around 6 hours postoperatively as compared to 8 hours postoperatively in Group B Conclusion: We conclude that both the drugs are similar in their properties and safe with minimal side effects, for perioperative pain relief in the form of caudal epidural block and 0.25% bupivacaine provides prolonged duration of analgesia when compared with 0.2% ropivacaine in the similar doses.