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The pharmacokinetics of caudal ropivacaine 0.2% in children
Author(s) -
Wulf H.,
Peters C.,
Behnke H.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2044.2000.01537.x
Subject(s) - ropivacaine , medicine , pharmacokinetics , anesthesia , bupivacaine , plasma concentration , blockade , receptor
This study evaluates the pharmacokinetics of ropivacaine in children after caudal epidural injection. Twenty male children undergoing inguinal hernia repair were enrolled after ethics committee approval and informed parental consent, and were grouped according to age (10 ‘infants’ aged less than 1 year and 10 ‘toddlers’ aged 1–5 years). After induction of general anaesthesia, caudal epidural injection using ropivacaine 0.2% 1 ml.kg −1 was performed. Plasma concentrations of ropivacaine in the first 2 h after injection were determined by reversed‐phase high‐pressure liquid chromatography. Caudal blockade with ropivacaine 2 mg.ml −1 resulted in mean (SD) peak plasma concentrations of 0.73 [0.27]µg.ml −1 in infants and 0.49 [0.21]µg.ml −1 in toddlers (p < 0.01). Maximum plasma concentrations occurred after a median [range] period of 60 [15–90] min and 52.5 [30–120] min in infants and toddlers, respectively. Two infants (weighing 3.8 and 5.0 kg) showed the highest individual maximum plasma concentrations: 1.31 and 1.11 µg.ml −1 . No clinical signs of local anaesthetic toxicity were observed. The results of the present investigation suggest that, from a pharmacokinetic point of view, caudal blockade using ropivacaine 0.2% 1 ml.kg −1 can be regarded as a safe technique in children, i.e. in infants as well as in toddlers.