Multimodal Analgesia in Children and Adolescents After the Ravitch Procedure and Thoracotomy

The subjects were randomized to the Ropivacaine/Fentanyl (RF) or Bupivacaine/Fentanyl (BF) group.

To perform a thoracic surgical procedure, all patients were premedicated with midazolam, and then, paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, fentanyl, propofol, pancuronium or rocuronium (in children < 10 years old) and suprane were used to introduce and maintain the anesthesia. Thoracic epidural catheters were placed following induction of anesthesia and endotracheal intubation.

Intraoperative analgesia was introduced by a single dose of lidocaine 2% (2 mg/kg). Then after 15 minutes, the patients from the RF group received ropivacaine 1% (1-3 mg/kg) and those from the BF group bupivacaine 0.5% (0.5-1 mg/kg). After 60 minutes 0.2% ropivacaine solution with fentanyl or 0.125% solution of bupivacaine with fentanyl was infused with the flow rate of 0.1 ml/kg/hr.

Depending on the allocation to the group, postoperative analgesia was continued either with 0.2% ropivacaine and fentanyl or 0.125% bupivacaine and fentanyl, based on the concentration and the flow rate described above. In addition, intravenous paracetamol was administered as standard every 6 hours (the maximum of 60 mg/kg daily) along with non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In children > 14 years of age, ketoprofen was injected at the dose of 1 mg/kg (the maximum of 200 mg daily) and in younger children ibuprofen (orally or rectally, up to 30 mg/kg daily) every 8 hours. Metamizol was given as a "rescue drug" (20 mg/kg).

Inclusion criteria

• Elective thoracic surgery (thoracotomy or Ravitch procedure);
• Analgesia: continuous thoracic epidural analgesia.

Exclusion criteria

• American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status >III;
• History of chronic pain or preoperative opioid use;
• Oncological treatment;
• Impaired verbal communication;
• Removal of epidural catheter <24 h postoperatively;
• Lack of postoperative chest drainage.