Pre-surgical child behavior ratings and pain management after two different techniques of tonsil surgery. Physostigmine and anaesthesia emergence delirium in preschool children: a randomized blinded trial. Analgesic efficacy of caudal block versus diclofenac suppository and local anesthetic infiltration following pediatric laparoscopy. Management of postoperative pain in children following extractions of primary teeth under general anaesthesia: a comparison of paracetamol, Voltarol and no analgesia. Laparoscopic nephroureterectomy for dysplastic kidney in children: an initial experience. [Effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and paracetamol on hemodynamic changes during postoperative analgesia in children]. An audit of post-operative analgesia in children following tonsillectomy. [Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis in children]. [Postoperative analgesia with nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs in children]. Double-blind randomized controlled trial of caudal versus intravenous S(+)-ketamine for supplementation of caudal analgesia in children. Diclofenac and flurbiprofen with or without clonidine for postoperative analgesia in children undergoing elective ophthalmological surgery. The effect of paracetamol or diclofenac administered before operation on postoperative pain and behaviour after adenoidectomy in small children. Acute meningococcaemia complicated by late onset gastrointestinal vasculitis. Tissue necrosis after intramuscular administration of diclofenac: report of one case. Intraoperative diclofenac for post-adenoidectomy analgesia in small children. Diclofenac and post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage. Fatal anaphylactic reaction to oral diclofenac sodium. Preemptive diclofenac reduces morphine use after remifentanil-based anaesthesia for tonsillectomy. Sublingual morphine may be a suitable alternative for pain control in children in the postoperative period. Analgesic efficacy of paracetamol and diclofenac in children receiving PCA morphine. Oral clonidine premedication reduces vomiting in children after strabismus surgery. Postoperative comfort in paediatric outpatient surgery. Remifentanil versus fentanyl for short-term analgesia-based sedation in mechanically ventilated postoperative children. The effect of a combination of rectal diclofenac and caudal bupivacaine on postoperative analgesia in children. General anaesthesia for lobectomy in an 8-year-old child with Kartagener's syndrome. Diclofenac or acetaminophen for analgesia in paediatric tonsillectomy outpatients. Pediatric tonsillotomy with the radiofrequency technique: less morbidity and pain. Rectally administered diclofenac (Voltaren) reduces vomiting compared with opioid (morphine) after strabismus surgery in children. Postoperative pain relief in children. A comparison between caudal bupivacaine and intramuscular diclofenac sodium. Peri-operative use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in children. [Clinical study of postoperative sedation in pediatric patients--effects of inhalation anesthetics and postoperative analgesics]. Blood loss following tonsillectomy in children. A blind comparison of diclofenac and papaveretum. [Preventive analgesia and early postoperative period in ambulatory orthopedic surgeries in children]. Sotos' syndrome ellipsis...a rare challenge? Efficacy and safety of premedication with oral ketamine for day-case adenoidectomy compared with rectal diazepam/diclofenac and EMLA. Same-day tonsillectomy. Diclofenac and metabolite pharmacokinetics in children. Post-operative pain relief in children following extraction of carious deciduous teeth under general anaesthesia: a comparison of nalbuphine and diclofenac. Paediatric postoperative analgesia. A comparison of rectal diclofenac with caudal bupivacaine after inguinal herniotomy. Comparative study of diclofenac sodium and paracetamol for treatment of pain after adenotonsillectomy in children. A comparison of rectal diclofenac with intramuscular papaveretum or placebo for pain relief following tonsillectomy. Pharmacogenetics of codeine metabolism in an urban population of children and its implications for analgesic reliability. Comparison of caudal block using bupivacaine and ketamine with ilioinguinal nerve block for orchidopexy in children. Effects of post-operative pain treatment using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics, opioids or epidural blockade on systemic and local immune responses in children. Analgesic requirements for appendicectomy: the differences between adults and children. Diclofenac analgesia following cleft palate surgery. Diclofenac or paracetamol for analgesia in paediatric myringotomy outpatients. Ketamine reduces swallowing-evoked pain after paediatric tonsillectomy. Pharmacokinetics of intravenous diclofenac sodium in children. Tramadol for pain relief in children undergoing tonsillectomy: a comparison with morphine. Oral versus rectal diclofenac for postoperative tonsillectomy pain in children. Emergence and recovery in children after desflurane and isoflurane anaesthesia: effect of anaesthetic duration. A comparison of three methods of analgesia in children having day case circumcision. Colon perforation in an adolescent after short-term diclofenac intake. Diclofenac sodium for post-tonsillectomy pain in children. Postoperative analgesia in pediatric patients: comparative study among local anesthetics, opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Pharmacokinetic profile of rectally administered diclofenac sodium in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy The effect of swabs soaked in bupivacaine and epinephrine for pain relief following simple dental extractions in children. [Postoperative pain therapy after tonsillectomy in children. An observational study for 7 days]. Pre-operative analgesia with rectal diclofenac and/or paracetamol in children undergoing inguinal hernia repair. Regional anaesthesia for circumcision. Subcutaneous ring block of the penis and subpubic penile block compared. Comparison of diclofenac and tenoxicam for postoperative analgesia with and without fentanyl in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy or tonsillectomy. Adenotonsillectomy in children: a comparison of morphine and fentanyl for peri-operative analgesia. Recovery characteristics of sevoflurane or halothane for day-case anaesthesia in children aged 1-3 years.
The purpose of this investigation was to compare child behavior before surgery with experience of pain and anxiety in relation to two techniques of tonsil surgery, to relate previous experiences of surgery/tonsillitis with anxiety and pain, and to compare the children's, parent's and nurse's rating of pain.
                Ninety-two children (5-15 years) with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and with or without recurrent tonsillitis were randomized to partial tonsil resection/tonsillotomy (TT) or full tonsillectomy (TE). Measures: Parents: Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Children: State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) and seven-point Faces Pain Scale (FPS). Parents/staff: seven-point Verbal Pain Rating Scale (VPRS). Pain relievers were opoids, paracetamol and diclophenac.
                These children with SDB scored significantly higher on CBCL than did normative groups, but no connection was observed between CBCL rating and experience of pain. There was no relation between pre-operative anxiety and pain. The post-operative anxiety level (STAIC) correlated with pain. The TE-group scored higher on STAIC after surgery. Previous experience of surgery or tonsillitis did not influence post-operative pain. The TE-group rated higher experience of pain despite more medication. The nurses scored pain lower than the parents/children and under-medicated.
                SDB may influence children's behavior, but with no relation to post-operative pain. The surgical method predicts pain better than does the child's behavior rating. The nurses underestimated the pain experienced by the child. A significant proportion of preschool children experiences severe emergence agitation after anaesthesia. The symptoms of disorientation, restlessness, inconsolable crying and thrashing resemble an acute psychosis similar to an agitated central anticholinergic syndrome. The primary aim of this randomized controlled study was to assess the efficiency of the cholinesterase-inhibitor physostigmine in these children and to identify adverse effects.
                We anaesthetized 211 children (1-5 yr) with sevoflurane after midazolam premedication for varying operative procedures. Multimodal intraoperative and prophylactic pain therapy combined alfentanil, piritramide, diclofenac and regional/local bupivacaine. A 5-step score assessed emergence agitation. Severely agitated children were treated immediately with physostigmine (30 mug kg-1) or placebo in a randomized, double-blind fashion. The primary variable was the agitation score after 5 min.
                Severe delirium occurred in 19% of all children. Five minutes following injection, severe agitation was still present in 10 out of 20 patients treated with physostigmine and 16/20 with placebo. This difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.1). Rescue therapy with intravenous propofol was given after 15 min of severe agitation to four children following physostigmine and nine following placebo (non-significant). An increased rate of postoperative nausea and vomiting (45% vs. 15%, P < 0.05) was the only adverse effect observed.
                Severe emergence agitation might be related to a central anticholinergic syndrome as diagnosed empirically with a successful treatment with physostigmine. However, the results of this study do not support its routine use. The substance may augment the therapeutic options if injected slowly and after suitable prophylaxis to avoid postoperative nausea and vomiting. To compare the analgesic efficacy of caudal block with diclofenac suppository and local anesthetic infiltration in children undergoing laparoscopy.
                We studied 50 children undergoing laparoscopy for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Their ages ranged from 3 to 13 years, and all belonged to American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class I or II. Anesthesia was carried out using the standard procedure. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Group 1 received caudal block with bupivacaine 1 mL/kg after anesthetic induction. Group 2 received diclofenac suppository 3 mg/kg postinduction and local anesthetic infiltration at the port sites at the end of the procedure. Pain was assessed using the Hannallah objective pain scale at 15, 30, 60, 120, and 360 minutes postextubation.
                The pain scores were comparable in both groups at all times. Twelve percent of caudal block patients and 20% of diclofenac patients needed rescue analgesic, a statistically insignificant difference. In 2 patients, caudal block was technically difficult and they were excluded from the study. The incidence of side effects was low in our study.
