• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.31-35
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• 2011

Background: Circumcision is a painful intervention frequently performed in pediatric surgery. We aim to compare the efficacy of caudal block versus dorsal penile block (DPNB) under general anesthesia for children undergoing circumcision. Methods: This study was performed between July 1, 2009 and October 16, 2009. Fifty male children American Society of Anesthesiolgists physical status classification I, aged between 3 and 12 were included in this randomized, prospective, comparative study. Anesthetic techniques were standardized for all children. Patients were randomized into 2 groups. Using 0.25% 0.5 ml/kg levobupivacain, we performed DPNB for Group 1 and caudal block for Group 2. Postoperative analgesia was evaluated for six hours with the Flacc Pain Scale for five categories; (F) Face, (L) Legs, (A) Activity, (C) Cry, and (C) Consolability. For every child, supplemental analgesic amounts, times, and probable local or systemic complications were recorded. Results: No significant difference between the groups (P > 0.05) was found in mean age, body weight, anesthesia duration, FLACC pain, and sedation scores (P > 0.05). However, on subsequent measurements, a significant decrease of pain and sedation scores was noted in both the DPNB group and the caudal block group (P < 0.001). No major complication was found when using either technique. Conclusions: DPNB and caudal block provided similar postoperative analgesic effects without major complications for children under general anesthesia.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.127-131
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• 1990

Pediatric caudal anesthesia was done in 50 infants and children under 10 years of age, who were to undergo surgery of inguinal region. All cases were given 10mg/kg body weight of 1% lidocaine solution with epinephrine 1:200,000. The results were as follows : 1) Pediatric caudal anesthesia was simple, easy and reliable in technique. 2) Additional intravenous administration of Ketamine or pentothal sodium was needed. ie, to provide a more cooperative state. 3) Anesthetic effect was judged very Excellent. 4) Cardiovascular and respiratory changes were minimal. Author's came to conclusion that caudal anesthesia for pediatric inguinal region surgery is reliable, simple in technique, favorable to surgeon, and is considered to be a good technique for pediatric anesthesia.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.134-137
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• 1997

We report a case of cauda equine syndrome following caudal anesthesia possibly caused by metastatic spine tumor. Male, 80-year-old, who had prostatic carcinoma with $L_3$ and $L_4$ spine metastasis was scheduled for bilateral orchiectomy. Twenty two-gauge needle was introduced at sacral hiatus and 15 ml of 2% lidocaine administered. The next morning, patient complained of perineal numbness and urination difficulty. During the next several day patient had episodes of fecal incontinence and motor weakness on both lower extremities. This case reminded us that neuroaxial blocks such as spinal, epidural and caudal anesthesia, should be used with extreme care in patients having neoplasm with high incidence of spine metastasis.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.206-214
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• 2018

Background: Immune responses appear to be affected by anesthetics and analgesics. We investigated the effects of caudal tramadol on the postoperative immune response and pain management in pediatric patients. Methods: Sixty ASA-I pediatric patients aged 3-10 years undergoing lower abdominal surgery. Patients were randomly assigned either to a caudal bupivacaine (0.25%) group (group B), or a group that received caudal tramadol (1 mg/kg) added to the bupivacaine (0.25%) (group T). Both were diluted in a 0.9% NaCl solution to a total volume of 1ml/ kg. The systemic immune response was measured by collecting blood samples preoperatively, at the end of anesthesia, and at 24 and 72 hours postoperatively, and studied for interleukin IL-6, C-reactive proteins (CRP) cortisol levels, and leucocytes with its differential count. Postoperative pain was assessed along with sedation scales. Results: Postoperative production of IL-6 was significantly higher in group B at the end of anesthesia, than at the $24^{th}$ hour, and at the $72^{nd}$ hour in group B and group T, respectively. The immune response showed leukocytosis with increased percentages of neutrophil and monocytes, and a decreased lymphocyte response rate within both groups with no significant differences between the groups. Cortisol and CRP were significantly higher in group B. Conclusions: Adding tramadol to a caudal bupivacaine block can attenuate the pro-inflammatory cytokine response, Cortisol, and CRP in children undergoing lower abdominal surgery.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.305-306
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• 2018

