Ultrasound guided nerve block versus caudal block for post-operative analgesia in children undergoing unilateral groin surgery

Background: Pain is an unpleasant subjective sensation which can only be experienced and not expressed, especially in children. The primary reason to treat or prevent pain is humanitarian. Aim and objectives: To assess Ultrasound Guided Ilioinguinal / Iliohypogastric nerve block versus Caudal block for post-operative analgesia in children undergoing unilateral groin surgery in ASA grade I and II children. Materials and methods: Sixty patients aged between 3-12 years undergoing unilateral groin surgery were included. The objectives of this study were to compare the effects of caudal block and ultrasound guided Ilioinguinal/ Iliohypogstric nerve block in terms of duration of analgesia, quality of analgesia and hemodynamic. Results: The mean age of two groups was comparable with Mean ± SD 4.67 ± 1.4 for B group and Mean ± SD 4.7 ± 1.34 for C group, which was statistically not significant. In the present study, major number of cases came for herniotomy being 47% of total cases in both groups followed by high ligation 27% in US II/IH nerve block,23% in cauadal group, and orchidopexy 27% in II/IH nerve block group and 30% in caudal group. Mean duration of surgery of B group was 28.17±8.56 minutes, and for C group was 29.67±8.60 minutes. The difference between the means was statistically not significant (P>0.05). The baseline, intra operative heart rate changes between two groups were comparable and were statistically not significant and therapeutic interventions were not required. There was no significant difference in quality of analgesia in both groups with P-Value >0.05. Duration of Postoperative analgesia is comparable in both the groups with Mean±SD values being 4.95±0.51 for B group and 4.78±0.49 for C group which is statistically not significant with P- Value being >0.05. Conclusion: Ultrasound guided Ilioinguinal / Iliohypogastric nerve blocks is an ideal procedure for unilateral groin surgeries in children, regarding quality of analgesia with less pain scores and duration of analgesia is comparable with that of caudal block, with lower volume of local anesthetic.