Postoperative Pain Relief for Circumcision in Children

Abstract

Circumcision in children is usually followed by severe pain. Seventy‐seven boys presented for circumcision were randomly divided into six groups to study the efficacy of various method of P0 pain relief. Children in the control group, (general anesthesia with N20 + 02 + halothane alone) woke up with pain and crying. Children who had 2 mg of IM morphine after induction of anesthesia remained drowsy for 1‐2 hours but did not have pain for five hours. Children who had either block of the dorsal nerve of penis or application of either lidocaine spray, lidocaine jelly or lidocaine ointment on the wound at the end of surgery woke up with full alertness and were free of pain for 4‐5 hours. Topical analgesia were as effective as the nerve block but were devoid of CNS and respiratory depression. It is simple, cheap and reapplicable by the parents. It is the most useful methods for relief of post circumcision pain.