Caudal catheter placement for repeated epidural morphine doses after neonatal upper abdominal surgery
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Anthony M-H Ho; Emma Torbicki; Andrea L Winthrop; Mila Kolar; Julie E Zalan; Gillian MacLean; Glenio B Mizubuti
- Source
- Anaesthesia and Intensive Care. 50:141-145
- Subject
- Analgesia, Epidural
Analgesics, Opioid
Pain, Postoperative
Catheters
Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
Morphine
Infant, Newborn
Humans
Infant
Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine
- Language
- ISSN
- 1448-0271
0310-057X
Effective pain control after major surgery in neonates presents many challenges. Parenteral opioids (and co-analgesics) are often used but inadequate analgesia and oversedation are not uncommon. Although continuous thoracic epidural analgesia is highly effective and opioid-sparing, its associated risks and the need for staff with specialised skills and/or neonatal intensive care unit staff buy-in may preclude this option even in many academic centres. We present the case of a six-day-old infant who underwent upper abdominal surgery and received intermittent morphine doses via a tunnelled caudal epidural catheter, which provided satisfactory analgesia and facilitated early extubation.