Analgesia caudal continua guiada por ultrasonido en una paciente de 4 anõs

Abstract

Caudal epidural is the most popular regional analgesia and anesthesia technique in pediatrics. The use of ultrasound (US) guidance in this procedure, is not yet the standard, but could reduce the risks related with the traditional approach and offer some advantages. We described a case of a 4-years-old patient undergoing a resection of a rabdomyosarcome on the left thigh plus inguinal metastatic nodes and implantation of brachitherapy catheters, in whom a continous caudal epidural catheter was placed under US guidance. After general anesthesia induction, a scout scanning identified the anatomy and afterwards, using strict aseptic techniques a caudal catheter was indwelling under the US guidance on real time and using the Doppler mode confirm the position of it inside the caudal epidural space with a local anesthetic bolus. There was an optimal pain control after surgery. The use of US as a guidance tool for caudal epidural catheter placement is an excellent alternative to the classic anatomical landmarks and give some advantages compare with those blind techniques.