Ultrasonography-guided rectus sheath block in paediatric anaesthesia--a new approach to an old technique.

Background: The purpose of this study was an anatomical and clinical evaluation of ultrasonography-guided rectus sheath blocks in children.

Method: A total of 30 children were included in the sono-anatomical part of the study. The depth of the anterior and posterior rectus sheath was evaluated with a portable SonSite 180 plus ultrasound machine and a 5-10 MHz linear probe.

Epidural catheter placement in children: comparing a novel approach using ultrasound guidance and a standard loss-of-resistance technique.

Background: We report a prospective, randomized study to evaluate ultrasound guidance for epidural catheter placement in children 0-6 yr of age.

Methods: Epidural catheters were placed at lumbar or thoracic cord levels in 64 children undergoing major surgery, using either ultrasonography or loss-of-resistance (LOR) for guidance. Using a 5-10 MHz linear ultrasound probe, the neuraxial structures were identified, the skin-epidural depth and epidural space was measured, the advancing epidural catheter visualized, and the spread of local anaesthetic verifying catheter position was confirmed.

Ultrasonographic-guided ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve block in pediatric anesthesia: what is the optimal volume?

Recently, our study group demonstrated the usefulness of ultrasonographic guidance in ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve blocks in children. As a consequence, we designed a follow-up study to evaluate the optimal volume of local anesthetic for this regional anesthetic technique. Using a modified step-up-step-down approach, with 10 children in each study group, a starting dose of 0.

Pilot study of neuraxial imaging by ultrasound in infants and children.

Background: Ultrasonography is becoming an important adjunct in regional anesthesia. Epidural anesthesia may pose significant challenges in infants and children because of difficulties in identifying the epidural space. In addition, epidural catheters are sometimes difficult to advance.

Ultrasonography for ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve blocks in children.

Background: The ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve block is a popular regional anaesthetic technique for children undergoing inguinal surgery. The success rate is only 70-80% and complications may occur. A prospective randomized double-blinded study was designed to compare the use of ultrasonography with the conventional ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve block technique.