Research Article: Ultrasound-Guided Occipital Nerve Blocks as Part of Multi-Modal Perioperative Analgesia in Pediatric Posterior Craniotomies: A Case Series
Abstract:
Various regional anesthetics have been used for postoperative analgesia for pediatric craniotomy. In this case series, we report retrospectively collected data on postoperative pain and analgesic use in 44 patients who received ultrasound-guided occipital nerve blocks in addition to intravenous analgesic agents for posterior craniotomy procedures. In the immediate post-anesthesia care unit, pain was rated as zero or well controlled in 77% of patients, with only 43% requiring intravenous or demand patient-controlled analgesia opioids. There were no block-related complications. Occipital nerve blocks may constitute a safe and effective component of multimodal analgesia in this population.
Introduction:
Greater occipital nerve blocks are well described and frequently used in the management of pediatric headache disorders, including those related to prior surgery and trauma [1,2]. Descriptions of their use for intraoperative and postoperative pain have been the subject of prior case reports [3,4] and a recent randomized control trial [5]. In order to determine the feasibility of using regional anesthesia for postoperative pain following posterior cranial surgery, we began performing ultrasound-guided greater…
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