                We find the analgesic efficacy of diclofenac suppository combined with local anesthetic infiltration at port sites comparable to caudal block. Given the necessarily invasive nature of caudal block, we suggest the combined use of diclofenac suppository with local anesthetic infiltration at port sites as a useful and more economical alternative for analgesia following pediatric laparoscopy. The aim of this study was to compare three different pain relief regimes and the respective levels of pain recorded by children undergoing extractions of primary teeth under general anaesthesia.
                This was a tri-sited study carried out in three similar hospital settings, each with a different pain relief protocol. The subjects were 70 children from each site who were aged between 3 and 12 years, and were undergoing routine extractions of primary teeth. All children from the three centres used a self-report visual analogue scale to record pain preoperatively and postoperatively (15 min after recovery), and relevant pain-relief medication was noted. The efficacy of the three different pain relief regimes was then compared.
                Children reported significantly less pain when rectal Voltarol was provided prior to the extractions, as compared to paracetamol or no analgesia. The greatest amount of pain was reported by the group who had received no analgesia.
                Voltarol appears to be the better pre-emptive analgesic for dental extractions under general anaesthesia when compared with paracetamol and no analgesia. Laparoscopic nephroureterectomy for dysplastic kidney is now becoming a widely accepted procedure. We report here our initial experience with laparoscopic nephroureterectomy in four girls.
                Between 1993 and 1999, laparoscopic nephroureterectomy was performed in four girls (mean age 5.3 years). Three patients had an ectopic dysplastic kidney with ectopic ureter, and one patient had hydronephrosis with megaureter due to distal ureteral atresia of the upper moiety in a duplicated dysplastic kidney. The transperitoneal approach was used in all cases.
                Mean operative time was 195 min (range 150-266). Blood loss was minimal. All operations were completed successfully and there were no intraoperative or postoperative complications except for subcutaneous emphysema in one patient (case 4). Postoperative analgesia was used in three patients and administered in the form of diclofenac sodium suppositories 12.5 mg (cases 1 and 2) or acetaminophen suppositories 50 mg (case 3) for 1-2 days. One patient did not require any analgesia (case 4). Oral fluid intake was resumed on the first postoperative day and ambulation began within 1-3 days (mean 1.6, cases 1, 2 and 3) and 6 days (case 4). All children returned to normal activity within 3-6 days of surgery. Mean postoperative hospital stay was 7.3 days. All cases had uneventful courses after discharge.
                Laparoscopic nephroureterectomy can be performed safely, with minimal postoperative pain, excellent cosmetic results and early ambulation. We advocate the use of laparoscopy for the diagnosis and treatment of dysplastic kidney with ectopic ureter. The purpose of the present study was to comparatively assess the adequacy of postoperative analgesia using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and paracetamol in children undergone "minor" surgical interventions. For postoperative analgesia in children, the authors used paracetamol in a single dose of 25-30 mg/kg, diclofenac in a dose of 1.5-2.0 mg/kg, which were rectally administered as suppositories, as well as diclofenac in the same dose as intramuscular injections (Group 1). A comparison was made with postoperative analgesia using analgin and promedole (Group 2 (control)). Group 1 comprised 63 patients and Group 2 included 26 patients with identical diseases (inguinal hernias, varicocele, phimosis). Functional parameters were recorded in patients in the lying position before, 30 min, 1, 2, and 3 hours after surgery. The efficiency of postoperative analgesia was evaluated, by using central hemodynamic parameters that many investigators consider to be one of the major criteria for the adequacy of anesthesia. Comparison of postoperative data has revealed a difference between the groups, which suggests that the use of NSAIDs and paracetamol for preventive and postoperative analgesia in children substantially improves the postoperative period and promotes a rapid rehabilitation in patients. Comparative analysis of the efficiency of postoperative analgesia of the above agents has indicated that diclofenac and paracetamol have a sufficient analgesic activity and at the same time do not show the adverse reactions unique to narcotic analgesics. Pain following tonsillectomy in children is a significant problem that tends to be underestimated. We audited post-operative pain in 33 children and found significant proportions of children in moderately severe to severe pain, particularly at, or soon after returning to the ward. These findings led to changes in practice that included the administration of pre-operative paracetamol and diclofenac as well as the uniform post-operative prescription of them, with printed instructions to reduce the scope for mistakes by medical staff. Other changes included a uniform policy, with which the nursing staff could become familiar, and the regular formal recording of pain to assist in the recognition of pain and analgesic requirements. On re-auditing two years later, in a group of 100 children, post-operative pain was significantly improved. The proportion experiencing moderately severe to severe pain on returning to the ward, as their maximum pain score and pain score at discharge fell from 70 per cent to 48 per cent, 85 per cent to 56 per cent, and six per cent to two per cent respectively. Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis (ATIN) is a rare renal disorder in children. Patients usually present non-specific symptoms and signs so that the diagnosis of ATIN is often delayed. The disease may be infection- or drug-induced or it may occur without a known cause. Early recognition and appropriated therapy usually lead to an excellent prognosis. The aim of the study was to describe clinical and laboratory findings and the course of ATIN in 21 patients, that are typical enough to enable early recognition of the disease as it is potentially reversible.
                Between 1986 and 1997 we observed 21 patients, aged 7-16 years (mean, 12.8), with acute tubulointerstitial nephritis, including eight with tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis (TINU syndrome). Laboratory studies included urinalysis, complete blood count, erytrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), plasma creatinine, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), electrolytes, proteins, IgG, C3, C4 antinuclear-antibodies (ANA), antistreptolysin-O and antibodies to hantaviruses. Renal ultrasound was done in all patients. Renal biopsy was performed in 5 children.
                All children had previously been healthy. The symptoms of ATIN developed within a few days (Table 1). The most common initial symptoms were fatigue, fever, gastrointestinal disturbances, anorexia and weight loss. Less common complaints included headache, arthralgias and maculopapular rash. On addmition no patient had hypertension, oedema or evidence of acute infection. ESR, plasma urea and creatinine concentrations were increased in all, plasma proteins and IgG levels in the majority of patients. ANA were negative in 15 pts in whom this analysis was performed; C3 and C4 levels were normal. In two children recent strepococcal and in the other 6 hantavirus infection was serologicaly proved. All patients had non-oliguric acute renal failure (ARF): GFR was 21.7 +/- 8 9 in 14 pts and 67 +/- 9.7 in 7 pts. Low urine specific gravity (1003-1014), mild proteinuria (0.3-0.4 g/24 h), leukocyturia and/or haematuria were found in all patients; glycosuria, aminoaciduria and decreased tubular reaposrption of phosphate (TRP) were found in 12/21, 9/21 and 9/14 patients, respectively. Urine cultures were negative in all children. Renal US demonstrated enlarged hyperechoic kidneys in 11 pts, in remaining 10 pts no abnormalities were found. Renal biopsy, performed in 5 children, confirmed the diagnosis of ATIN. Eight patients subsequently developed anterior uveitis as part of TINU syndrome. Treatment included supportive therapy in all and six patients received prednisolone for 4-8 weeks (40-60 mg/m2/24 h for 10-14 days with subsequent reduction of dose over several weeks). Anterior uveitis was successfully treated with topical steroids. Renal function completely recovered in all patients: GFR (109 +/- 22.6 ml/min) within a mean interval of 47 +/- 33 days, concentration ability within 2-12 (mean 4.5) months.
                Common clinical features of ATIN are non-oliguric acute renal failure of various degrees, signs of tubular dysfunction, proteinuria, haematuria, leukocyturia and absence of hypertension. All our patients had normal blood pressure, non-oliguric renal failure, proteinuria, hypostenuria and abnormal urinary sediment; about half of them had glycosuria and/or other signs of proximal tubular dysfunction. The most important causes of ATIN in children reported in literature are systemic infections and drugs. However, the cause of ATIN in our patients was assessed as being related to infection only in 8 patients and to diclofenac in one. No infection, drug, toxin or other cause could be identified in 4, as well as in 8 pts with TINU syndrome. The prognosis of ATIN in children is considered to be favourable, but some patients may develop chronic renal failure. Renal function completely recovered in all our patients; that is consistent with outcome data from the most reports.
                Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis is an important cause of ARF in children, its aetiology may be different and it carries an excellent prognosis. ATIN should be suspected in a child who presents typical, although non-specific symptoms and signs, associated with lukocyturia and/or microhaematuria, signs of tubular dysfunction and unexplained renal failure. The diagnosis can be verified at renal biopsy. Early recognition of the disease is important to remove possible aetiologic agents and to treat them before chronic lesions are present to avoid long-term renal damage. The purpose of the case-study was to evaluate the efficiency of non-steroid antiinflammatory drugs (NAD) for postoperative analgesia in children after small-scope surgical interventions. Diclofenac, 1 mg/kg per day administered as rectal suppositories or intramuscular injections after initial narcosis, was used for postoperative analgesia in children of the main group; postoperative analgesia made by analgin and promedol in the control group was compared with the former. Forty-seven children and 10 children with identical diseases like groin hernia, varicocele and dropsy of testicular membranes, were respectively in the main and control groups. Clinical examinations and registration of functional parameters were made in patients during certain time periods, i.e. before surgery (in the standing and lying postures) and after surgery (in 20 minutes, as well as in 1, 2, and 3 hours after surgical interventions). The efficiency of postoperative analgesia was evaluated by means of cardiointervalography according to Bayevsky method as well as by a state of central hemodynamics and by clinical examinations, including the visual-analogue 10-point scale and the 0-4 point verbal pain assessment scale. The postoperatively obtained data revealed a pronounced misbalance between the main and control groups, which is indicative of that the application of NAD for preventive and postoperative analgesia in children improves essentially the postoperative course and contributes to a fast rehabilitation of patients. A comparative analysis of the efficiency of postoperative analgesia by the discussed drugs showed that diclofenac possesses a sufficient analgetic activity and is free of any side-effects inherent in narcotic analgetics. The postoperative analgesic efficacy of S(+)-ketamine after caudal or i.v. administration following sub-umbilical surgery in children was studied to investigate its principal site of analgesic action.
                Sixty children undergoing caudal block during general anaesthesia for hernia repair or orchidopexy were prospectively randomized to one of three groups: the bupivicaine group received plain bupivacaine 0.25% 1 ml x kg(-1); the caudal ketamine group received caudal plain bupivacaine 0.25% 1 ml x kg(-1) with S(+)-ketamine 0.5 mg x kg(-1); the i.v. ketamine group received caudal plain bupivacaine 0.25% 1 ml x kg(-1) plus S(+)-ketamine 0.5 mg x kg(-1) i.v. Postoperative measurements included analgesic requirements and modified objective pain score for the first 24 h.
                The median time to first analgesia was significantly longer in the caudal ketamine group (10 h) than in the i.v. ketamine (4.63 h) or bupivacaine (4.75 h) groups (P=0.01). Significantly fewer doses of analgesia were required over the first postoperative 24 h by subjects in the caudal ketamine group (median 1) compared with the i.v. ketamine (median 2) or bupivacaine (median 2.5) groups (P<0.05). There was no difference between the groups in the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting or psychomotor reactions.
                We have demonstrated that the addition of caudal S(+)-ketamine to bupivacaine prolongs the duration of postoperative analgesia. However, the same dose of i.v. S(+)-ketamine combined with a plain bupivacaine caudal provides no better analgesia than caudal bupivacaine alone, indicating that the principal analgesic effect of caudal S(+)-ketamine results from a local neuroaxial rather than a systemic effect. We conducted a prospective, randomized study to compare the efficacy of preoperative diclofenac, flurbiprofen, and clonidine, given alone, as well as the combination of diclofenac and clonidine, and flurbiprofen and clonidine in controlling postoperative pain in 125 children. The patients (ASA I, 2-12 years) undergoing elective ophthalmological surgery were allocated to one of five groups: rectal diclofenac 2 mg.kg(-1) following oral placebo premedication, i. v. flurbiprofen 1 mg.kg(-1) following placebo premedication, oral clonidine premedication, rectal diclofenac 2 mg.kg(-1) following clonidine, and i.v. flurbiprofen 1 mg.kg(-1) following clonidine. The children received clonidine (4 microg.kg(-1)) or placebo 105 min before anaesthesia. Diclofenac or flurbiprofen was given immediately after induction of anaesthesia. Anaesthesia was induced and maintained with sevoflurane and nitrous oxide in oxygen. Postoperative pain was assessed by a blinded observer using a modified objective pain scale (OPS). No opioids were administered throughout the study. Rectal diclofenac 2 mg.kg(-1) i.v. flurbiprofen 1 mg.kg(-1), oral clonidine 4 microg.kg(-1) provided similar OPS scores and requirement for supplementary analgesics during 12 h after surgery. Combination of oral clonidine and one of these nonsteroidal analgesics minimized postoperative pain. Our findings suggest that this combined regimen may be a promising prophylactic approach to postoperative pain control in children undergoing ophthalmological surgery. We compared the effects of rectally administered diclofenac (12.5 mg) with paracetamol (125 mg) on pre- and postoperative behaviour and the need for supplementary analgesia in 44 children scheduled for adenoidectomy (with or without myringotomy). The study drugs were given in combination with diazepam (0.5 mg.kg-1) about 20 min before the children were taken to the operating theatre. On arrival there, the children who had received diclofenac were significantly quieter (< 0.05), easier to handle (p < 0.01) and cried less (p < 0.05) than those in the paracetamol group. During recovery, children in the diclofenac group needed fewer supplementary doses of intravenous pethidine than those receiving paracetamol (p < 0.001). There were no obvious differences between the groups in intra-operative bleeding (as estimated by the surgeon), or in measured blood loss. No postoperative complications became evident. The pre-operative rectal administration of diclofenac for pain relief after adenotomy is safe and effective. Extra-meningeal and non-cutaneous manifestations of meningococcal infection are well recognized but rare. Herein we report a little recognized complication of meningococcaemia, namely late-onset gastrointestinal vasculitis. In the case presented, the prostacycline analogue iloprost was used in an attempt to minimize incipient digital gangrene ina patient with evidence of protracted immunological phenomena. In addition, diclofenac was used to treat severe arthralgia. Withdrawal of iloprost on day 19 was associated with abdominal pain and peritonism. Laparotomy demonstrated ischaemia and ulceration in the caecum, and histology revealed full thickness mucosal ulceration with a prominent vasculitic process. It is postulated that these findings were immunologically mediated, with possible rebound vasoconstriction following withdrawal of iloprost. It is also possible that NSAID use contributed to the findings via cyto-toxicity to mucosal cells.
                Copyright 2000 The British Infection Society. A seven-year-old girl received intramuscular injection of diclofenac for symptomatic treatment of her fever. Aseptic tissue necrosis occurred around the injection site. Although there was no sequela left after wound care and surgical interventions, unwanted morbidity had resulted. Fever is just a symptom but not a disease itself. We should work more aggressively to evaluate the potential infection rather than treat the fever only. If it is necessary to lower the body temperature, external cooling, oral medication would suffice. Suppository is reserved for children when oral intake is not possible, and injection should be the last resort. We investigated the analgesic effect of intra-operative intravenous diclofenac in a randomized, double blind placebo-controlled paralled group study after adenoidectomy in 150 children aged 1-7 years. A standard anaesthetic method was used and all children received oral diazepam as premedication. Anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone and maintained with halothane and nitrous oxide in oxygen with controlled ventilation. Children in the diclofenac group received 1 mg/kg i.v. after induction of anaesthesia followed by an infusion of diclofenac 1 mg/kg over 2 hours. Children in the placebo group received 0.9% saline. At the end of procedure the children were transferred to the recovery room for continuous monitoring of vital signs and assessment of pain. Standard deviation, means, ranges and students' t-test statistics were used for data analysis. Worst pain observed in the recovery room was lower in the diclofenac group both at rest and during swallowing. It was therefore concluded that intravenous diclofenac given intra-operatively has analgesic effect in the immediate post-operative period and it is recommended for small children during adenoidectomy. The authors noticed a marked increase in the incidence of reactionary post-operative haemorrhage after tonsillectomy during the course of 1992. This increase appeared to be related to the introduction of diclofenac as a post-operative analgesic. A retrospective review of casenotes of patients having tonsillectomy under the care of the senior author (P.M.R.) in 1992 revealed that four of the 73 patients (5.5%) receiving diclofenac at induction of anaesthesia suffered reactionary haemorrhage requiring operative control, as compared with two of 293 (0.7%) receiving other analgesics. nan We investigated the effect of preincisional rectal diclofenac on pain scores and postoperative morphine requirements of children undergoing tonsillectomy after remifentanil-propofol anaesthesia in a randomized clinical trial.
                Induction and maintenance of anaesthesia were with remifentanil and propofol. Forty children were randomly assigned into two groups before incision. The diclofenac group (n=20) received diclofenac suppositories (approximately 1 mg x kg(-1)) and the control group (n=20) received no treatment. Following discontinuation of remifentanil, patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with morphine (a loading dose 50 micro g x kg(-1), a background infusion 4 micro g x kg(-1) x h(-1) and a demand dose 20 micro g x kg(-1) with 5-min intervals) was started. We assessed pain score [verbal analogue scales (VAS), 0-10] and sedation level at 5-min intervals and recorded the total morphine consumption of the first hour in the PACU. Patients were discharged to the ward with a new PCA morphine programme (a demand dose 20 micro g.kg-1 with a lockout time of 30 min, for 4 h), and total morphine consumption was recorded.
