Pediatric dermatology
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Pediatric dermatology · Nov 2001
Dermatosurgery using subcutaneous infusion anesthesia with prilocaine and ropivacaine in children.
Pediatric surgical procedures under local anesthesia have been limited by the pain of injections and, because of low body weight, rapidly reached maximum doses. In subcutaneous infusion anesthesia (SIA) highly diluted local anesthetics are administered by flow- and volume-controlled infusion pumps. This article presents a retrospective review of the use of SIA in children undergoing excision of dermatologic problem lesions. ⋯ No side effects of local anesthesia were observed in these pediatric procedures. The additional use of ropivacaine resulted in prolonged postoperative analgesia. SIA in children is a well-accepted, safe anesthesia that in some cases offers an alternative to general anesthesia.