Bilateral erector spinae plane blocks in children undergoing cardiac surgery: A randomized, controlled study.

Study Objective: We aimed to test the hypothesis that erector spinae plane block (ESPB) provides efficient analgesia and reduces postoperative morphine consumption in children undergoing cardiac surgery with median sternotomy.

Design: A prospective, blinded, randomized, controlled study.

Setting: A tertiary university hospital, operating room and intensive care unit.

Patients: Forty children aged 2-10 years, who underwent cardiac surgery with median sternotomy. The patients were randomly divided into the block group (Group B) and the control group (Group C).

Interventions: Group B (n = 20) were treated with ultrasound-guided bilateral ESPB at the level of the T4-T5 transverse process, whereas no block was administered in Group C (n = 20). In all children, intravenous morphine at 0.05 mg/kg was used whenever the modified objective pain score (MOPS) ≥4 for postoperative analgesia.

Measurements: The MOPS and Ramsay sedation score (RSS) were assessed at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20 and 24 h postoperatively. Total morphine consumption at 24 h, extubation time and length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay was also evaluated and recorded.

Main Results: Bilateral ESPB significantly decreased the consumption of morphine in the first 24 h, postoperatively. During the postoperative 24-h follow-up, 11 children in Group C requested morphine and the cumulative dose of morphine was 0.83 ± 0.91 mg, while 4 children in Group B requested morphine and the cumulative dose of morphine was 0.26 ± 0.59 mg (p = 0.043). There was no significant difference between Groups B and C in terms of MOPS and RSS values, extubation time or length of ICU stay.

Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided bilateral ESPB with bupivacaine provides efficient postoperative analgesia and reduces postoperative morphine consumption at 24 h in children undergoing cardiac surgery.