                The mean VAS score of the diclofenac group was significantly lower than the control group on arrival in the PACU (2.85 +/- 0.77, 7.60 +/- 0.83, respectively, P < 0.01) and it remained significantly lower in the PACU stay of the children. The mean total morphine consumption of the diclofenac group was less than the control group in the PACU (130.33 +/- 11.26 and 169.92 +/- 9.22, respectively, P=0.012) and the ward (50.80 +/- 11.38 and 87.77 +/- 10.55, respectively, P=0.021).
                Preemptive diclofenac given rectally reduced pain intensity and morphine requirements of children anaesthetized with remifentanil for tonsillectomy. The purpose of this pilot study was to compare the effects of sublingual morphine with intravenous morphine in the treatment of postoperative pain following adenotonsillectomy in children. Twenty-nine children scheduled for adenotonsillectomy were randomly assigned to group 1 (n=14) receiving 0.1 mg x kg(-1) sublingual morphine and group 2 (n=15) 0.1 mg x kg(-1) intravenous morphine followed by 1 mg x kg(-1) diclofenac rectally in both groups after induction of anaesthesia. Postoperatively, time to first eye opening, sedation score, pain score, time for further analgesia requests and incidence of nausea and vomiting were recorded. There was no statistical significant difference in any of these parameters between the two groups. The results suggest that sublingual morphine may be a suitable alternative to various other routes of opioid administration in children, but further investigations of the sublingual route of administration of opioids in children are required. We studied 80 children, aged 5-13 yr, who received PCA with morphine after appendicectomy using a standardized tracheal general anaesthetic. All patients received morphine 0.1 mg kg-1 before surgical incision and all had wound infiltration with bupivacaine 1 mg kg-1 at the end of surgery. Patients were allocated randomly to receive postoperative analgesia with PCA morphine alone, morphine plus diclofenac 1 mg kg-1, morphine plus paracetamol 15-20 mg kg-1 or morphine plus a combination of both diclofenac and paracetamol. Cumulative morphine consumption was significantly reduced by concurrent administration of diclofenac but no additive effect of paracetamol was demonstrable with the doses used in the study. Analgesia, as assessed by movement pain scoring, was significantly improved by the addition of diclofenac despite lower morphine consumption. Adverse effects and duration of PCA were comparable in the four groups. This is a prospective randomized double-blind trial conducted to determine whether preoperative orally administered clonidine causes or potentiates postoperative vomiting in 140 children (3-12 yr) undergoing strabismus surgery. They were all inpatients and classified randomly into four groups (n = 35 each); placebo (control), diazepam 0.4 mg.kg-1, clonidine 2 micrograms.kg-1, and clonidine 4 micrograms.kg-1. These agents were administered 93-112 min (mean; 100 min) before the anticipated time of induction of anaesthesia. All children received inhalational anaesthesia with halothane and nitrous oxide in oxygen. Muscle relaxation in all patients was obtained with vecuronium and residual neuromuscular blockade was antagonized with neostigmine and atropine before tracheal extubation. Diclofenac suppository was prescribed to prevent postoperative pain. No opioids or postoperative antiemetics were administered. All children remained in hospital for two days postoperatively. The incidence and frequency of vomiting were compared in the groups with Kruskall-Wallis Rank test. Clonidine 4 micrograms.kg-1 caused a lower incidence and frequency of vomiting than did placebo and diazepam (incidence and frequency: 11% and 1.37% and 3, and 34% and 2 in clonidine 4 micrograms.kg-1, placebo, and diazepam, respectively; P < 0.05 for clonidine 4 micrograms.kg-1 vs placebo and diazepam). However, low-dose clonidine was ineffective. These data suggest that preanaesthetic medication with clonidine 4 micrograms.kg-1 may be useful for preventing emesis following strabismus surgery. This property of clonidine indicates that it may be superior to other sedative premedicants such as diazepam and midazolam. Postoperative conditions in hospital and at home were evaluated in 200 paediatric daycase patients by using questionnaires and telephone interviews. Pain was assessed by behaviour observation or a faces rating scale depending on age. Anaesthetic methods, nausea/vomiting, analgesics and parents' aspects were also recorded. Seventy per cent of the patients received regional anaesthesia. Immediate postoperative analgesia was satisfactory in 75% of the children. When the effects of intraoperatively administered analgesics wore off at home almost half the children rated higher than mild pain. The increased degree of pain at home was especially pronounced after regional anaesthesia. The total incidence of nausea/vomiting was 28% and fentanyl caused nausea and vomiting in a significantly higher proportion of cases. The study points out that immediate postoperative comfort obtained by prophylactic analgesia needs to be followed by analgesics given on a continuous basis for the first days after surgery. Analgesia-based sedation techniques are becoming more established in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. The aim of this study was to compare remifentanil and fentanyl infusions for postoperative analgesia in pediatric ICU patients.
                After receiving ethical committee approval, a prospective randomized, double-blind study was performed. Twenty-two postoperative orthopedic surgery patients received either remifentanil 0.1 microg.kg(-1).min(-1) or fentanyl 0.025 microg.kg(-1).min(-1) infusions diluted to the same volume. Analgesic infusion was titrated to predefined levels of analgesia [behavioral pain scale (BPS) score of 3]. Propofol was added if sedation was unsatisfactory after BPS score 3 had been achieved.
                There were no differences in groups regarding demographics, tracheal extubation times, and pain scores of the patients. After cessation of the opioid infusion, the sedation scores and the heart rates were always higher in the remifentanil group compared with the fentanyl group. The incidences of nausea, vomiting, apnea, desaturation, reintubation within 24 h and constipation were also similar between the two groups.
                We conclude that a remifentanil infusion provides clinically comparable analgesia with a fentanyl infusion in mechanically ventilated postoperative pediatric patients. These two drugs are suitable for short-term analgesia-based sedation in pediatric postoperative ICU patients. Both caudal anaesthesia and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been used in the management of postoperative pain in children. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the combination of caudal analgesia and rectally administered diclofenac in the treatment of pain following minor surgery in children. Thirty-nine, ASA grade 1 or 2, children undergoing inguinal or penoscrotal surgery were randomly assigned to receive either a caudal block using 0.125% bupivacaine with adrenaline or a similar caudal block in combination with rectally administered diclofenac 1 mg.kg-1. Children given a caudal block alone were more likely to need analgesia in the first 24 h postoperatively. It would appear that the combination of a caudal block and rectal diclofenac in children undergoing minor lower abdominal surgery reduces the need for subsequent analgesia. Kartagener's syndrome (KGS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the clinical triad of bronchiectasis, sinusitis and dextrocardia (situs inversus). Reports of general anaesthesia in a child with KGS are rare in medical literature. We describe the case of a young boy who underwent lobectomy under general anaesthesia using a single lumen tube. Anaesthetic implications of this syndrome are mentioned. Key points in the management of anaesthesia in KGS are discussed. In order to establish an effective drug regimen, we compared the analgesic efficacy of oral diclofenac and high-dose acetaminophen on pain after tonsillectomy.
                In this randomised, double-blind study 48 children, 5 to 15 years of age, following tonsillectomy were assigned to receive either diclofenac 2-3 mg kg(-1) 24 h(-1) (n=24) or acetaminophen 90 mg kg(-1) 24 h(-1) (n=24) for the first three days after surgery. Postoperative pain was assessed by self-report each day before scheduled medication at 7 h, 12 h, 18 h and 23 h.
                The number of children rating severe pain was high in both the diclofenac group, 5-50%, and in the acetaminophen group, 12-58% during the three day study period. Pain scores in the diclofenac group were only significantly lower at 12 h on day 1-3 compared to pain scores in the acetaminophen group (P<0.05). None of the children in the diclofenac group experienced any episodes of nausea/vomiting compared to 9 children in the acetaminophen group on day 1. The incidences of nausea/vomiting increased with pain (P<0.05). None of the 48 children experienced any episodes of bleeding.
                This study indicates that diclofenac was no more effective than high-dose acetaminophen (90 mg vs. 60 mg kg(-1) 24 h(-1)) for analgesia, but resulted in a lower incidence of nausea and vomiting in patients following tonsillectomy. To compare two techniques for pediatric tonsil surgery with respect to pain and postoperative morbidity. The two methods were the partial tonsil resection using radiofrequency (RF) technique (tonsillotomy [TT]) versus traditional tonsillectomy (TE).
                Prospective clinical randomized study in one tertiary care ENT clinic and two secondary care clinics.
                One hundred fifty children, between 5 and 15 years of age, were randomized to either TT with RF using the Surgitron Ellman, 1.7 MHz, or regular TE. Randomization was performed from the waiting list, including children with both a history of obstructive problems and recurrent tonsillitis. The TT was performed with a specially made sling electrode using a cut/coagulation mode.
