Erector Spinea Plane Block in Pediatric Hip Surgery

This prospective randomized controlled double-blind study will be carried out to evaluate the effect of ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block on the postoperative analgesia in children after hip surgeries.

Primary outcome: Total morphine consumption in the first postoperative day. Secondary outcome: The time to first request for rescue analgesia and postoperative pain score.

This clinical trial will be carried out in Tanta University Hospitals for a period of 6 month that may be extended on pediatric patients scheduled for surgical treatment of hip disorder under general anesthesia.

A written informed consent will be obtained from the parents of all patients. Randomization will be performed by an independent data manager assigned the patients to groups based on a computer-generated randomization program introduced in closed opaque envelope.

Group 1 (20 patients): patients in this group will receive sham ipsilateral ultrasound-guided single shot erector spinae block at the level of second lumbar vertebra after induction of anesthesia and before the start of surgery without injection of local anesthetics.

Group 2 (20 patients): patients in this group will receive real ipsilateral ultrasound-guided single shot erector spinae block att the level of second lumbar vertebra after induction of anesthesia and before the start of surgery with injection of 0.3 ml/kg of 0.25% of plain bupivacaine.

Anesthetic technique All the patients will be adequately assessed preoperatively in the anesthesia clinic through history taking, general and local examination, and requesting investigation. Adequate explanation of the procedure, benefit, and potential hazards will be done to the parents with final reassurance of them. All children will receive sedation in the form of oral midazolam 0.5 mg/kg 15 minutes before admission to the operating room.

Upon admission to the operating room, intravascular access will be obtained with starting i.v infusion of Dextrose 5% in normal saline (7 ml/kg). Then, the patients will be attached to a monitor of pulse oximetry, non-invasive blood pressure, end-tidal carbon dioxide, temperature, and 5 leads electrocardiogram. Induction of anesthesia will be carried out using sevoflurane 6% in oxygen: air (4:1) till the child loss the consciousness, then, fentanyl 0.5 ug/kg will be given intravenously and atracurium 0.5 mg/kg will be given intravenously to facilitate endotracheal intubation. A suitable sized endotracheal tube will be introduced and secured with connection of the patients to a mechanical ventilator (pressure-controlled mode) which parameters will be adjusted to maintain end-tidal carbon dioxide 36-40 mmHg.

Anesthesia will be maintained by sevoflurane (1 MAC) with incremental doses of atracurium. Also, incremental doses of fentanyl 0.5 ug/kg will be given i.v in case of increase bispectral index (BIS) more than 60 or by increase in the heart rate or the mean arterial pressure by more than 20% of the baseline values.

Inclusion criteria

• Children aged between 1-5 years old, of both sexes, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status class I-II and scheduled for surgical treatment of hip disorder under general anesthesia will be included in this study

Exclusion criteria

• Parental refusal.
• Preexisting spinal deformity or profound mental retardation.
• Obese Children
• Known or suspected allergy to local anesthetics.
• Known or suspected coagulopathy
• Major cardiac, renal, or hepatic disorders.
• Children undergoing combined or bilateral surgeries.