The Outcomes of Caudal or Intravenous Addition of Morphine and Clonidine into The Caudal Block Performed with Levobupivacaine In Children; A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Ineffective post-operative pain management in children may be associated with chronic pain. 98 pediatric patients aged 6 months to 12 years who underwent caudal levobupivacaine for hypospadias surgery were evaluated retrospectively. The patients who received additional intravenous clonidine were added in group 1; the patients who received additional intravenous morphine were added in group 2, patients who received additional caudal clonidine was added in group 3, and patients who received additional caudal morphine was added in group 4. CHEOPS score was assessed 1, 6, 12 and 24 hours after the operation and patients with score 6 or higher were determined. At the 1st hour, there were 8 cases in the intravenous morphine group (40%), 5cases in the intravenous clonidine group (25%), and 3 cases in the caudal morphine group (15%). At the 12th hour, there were 5 cases in the intravenous morphine group (25%), 10 cases in the intravenous clonidine group (50%), and 4 cases in the caudal morphine group (20%). At the 24th hour, there were 10 cases in the intravenous morphine group (50%), 10 cases in the intravenous clonidine group (50%), 9 cases in the caudal morphine group (45%) and 2 cases in the caudal clonidine group (10%) (p<0.05). There was no difference between the groups in terms of sedation scores at all hours (p>0.05). The lowest pain scores at the 1st, 12th, and 24th hours were recorded in the caudal clonidine group. It had the lowest pain scores at 6 hours. By these methods, in favor of the clonidine group, we agreed that the analgesia lasts for approximately 12 hours postoperatively, so the postoperative stress that the children and their families have can be minimized.