                Forty-nine children were operated on with TT and 43 with TE. There was significantly less bleeding in the TT group, although two cases of primary postoperative bleeding occurred among the TT children and one in the TE group. The pain recordings showed significantly less pain for the TT children from the second hour postoperatively onward, and the TT children were pain free and in school 3 days earlier than the TE group. The TT group had less need of the prescribed drugs (diclofenac and paracetamol). After 9 days, 73% of the TT children were completely healed, but only 31% of the TE children. By that time, the TE children had lost a mean of 660 g, and the TT children had gained 127 g. The effect on snoring was the same for both groups.
                RF appears to be a safe and reliable method for tonsil surgery with much less postoperative morbidity than regular TE. Nausea, vomiting and pain are common complications after strabismus surgery in children. Diclofenac, a non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug, is widely used to treat acute and chronic pain but there are few reports of its use given rectally in children undergoing strabismus surgery. This open randomised study was designed to investigate the analgesic and anti-emetic properties of rectally administered diclofenac compared with opioid (morphine) given i.v. in connection with strabismus surgery in children.
                After obtaining approval from the local ethics committee and written informed consent from the parents, 50 ASA class I-II children, 4-16 years of age, were randomised to receive either rectally administered diclofenac (Voltaren) 1 mg/kg or i.v. opioid (morphine) 0.05 mg/kg perioperatively. The children were consecutively operated upon from May 1999 to January 2001. Anaesthesia was induced with fentanyl and propofol and maintained with propofol. Nitrous oxide was omitted. The postoperative pain was assessed after arrival at the post anaesthesia care unit (PACU) by using the validated Wong and Baker scale (FACES) Pain Rating Scale. Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) was assessed by measuring the frequency of vomiting and the degree of nausea.
                In the diclofenac group the incidence of PONV during the first 24 h was 12% (of which one child had severe vomiting). The incidence of PONV was much higher, 72% (P = 0.0000), in the morphine group, where 56% of the children also had severe vomiting. There were no difference in pain score between the two groups. Recovery time at the PACU was longer (P < 0.002) and the postoperative analgesic requirement higher in the morphine group (10 vs. 5 children). No children needed overnight admission to the hospital.
                Diclofenac given rectally is an effective analgesic for this kind of surgery and gives less postoperative nausea than i.v. morphine. No serious adverse events were observed. Two hundred and fifty children undergoing herniotomy or orchidopexy under general anaesthesia were randomly allocated to receive pre-operatively either diclofenac sodium 1 mg.kg-1 given intramuscularly or a caudal injection of bupivacaine 0.25% 1 ml.kg-1 with or without adrenaline or no analgesia. Plasma diclofenac and beta-endorphin concentrations were determined in eight and 21 patients respectively. Postoperative pain was assessed by ward nurses who were blinded to the group allocation. Comparison with the control group showed diclofenac to be an effective analgesic. Caudal bupivacaine provided more pain-free children during the early postoperative hours, but later the need for pethidine as rescue analgesic was lower among the children who had received intramuscular diclofenac. Caudal analgesia abolished the stress-induced increase in plasma beta-endorphin level which was found in the children given diclofenac and in those who served as controls. Total plasma clearance of intramuscular diclofenac sodium appears to be higher in children than in adults. A single intramuscular dose of diclofenac significantly reduces the need for an opioid analgesic in children after inguinal herniotomy or orchidopexy, and owing to its long duration of action, it offers an alternative or complementary method of pain relief to caudal analgesia. nan The effects of three different inhalation anesthetics (sevoflurane, isoflurane and halothane) delivered with oxygen and nitrous oxide during surgery and of postoperative analgesics on degree %% postoperative sedation immediately following removal of the tracheal tube, in the recovery room and thereafter in the surgical ward, were studied in 74 pediatric patients under 12 years of age. They underwent elective surgical procedures including repair of inguinal hernia, orchidopexy, tonsillectomy, repair of cleft lip and certain orthopedic procedures. The degree of postoperative sedation was assessed using a nine-point behavioral scale (sedation score) designed for the rating of postoperative pain in children. There were no significant differences in sedation score or frequency of use of postoperative analgesics at any time of assessment among the three inhalation anesthetics. Thirty-eight percent of the patients received analgesics such as diclofenac and acetaminophen suppositories, and intravenous pentazocine. There were no significant differences in sedation score between the group of patients who received analgesics and the group of those who did not, and many patients had satisfactory sedation scores in the surgical ward, suggesting that appropriate administration of postoperative analgesics is possible. One hundred and ninety-eight children, aged 3 to 12 years, who were scheduled for tonsillectomy were randomly allocated to receive either diclofenac 1.0 mg.kg-1 or papaveretum 0.2 mg.kg-1 by intramuscular injection after induction of anaesthesia. There were no significant differences between the treatment groups in operating theatre blood loss, the frequency of bleeding on the ward, or the need for operative haemostasis. However, the incidence of above average bleeding in the recovery room was significantly higher in the diclofenac group (p < 0.05). Similarly, marked restlessness in the recovery room was more frequent in the diclofenac group (p < 0.01). In both treatment groups there was an association between bleeding and restlessness during recovery so the increased bleeding in the diclofenac group may not be a direct effect. The purpose of the case study was to compare the adequacy of anesthetic management and the specificity of the early postoperative course with preventive analgesia (group 1) and without it (group 2). Preventive analgesia comprised diclofenac, 50-75 mg/kg in intramuscular injections made 1 h before surgery, and microdoses of ketamine, 1.0 mg/kg in intramuscular injections 0.3 mg/kg in intravenous injections as a component of premedication. In as far as the hemodynamic course is concerned, both types of anesthesia were adequate. The main differences were registered in the assessment of the early postoperative period. An earlier awakening was observed in group 1, which we attributed to a more valuable antinociceptive protection and to lower doses of ketamine (group 1--3.2 mg/kg; group 2--4.3 mg/kg). According to the results the preventive analgesia method reduces significantly the postoperative pain and anxiety, which makes the administration of additional analgetics advisable and cuts the child's stay in one-day hospital. nan Because of its pain-attenuating and sedative properties oral ketamine has been used as premedication in children and adults. We wanted to compare in children scheduled for adenoidectomy safety and efficacy of oral ketamine with a premedication that causes similar preoperative sedation and relief of pain at the venepuncture site. We also evaluated the effect of i.v. glycopyrrolate added to these combinations.
                One hundred children between 10 and 15 kg of body weight scheduled for day-case adenoidectomy were randomly assigned to one of four groups: groups DG and DS received diclofenac 12.5 mg and diazepam 0.5 mg/kg rectally, EMLA cream at the venepuncture site, and placebo orally; groups KG and KS received ketamine 6.0 mg/kg orally, placebo cream at the puncture site, and placebo rectally; additionally, groups DG and KG received glycopyrrolate 5 microg/kg, and groups DS and KS received placebo intravenously. We recorded perioperatively scores (open scale 1-9) for stridor, sedation, bleeding, nausea, pain, heart rate, the need for analgesics and registered psychotomimesis and well-being at home.
                The children of the K-groups became more tearful during separation from their parents (P=0.0072). No other differences were found between the ketamine and diazepam/diclofenac groups before and after premedication until induction of anaesthesia. Oral ketamine produced unpleasant psychotomimesis in four out of 59 children. During the first 10 min postoperatively, the score for stridor was significantly higher in group KS than in the D-groups; stridor scores > or = 6 were seen in one child of the D-groups (DS) and in six children of the K-groups (n.s.), of whom three developed laryngospasm (one reintubation). Glycopyrrolate diminished salivation in all groups, but had no effect on stridor scores. Additionally, glycopyrrolate delayed the onset of eating at home.
                Premedication with racemic oral ketamine 6 mg/kg does not seem to be suitable for upper airway procedures. Addition of i.v. glycopyrrolate before the induction of anaesthesia significantly reduced the scores for salivation. Tonsillectomies have been performed on a same-day basis in Coventry for the past three years. We report our experience with this technique which has gradually evolved over the last ten years. The procedure is described in detail and the results of the first two years have been analysed. In common with the experience of others, it is possible to perform tonsillectomies safely on a same-day basis. Data concerning metabolism of diclofenac in children are limited to intravenous and enteric coated oral formulations. There are no data examining diclofenac or its hydroxyl metabolite pharmacokinetics after rectal administration in children.
                Infants (n = 26) undergoing tonsillectomy were given diclofenac 2 mg.kg(-1) followed by 1 mg.kg(-1) 8 h as suppository formulation for postoperative analgesia. Serum was assayed for diclofenac, 4'-hydroxydiclofenac and 5'-hydroxydiclofenac concentrations during the procedure and 1, 2 and 4 h postoperatively. The formation clearances of diclofenac to hydroxyl metabolites were estimated using nonlinear mixed effects models. A single compartment, first order absorption and first order elimination model was used to describe diclofenac pharmacokinetics. Published data from 11 children given enteric-coated diclofenac tablets were used to assess relative bioavailability.
