• Marco Gemma, Lucia Oriella Piccioni, Luigi Gioia, Luigi Beretta, and Mario Bussi.
• Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit for Head and Neck Surgery, Scientific Institute Hospital S. Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
• Ann Oto Rhinol Laryn. 2009 Mar 1;118(3):227-31.

ObjectivesOur randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluates the possible benefit of peritonsillar infiltration with 0.75% ropivacaine hydrochloride on the pain level after adenotonsillectomy in 3- to 7-year-old children.MethodsWe randomly administered intraoperative peritonsillar infiltration with 0.2 mL/kg ropivacaine 0.75% (group R) or 0.2 mL/kg saline 0.9% (group F) to sixty 3- to 7-year-old children (ASA 1 or 2) who were undergoing adenotonsillectomy. Postoperative pain was assessed 6 and 24 hours after surgery by a 6-face Faces Pain Scale that allowed quantification of pain on a 100-mm horizontal line (0 = no pain). The number of rectal doses of acetaminophen-codeine required during the first postoperative day was recorded.ResultsThe pain scores did not differ between the groups, either 6 or 24 hours after surgery (group F, 43 +/- 26, versus group R, 29 +/- 23, and group F, 24 +/- 23, versus group R, 30 +/- 28, respectively). Acetaminophen-codeine doses were similarly required in the two groups.ConclusionsPeritonsillar infiltration with 0.75% ropivacaine does not provide any major postoperative analgesic effect in 3- to 7-year-old children after adenotonsillectomy. A possible clinically minor analgesia 6 hours after surgery is suggested.

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