Caudal blockade for postoperative analgesia : a useful adjunct to intramuscular opiates following emergency lower leg orthopaedic surgery

• Published in: Anaesthesia and intensive care Vol. 19; no. 4; pp. 551 - 554
• Main Authors: MCCRIRRICK, A, RAMAGE, D. T. O
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Edgecliff Anaesthesia and Intensive Care 01.11.1991
• Subjects: Adult; Analgesia, Epidural; Anesthesia; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Ankle - surgery; Biological and medical sciences; Bupivacaine - administration & dosage; Bupivacaine - therapeutic use; Double-Blind Method; Emergencies; Female; Humans; Injections, Intramuscular; Injections, Intravenous; Leg - surgery; Local anesthesia. Pain (treatment); Male; Medical sciences; Nerve Block; Opium - administration & dosage; Opium - therapeutic use; Pain Measurement; Pain, Postoperative - prevention & control; Sacrum; Time Factors; Human; Postoperative; Analgesia; Caudal anesthesia; Regional anesthesia; Orthopedic surgery; Pain; Treatment; Diseases of the osteoarticular system
• ISSN: 0310-057X; 1448-0271
• DOI: 10.1177/0310057x9101900411

The efficacy of a single caudal epidural injection of bupivacaine 20 ml 0.5% following emergency orthopaedic surgery to the lower leg and ankle was investigated. Forty adult patients were studied, randomised to either the caudal or control group. The mean 24 hour postoperative papaveretum consumption was significantly reduced in the caudal group. Analogue pain scores as assessed in a double-blind manner were also significantly reduced in this group. The duration of analgesia after caudal blockade was approximately eight hours as estimated by the average time to the first dose of papaveretum. Our study demonstrates that caudal blockade represents an effective adjunct to intramuscular opiates following this type of surgery.