                Mean (sd) age and weight of the patients were 4.5 (1.5) years and 20.5 (4.1) kg. The formation clearance to 4'-hydroxydiclofenac (% CV) and to 5'-hydroxydiclofenac were 8.41 (8.1) and 3.41 (113) l.h(-1) respectively, standardized to a 70 kg person using allometric '1/4 power' models. Clearance by other routes contributed 33.0 (64) l.h(-1) 70 kg(-1). Elimination clearance of hydroxyl metabolites was fixed at 27.5 l.h(-1) 70 kg(-1). The volumes of distribution of parent diclofenac and its hydroxyl metabolite were 22.8 (19.0) and 45.3 (l.70) kg(-1). The suppository formulation had an absorption half-life of 0.613 (33.2) h with a lag time of 0.188 (24.9) h. Interoccasion variability of formation clearance to 4'-hydroxydiclofenac, diclofenac volume of distribution, absorption half-time and lag time for the suppository was 36%, 55%, 14% and 119%, respectively. The relative bioavailability of the suppository compared with an enteric-coated tablet was 1.26.
                The formation clearance of the active metabolite 4'-hydroxydiclofenac contributed 19% of total clearance (44.82 l.h(-1) 70 kg(-1)). The rectum is a suitable route for administration of diclofenac in children 2-8 year of age and was associated with a higher relative bioavailabilty than enteric-coated tablets and an earlier maximum concentration (50 vs. 108 min). This pharmacokinetic profile renders diclofenac suppository a suitable formulation for short duration surgery. In a randomized double-blind study 60 children, undergoing the extraction of carious deciduous teeth under day-case general anaesthesia, were assigned to receive either intravenous nalbuphine hydrochloride 0.3 mg kg-1 (n = 21), one or more diclofenac suppositories 12.5 mg to a dose of 1-2 mg kg-1 (n = 19), or no analgesia (n = 20). The duration of anaesthesia was longer in the diclofenac group (9.6 min, SD 3.5) compared with control (7.2 min, SD 2.6) and nalbuphine (6.9 min, SD 3.0) groups respectively (P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in post-operative pain scores during the 45 min post-operative period studied between the three groups using an objective pain score. We conclude that using this methodology we were unable to demonstrate any statistically significant differences between the analgesic effects of either intravenous (i.v.) nalbuphine or diclofenac suppositories compared with control. Forty-three children for day case inguinal herniotomy under general anaesthesia were assigned randomly to receive either 1 ml/kg caudal bupivacaine 0.25% or rectal diclofenac 0.25 mg/kg intra-operatively to provide postoperative analgesia. Pain and demeanour were assessed by an observer in the early postoperative period after operation and by questionnaire for the parents over the first 24 hours. Caudal bupivacaine provided more pain-free patients at first but later the incidence of pain was similar in the two treatment groups. Rectal diclofenac is a useful alternative to caudal blockade in this group of patients. To compare the analgesic efficacy of diclofenac sodium and paracetamol on post adenotonsillectomy postoperative pain and oral intake.
                Between January 1999 and July 2000, 80 children aged 3-14 years, underwent tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for either recurrent tonsillitis or adenotonsillar hypertrophy in Prince Zeid Ben Al-Hussein Hospital and Prince Rashid Ben Al-Hussein Hospital. Forty-one children received diclofenac sodium suppositories (1-3mg/kg) postoperatively, whereas 39 children received only paracetamol syrup (10-15 mg/kg) in 4 divided doses. All children were observed for postoperative pain, oral intake, vomiting, temperature and complications.
                Children who received diclofenac sodium had significantly less pain, less elevation of temperature, more oral intake, and started drinking significantly sooner than the paracetamol group. Two children in the diclofenac group experienced nausea and vomiting compared to 12 children in the paracetamol group in the first day. The time to first solid intake was significantly earlier in the diclofenac sodium group (p < 0.0001). With regard to complications, one patient in each group developed secondary hemorrhage, one child developed otitis media in the 2nd group. Each group had one readmission, and 2 children from the paracetamol group had an emergency department visit for pain and dehydration.
                Diclofenac sodium has a significant effect on decreasing the pain associated with swallowing postoperatively and on the general condition of the patient. Improved oral intake resulted in a lower incidence of nausea and vomiting and allowed safer and earlier hospital discharge. A controlled investigation was conducted to compare the effectiveness of diclofenac and papaveretum in the prevention of pain and restlessness after tonsillectomy in children. Sixty children between 3 and 13 years of age were randomly allocated to receive rectal diclofenac 2 mg/kg, intramuscular papaveretum 0.2 mg/kg or no medication immediately after induction of anaesthesia. Pain and appearance were assessed 1, 3 and 6 hours postoperatively, and the following morning. The assessments were double-blind and performed by the same observer. No significant differences in postoperative pain were found between the groups at any time. The use of diclofenac was associated with a significantly more rapid return to calm wakefulness and had significantly less effect upon respiratory rate. Consumption of paracetamol on the day of operation was significantly less in the diclofenac group. Diclofenac may offer advantages compared to papaveretum with regard to safety and convenience for use in the treatment of pain after tonsillectomy in children. Codeine analgesia is wholly or mostly due to its metabolism to morphine by the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2D6, which shows significant genetic variation in activity. The aims of this study were to investigate genotype, phenotype and morphine production from codeine in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy, and to compare analgesia from codeine or morphine combined with diclofenac.
                Ninety-six children received either codeine 1.5 mg kg(-1) or morphine 0.15 mg kg(-1) in a randomized, double-blind design. Genetic analysis was performed and plasma morphine concentrations at 1 h were determined. Postoperative analgesia and side-effects were recorded.
                Forty-seven per cent of children had genotypes associated with reduced enzyme activity. Mean (SD) morphine concentrations were significantly lower (P<0.001) after codeine [4.5 (0.3) ng ml(-1)] than after morphine [24.7 (1.5) ng ml(-1)], and morphine and its metabolites were not detected in 36% of children given codeine. There was a significant relationship between phenotype and plasma morphine (P=0.02). More children required rescue analgesia after codeine at both 2 (P<0.05) and 4 h after administration (P<0.01). Fifty-six per cent of children vomited after morphine and 29% after codeine (P<0.01). Neither phenotype nor morphine concentration was correlated with either pain score or the need for rescue analgesia (r=-0.21, 95% confidence interval -0.4, -0.01).
                Reduced ability for codeine metabolism may be more common than previously reported. Plasma morphine concentration 1 h after codeine is very low, and related to phenotype. Codeine analgesia is less reliable than morphine, but was not well correlated with either phenotype or plasma morphine in this study. Forty boys weighing less than 25 kg undergoing unilateral orchidopexy were randomly allocated to receive one of two analgesic regimens. Group C received a caudal epidural block with 0.25% bupivacaine 1 ml.kg-1 and preservative-free ketamine 0.5 mg.kg-1; Group L received an ilioinguinal nerve block with 0.25% bupivacaine 0.5 ml.kg-1 and infiltration of the wound with 0.25% bupivacaine 0.5 ml.kg-1. All subjects received diclofenac sodium 1-2 mg.kg-1 as a rectal suppository. Postoperative pain was assessed by means of a modified Objective Pain Score and analgesia was administered if this exceeded a value of 4. The median duration of analgesia was 10 h (range 2.6 to > 24 h) in Group C and 2.9 h (range 0.7 to > 24 h) in Group L (p < 0.05). There were no differences between groups in the incidence of motor block, urinary retention, postoperative vomiting or postoperative sedation. Subjects in Group L required significantly more doses of postoperative analgesia than those in Group C (p < 0.05). Many studies have been carried out on the effects of anaesthetic drugs and methods on the immune response, but pain and its relief also affect the immune response. We measured systemic immune responses in the blood circulation and local responses in the surgical wound when non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics (NSAIDs), opioids or epidural blockade was used in the peri-operative treatment of pain.
                Responses were measured in 51 children, aged from 2 to 12 years and undergoing major surgery under balanced anaesthesia. Bolus doses of diclofenac intravenously (i.v.) and rectally (NSAID group), continuous i.v. infusion of oxycodone (opioid group) or continuous epidural infusion of bupivacaine + fentanyl (epidural group) were used peri-operatively for pain relief.
                The only difference related to the analgesic method was shorter duration of post-operative leucocytosis and lower phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-induced lymphocyte proliferative responses in peripheral blood in the opioid group than in the NSAID or epidural groups. By contrast, time-related alterations were seen overall in leucocyte and differential counts, lymphocyte and their subset counts, lymphocyte proliferative responses, and in serum cortisol, C-reactive protein, plasma interleukin-6 and group II phospholipase A2 concentrations and in the appearance of different cell types in the wound.
