Transversus abdominis plane block for postoperative analgesia in neonates and young infants: retrospective analysis of a case series

Background The effectiveness of the TAP block in children has been well characterized in literature. However, there are only few reports about TAP block in the neonates and low birth weight groups. This is a retrospective observational analysis of ultrasound - assisted TAP blocks in neonates and young infants. The aim of this study to analyze retrospectively the analgesic effectiveness of TAP block in neonates and infants undergoing abdominal and inguinal surgeries. Methods Thirty-four cases of neonates and infants with (whom) applied TAP block were retrospectively analyzed. The TAP block was performed postoperatively in supraumbilical surgeries and preoperatively in infraumbilical surgeries. The TAP block was applied with 0.8 ml/kg-1 of 0.25% bupivacaine in unilateral approach and 1.6 mlkg-1 of 0.125% bupivacaine in bilateral approach. The CRIES Pain Scale was used for postoperative pain measurement of neonates. Results The patient's age ranged from 2 to 88 day-old with a mean (SD) of 36.2(24.2). Eleven of them were premature babies. The weight ranged from 1.6 to 5.8 with a mean (SD) of 3.7kg (1.1). Twenty-nine patients were extubated at the end of the surgery and the other patients within 12 hours. 67.7% infants required no additional postoperative analgesic in 24 hours and none of them required narcotic analgesics. Conclusions Our conclusion is that the use of TAP blocks results in low analgesic requirements and a low incidence of postoperative intubation and mechanical ventilation in neonates and infants. It should be considered in this age group of child for postoperative analgesia.