Comparative Evaluation of Clonidine as an Adjunct to Ropivacaine for Caudal Block Anaesthesia in Children Undergoing Sub-Umbilical Surgeries

BACKGROUND Studies suggest that clonidine can improve the duration of analgesia, quality of pain control when used with ropivacaine for caudal blocks in children. This study was designed to understand the effects of caudally administered ropivacaine 0.25 % (1ml/kg) alone and ropivacaine 0.25 % (1ml/kg) with clonidine 2 mcg/kg, in children between 2- 10 years. METHODS Sixty children posted for various sub-umbilical surgical procedures were included after written informed consent and ethics committee approval. Children were randomly divided into 2 groups of 30 each: Group R —ropivacaine 0.25 % 1 ml/kg into caudal epidural space and Group RC—ropivacaine 0.25 % 1 ml/kg and clonidine 2 mcg/kg into caudal epidural space. RESULTS The mean age of patients was similar with no statistical difference (4.83 vs 5.36, P = 0.3353). The duration of anaesthesia was significantly longer in the RC group (544.83 minutes vs 268.00 minutes, P < 0.0001). The effect size was very high (Cohen d=23.86). The pain score was comparable up to 1 hour for the two groups. But 2 hours later, the pain scores were significantly lower for the ropivacaine and clonidine groups. The effect on motor blockade was similar in both groups with no motor blockade at 4 hours follow up. 5 cases of urinary retention were seen in the study with no statistically significant difference in terms of complication rate between the two groups. No case of hypotension or bradycardia was seen. There was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of cardiovascular parameters (HR, SBP, DBP) after administration of drugs. CONCLUSIONS The addition of clonidine to ropivacaine for caudal blocks in children was associated with better quality of pain control and a longer duration of analgesia without any additional motor blockade. There was no significant difference seen in terms of complication. KEY WORDS Analgesia Duration, Caudal Analgesia, Clonidine, Pain Control, Ropivacaine.