                Post-operative pain treatments using diclofenac (NSAID), oxycodone (opioid) and epidural blockade have basically similar effects on systemic and local immune responses with only slight, probably clinically unimportant differences in children undergoing surgery under general anaesthesia.
                Copyright 2004 Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica The analgesia provided for children is often less than for adults with the same underlying pathology. This paper attempts to quantify the postoperative analgesic requirements of patients undergoing appendicectomy.
                Patients between 6 and 30 years of age who underwent an unscheduled appendicectomy were prospectively recruited. Regular non-opiate analgesia, calculated according to weight, was administered. Hourly visual analogue pain scores and morphine patient controlled analgesia (mPCA) usage were recorded for 24 h following surgery.
                19 children (6-16 years) and 23 adults (17-30 years) were recruited. There was no significant difference in the pain scores following appendicectomy between the two groups. Significantly more mPCA was demanded (t = 2.02, P < 0.02) and morphine received (t = 2.02, P < 0.005) by adults than children following appendicectomy.
                Children appear to require and do demand less analgesia than adults following appendicectomy to maintain similar postoperative pain scores. Acceptable pain scores may be achieved by the administration of regular analgesia to these patients. This prospective study looked at the postoperative hemorrhage risk associated with the use of diclofenac following cleft palate repair.
                Twenty consecutive children (6 months to 9 years of age) requiring repair of the hard or soft palate were included.
                Single per rectum doses of diclofenac were given at 1 mg/kg following cleft palate repair, with additional doses every 12 hours.
                The use of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac, for postoperative analgesia is well established for many types of surgery. The authors find that twice daily diclofenac rectal suppositories provide very good analgesia postcleft palate repair. This, combined with supplemental oral paracetamol, obviates the need for opiates, resulting in alert infants who feed well and are suitable for early discharge. This prospective, randomized, double-blind study compared the analgesic efficacy of oral diclofenac resinate 0.5 mg.kg(-1) with paracetamol 15 mg/kg(-1) for control of postoperative pain in paediatric patients for outpatient bilateral myringotomy and tube insertion. Paracetamol, the most commonly used oral analgesic for paediatric patients, was compared with a new palatable syrup formulation of diclofenac. Sixty-three ASA 1 orA SA 2 children aged one year and above were randomly assigned to receive diclofenac (Group A) or paracetamol (Group B). The study drug was given 30 to 60 minutes before induction of anaesthesia. Anaesthesia was induced with either inhalational sevoflurane or intravenous thiopentone. All subjects received intravenous fentanyl 1 microg/kg(-1) intraoperatively. Postoperative pain was assessed by a blinded observer using the CHEOPS score on eye-opening, and then at 10, 30 and 60 minutes. Children with a CHEOPS score > 7 received further fentanyl 1 microg x kg(-1). The number of cases requiring this "rescue" analgesia was recorded. Both groups were comparable in demographics, induction technique, duration of anaesthesia and time between premedication and induction of anaesthesia. Overall, CHEOPS scores were low for both groups at all times and did not differ between the groups at any time. Twenty per cent of the diclofenac group and 27% of the paracetamol group required rescue analgesia (not statistically significant). The efficacy of diclofenac 0.5 mg x kg(-1) and paracetamol 15 mg x kg(-1) as oral analgesic premedication for BMT was comparable in children receiving an anaesthetic which included intraoperative administration of fentanyl 1 microg x kg(-1). Ketamine efficacy as an analgesic adjuvant has been studied in several clinical settings with conflicting results. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ketamine on spontaneous and swallowing-evoked pain after tonsillectomy.
                Fifty children were randomized to receive premedication with either ketamine 0.1 mg kg(-1) i.m. or placebo given 20 min before induction of a standard general anaesthesia. All children received rectal diclofenac 2 mg kg(-1) and fentanyl 1 micro g kg(-1) i.v. before surgery.
                The ketamine group showed significantly lower pain scores both at rest and on swallowing, with less total paracetamol consumption (P < 0.05) during the 24 h after surgery. Significantly more patients required postoperative morphine titration in the control group (P < 0.05). The time to the first oral intake, and duration of i.v. hydration, were significantly shorter and the quality of oral intake was significantly better in the ketamine group (P < 0.05). There were no differences in the incidence of vomiting or dreaming between the groups.
                Premedication with a small dose of ketamine reduces swallowing-evoked pain after tonsillectomy in children who received an analgesic regimen combining an opioid and a NSAID. Diclofenac sodium 0.5 mg/kg i.v. was given preoperatively to small children (age 4-6 y). Vt and total plasma clearance were higher than in adults but the elimination half-life was similar. Pain control for paediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy remains problematic. Tramadol is reported to be an effective analgesic and to have a side-effect profile similar to morphine, but is currently not licensed for paediatric use in the UK.
                We conducted a prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial in children who were scheduled for elective tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy at the Royal Aberdeen Children Hospital. Following local ethics committee approval and after obtaining a drug exemption certificate from the Medicines Licensing Agency for an unlicensed drug, we recruited 20 patients each into morphine (0.1 mg.kg(-1)), tramadol (1 mg.kg(-1)) and tramadol (2 mg.kg(-1)) groups. These drugs were given as a single injection following induction of anaesthesia. In addition, all patients received diclofenac (1 mg.kg(-1)) rectally. The postoperative pain scores, analgesic requirements, sedation scores, signs of respiratory depression and nausea and vomiting, as well as antiemetic requirements, were noted at 4-h intervals until discharge.
                There were no statistically significant differences in age, weight, type of operation or induction of anaesthesia, 4-h sedation and pain scores and further analgesic requirements. There were no episodes of respiratory depression. Morphine was associated with a significantly higher incidence of vomiting following discharge to the wards (75% versus 40%, P=0.03) compared with both tramadol groups.
                Tramadol has similar analgesic properties, when compared with morphine. The various pharmaceutical presentations and the availability as a noncontrolled substance may make it a useful addition to paediatric anaesthesia if it becomes licensed for paediatric anaesthesia in the UK. nan We hypothesized that increasing duration of inhalation anaesthesia is associated with slower emergence and recovery in children, and that this effect would be less marked with desflurane in comparison with isoflurane.
                Fifty-four infants and children assigned in groups according to age and expected length of operation were prospectively randomized to receive either isoflurane (I) or desflurane (D) for anaesthesia. After standard induction, the anaesthesia was maintained using an age-related 1.0 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) equivalent for either agent in air and oxygen. Local analgesia was used as appropriate. End-tidal volatile agent concentration was recorded until extubation. Clinical evaluation of recovery was made by observers, blinded to group allocation.
                For patients <4 yr of age, the median (95% CI) times in minutes to first movement [5.27 (D), 9.22 (I)], eye opening [9.42(D), 13.3(I)] and extubation [7.18 (D), 12.5 (I)] were significantly shorter (P<0.05) for desflurane. In the group >4 yr of age, the median (95% CI) times in minutes to first movement [4.42 (D), 11.6 (I)], eye opening [8.55(D), 18.0(I)] and extubation [7.08 (D), 16.7 (I)] were significantly shorter (P<0.001) for desflurane. Times to leave recovery were not significantly different for the group <4 yr of age, but were significantly shorter for desflurane in the group >4 yr of age (P<0.01). The isoflurane, but not desflurane, had a time-dependent effect on arousal. There were no significant differences in incidence of airway irritation or emergence delirium between the two agents.
                The rate of recovery in children after exposure to desflurane was faster than those patients receiving isoflurane; recovery from desflurane, but not isoflurane, was relatively unaffected by the duration of anaesthesia. Sixty-one children were randomized to receive one of three methods of analgesia for day case circumcision. Group 1 received a penile block, group 2 received a penile block plus diclofenac suppository and group 3 received a diclofenac suppository alone. CHEOPS pain scoring was performed in the recovery area, one h after awakening and two h after awakening. There was no difference between the groups except in the recovery area when group 3 cried more and had a higher pain score than group 2. Parental follow-up questionnaires for the subsequent two days showed no difference in measured parameters between the groups. Chronic intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been reported to cause side-effects distal to the duodenum. These include strictures, diaphragm-like lesions and perforations of the small and large intestines. This is the first case report on colon perforation occurring in an adolescent (16-year-old girl) after short-term diclofenac intake. Diclofenac sodium was assessed as an analgesic for postoperative pain following paediatric tonsillectomy in a randomised double blind trial. In a comparison made with both a pethidine and a control group diclofenac was shown to be an effective analgesic. No significant difference in analgesic efficacy was demonstrated between the two drugs, although patients who received diclofenac tended to be less drowsy postoperatively than those who received pethidine. There were no significant differences between the two drugs in respect of time to awaken from anaesthesia or incidence of postoperative vomiting. The treatment of postoperative pain in children has been given special attention in the last decades. This study aimed at analyzing postoperative analgesia in children, considering analgesia quality and duration, evaluation methods reliability and the incidence of side effects resulting from different analgesia techniques.
