Spinal anesthesia in children: pro.

Abstract

Spinal anaesthesia, first introduced in children at beginning of 20th century, offers adequate intraoperative anaesthetic conditions (analgesia and muscle relaxation). The technique is easy to perform even if lumbar puncture is more difficult when the children is smaller. It has not been observed haemodynamic modifications especially in patients under 5 year of age; duration of spinal anaesthesia is shorter if compared to adults and post dural puncture headache (PDPH) after spinal anaesthesia is as common in children as it is in adults, but was usually mild and very short lasting. PDPH has not been correlated with the type of spinal needle used. Hyperbaric solution of local anaesthetics like bupivacaine and tetracaine are preferable. The only adjuvant used for spinal anesthesia in children is morphine, which should be administered only in patients admitted to high dependency unit in the postoperative period. Spinal anaesthesia is indicated mainly in sub umbilical surgical procedures lasting no more than 90 minutes and particularly in the surgical treatment of former premature infants who present an higher risk with regional anaesthesia.