                Participated in this study 100 children, aged 2 to 12 years, allocated in 5 groups of 20 children each, who received, right after anesthesia, the following analgesics: group B, 0.25% bupivacaine with epinephrine (1:400,000) 0.5 to 1 ml kg(-1); group F, 1.5 microg kg(-1) fentanyl; group M, 30 microg kg(-1) morphine; group S, 0.3 microg kg(-1) sufentanil, all by epidural caudal block and group D, who received rectal diclofenac (1 mg kg(-1)). Pain was evaluated by two different methods: one, predominantly behavioral and objective and the other subjective and self-evaluated, during the first 4 hours and then up to the 24th hour. Side effects were observed and treated.
                In the first 4 hours, groups B, F, M and S patients presented similar behavior, with a minimum need for complementary analgesia. In the remaining 20 hours, the longest analgesia duration was seen in group S, which did not differ from groups F and M, but was significantly longer than for groups B and D. Rectal diclofenac has not promoted effective pain relief. There has been a higher incidence of side-effects in group M, which did not differ from group S, but was significantly higher than for groups F, B and D. There has been a positive and significant correlation between both pain scales.
                Spinal opioids are safe and effective for postoperative analgesia in children, but when compared to bupivacaine, there have been no significant differences and a higher incidence of side effects. Rectal diclofenac was not effective as a single analgesic as compared to other techniques. nan We studied 133, ASA I or II children, aged 5-12 years undergoing general anaesthesia for simple dental extractions. Induction and maintenance of anaesthesia were achieved using sevoflurane in nitrous oxide and oxygen. At the end of surgery, patients had swabs soaked in a trial solution placed over the exposed teeth sockets. The bupivacaine group had swabs soaked in bupivacaine 0.25% with epinephrine 1:200 000, the saline group had swabs soaked in saline. Pain scores were recorded on a 4-point scale as follows: 0 = I don't hurt at all; 1 = I hurt a bit; 2 = I hurt a lot; 3 = I hurt the most. Nurse pain assessments and the patient's own scores were recorded at 15 and 30 min following recovery from anaesthesia. The median pain scores (2 at 15 min and 1 at 30 min postoperatively) were the same in both groups. We investigated the efficacy and side-effects of a concept for pain therapy after tonsillectomy in children.
                A total of 100 children aged between 6 and 14 years were treated according to the following protocol for pain therapy after tonsillectomy: after induction of anaesthesia the children received 35-40 mg/kg acetaminophen rectally and 0.1 mg/kg piritramide i.v.. Additionally, boluses of 0.05 mg/kg pitritramide i.v. were allowed in the recovery room and 2 doses of 20 mg/kg acetaminophen were given rectally every 6 h on the day of surgery. On the following day the children received 30 mg/kg acetaminophen 3 times per day and from the second postoperative day onwards 1 mg/kg diclofenac was given 3 times a day. The rescue therapy was 5 mg/kg metamizol orally. The severity of the postoperative pain was evaluated by a visual pain scale (VAS) (0-100), side-effects such as vomiting and postoperative haemorrhage were documented. The Friedman test was used for testing the time course of pain intensity.
                The median of the VAS was 42 on the day of surgery, 35 on the first postoperative day and fell continuously to 10 by the 6th postoperative day. The decrease of pain severity was statistically significant (p <0.05). A rescue therapy was necessary in 6 patients on the day of surgery and in 9 patients on the first postoperative day. 7 patients suffered a postoperative haemorrhage, 4 out of the 7 needed a surgical revision and 2 out of 100 patients vomited.
                We conclude that this protocol for pain therapy after tonsillectomy was effective. The incidence of postoperative haemorrhage and vomiting was low. Both rectal diclofenac and paracetamol are commonly used to treat acute postoperative pain in children but combining them to improve the quality of analgesia is controversial. This study aimed to detect whether the pre-operative combined administration of rectal diclofenac and paracetamol is superior to either drug alone. One hundred and eight patients were randomly assigned to receive either rectal diclofenac 1 mg.kg(-1) or paracetamol 40 mg.kg(-1) or their combination 1 h prior to surgery. In the first 24 h postoperatively, pain was assessed using the Wong and Baker Pain Scale. If the patients experienced a pain score of 2 or more, morphine was given. The total dose of morphine and number of doses required were recorded. Children who received the rectal diclofenac-paracetamol combination experienced a lower pain scale and a decreased need for morphine compared with children receiving each drug alone. In this prospective study techniques for the subcutaneous ring block of the penis and subpubic block of the penis for analgesia after circumcision were compared. Forty-five boys having circumcision as day-case patients were allocated randomly to have either a subcutaneous ring block or a subpubic penile block. The blocks were inserted after induction of anaesthesia but before surgery. Pain scores at 15, 30, 45 and 60 min post-operatively were recorded. Side effects and analgesic requirements in hospital were recorded post-operatively. Analgesia (morphine, paracetamol or diclofenac) was given depending on the pain score. One patient was withdrawn from the study. Four of the 24 boys who had subpubic penile blocks and nine of the 16 boys who had subcutaneous ring blocks were given morphine for post-operative pain (P = 0.015). The surgeons complained about oedematous tissues in three patients, all of whom had had subcutaneous ring blocks. The subpubic penile block provided significantly better analgesia than the subcutaneous ring block of the penis. 127 children scheduled for elective tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy were studied. Anaesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with a volatile agent. At induction the child received either rectal diclofenac 1 mg.kg-1 with or without fentanyl 0.75 microgram.kg-1 i.v., or intravenous tenoxicam 0.4 mg.kg-1 with or without fentanyl 0.75 microgram.kg-1 i.v. Blood loss was measured peroperatively. Nausea and vomiting scores, sedation scores and pain scores were recorded in the recovery room, at one, two, four and eight h postoperatively and at discharge. There were no significant differences in blood loss between the groups or between nausea and vomiting scores. Pain scores in the tenoxicam without fentanyl group were significantly higher in recovery (P < 0.05) than the diclofenac group without fentanyl and both fentanyl groups. This group required supplemental analgesia earlier although this was not significant. The pain scores in the diclofenac with fentanyl group were significantly lower at one h and four h than the group receiving diclofenac alone (P = 0.008 and 0.02 respectively). This study compared the effectiveness and side-effects of intra-operative fentanyl with fentanyl and morphine for elective adenotonsillectomy in a double-blind study, in 60 children randomly allocated to receive either intravenous fentanyl 1 microg x kg(-1) intra-operatively or intramuscular morphine 100 microg x kg(-1) at induction. All children received a standard anaesthetic induction with intravenous fentanyl 1 microg x kg(-1) and propofol 4-5 mg x kg(-1) and maintenance with oxygen, nitrous oxide and isoflurane. Pain scores, emetic episodes and supplemental morphine requirements were recorded for 24 h postoperatively. The overall incidence of postoperative vomiting was high in both groups: 70% in the fentanyl group and 78% in the morphine group. The incidence of postoperative vomiting was lower in the fentanyl group (p < 0.03) in the first 4 h, but similar by 24 h. Children who received morphine at any time in the first 24 h had more median (range) episodes of vomiting [2 (0-7)] than children receiving fentanyl only [l (0-3); p < 0.03]. Administration of rescue anti-emetics, pain scores in recovery and pain scores over the next 24 h were similar between the two groups. Our objective was to compare the recovery characteristics of sevoflurane and halothane for short day-case anaesthesia in a specifically limited age group of children 1-3 yr.
                Eighty unpremedicated children undergoing day-case adenoidectomy were randomly assigned to receive inhalational induction with either sevoflurane 8% or halothane 5% and nitrous oxide in oxygen (70/30) via a face mask. Tracheal intubation was performed without a muscle relaxant. Anaesthesia was continued with the volatile anaesthetic, adjusted to maintain heart rate and blood pressure within +/-20% of initial values. Recovery was evaluated using a modified Aldrete score, a Pain/Discomfort scale and by measuring recovery end-points. A postoperative questionnaire was used to determine the well-being of the child at home until 24 h after discharge.
                Emergence and interaction occurred significantly earlier after sevoflurane than halothane but discharge times were similar. More children in the sevoflurane group achieved full Aldrete scores within the first 30 min after anaesthesia, although this group suffered more discomfort during the first 10 min. The amount of postoperative analgesic administered was higher and the first dose given earlier in the sevoflurane group. Postoperative vomiting was more common with halothane, but side-effects in the two groups were otherwise similar in the recovery room and at home.
                In children 1-3 yr, sevoflurane provided more rapid early recovery but not discharge after anaesthesia of <30-min duration. Apart from more vomiting with halothane and more discomfort during the first 10 min after awakening with sevoflurane, the quality of recovery was similar with the two anaesthestics.