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.122-128
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• 2015

Background: Caudal epidural injections have been commonly performed in patients with low back pain and radiculopathy. Although caudal injection has generally been accepted as a safe procedure, serious complications such as inadvertent intravascular injection and dural puncture can occur. The present prospective study was designed to investigate the influence of the depth of the inserted needle on the success rate of caudal epidural blocks. Methods: A total of 49 adults scheduled to receive caudal epidural injections were randomly divided into 2 groups: Group 1 to receive the caudal injection through a conventional method, i.e., caudal injection after advancement of the needle 1 cm into the sacral canal (n = 25), and Group 2 to receive the injection through a new method, i.e., injection right after penetrating the sacrococcygeal ligament (n = 24). Ultrasound was used to identify the sacral hiatus and to achieve accurate needle placement according to the allocated groups. Contrast dyed fluoroscopy was obtained to evaluate the epidural spread of injected materials and to monitor the possible complications. Results: The success rates of the caudal injections were 68.0% in Group 1 and 95.8% in Group 2 (P = 0.023). The incidences of intravascular injections were 24.0% in Group 1 and 0% in Group 2 (P = 0.022). No intrathecal injection was found in either of the two groups. Conclusions: The new caudal epidural injection technique tested in this study is a reliable alternative, with a higher success rate and lower risk of accidental intravascular injection than the conventional technique.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.145-150
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• 1996

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of ilioinguinal-hypogastric nerve blocks(IHNB) and caudal block in producing post-orchiopexy and post-heniorrhaphy analgesia in children. Forty consenting healthy children, ages 3~10yr, were randomly assigned to receive caudal bupitvacaine (0.125%, 0.5ml/kg), or IHNB bupivacaine (0.25%, 0.3 ml/kg). Blocks were performed following the induction of general anesthesia, be fore the operation. Pre-anesthetic medication in form of atropine 0.01 mg/kg, droperidol 0.05 mg/kg were given intramuscularly one hour before induction to 40 children. Children were induced with thiopental sodium 5 mg/kg and succinylcholine 1 mg/kg intravenously. Anesthesia was maintained with oxygen-nitrous oxide ($FiO_2$ 0.3) and ethrane. When the patients stabilized after induction. IHNB was done in the supine position and caudal block was done in the lateral position. The local anaesthetic was injected after negative aspiration. Postoperative pain was assessed with face pain rating scale (RPRS) at rest on discharge of recovery room, and 5 hours after discharge of recovery room, and the "red and white" visual analogue scale (VAS) at rest and mobilization from supine to sitting position on discharge of recovery room, and 5 hours after discharge of recovery room. Post-operative recovery was quiet and comfortable, without side effect. Relief of ain was complete in both IHNB group and caudal group. Surgeons, parents and recovery room personnel were satisfied. There were no surgical or anesthetic complications. In our study, the postpoerative pain scores were similar in both IHNB group and caudal group. IN conclusion, we found that both IHNB and caudal blocks before the start of surgery for orchiopexy & herniorrhaphy are safe and effective in controlling the postoperative pain of children.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.54-59
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• 2007

Background: Selective transforaminal epidural block (STEB) has showen effectiveness as a diagnostic and therapeutic option for the management of patients with low back pain or sciatica. This study was carried out in order to determine the short-term effects and prognostic factors associated with STEB in patients with low back pain or sciatica. Methods: Ninety-seven patients were selectedfor participation in this study. Their diagnosis were based werewason the clinical symptoms and MRI findings. We performed STEB under fluoroscopic guidance and injected 3 ml of radio opaque dye in order to confirm the technical success of the procedure. We then injected 20 mg of triamcinolone mixed into 3 ml of 0.5% mepivacaine. One month later, we classified the patient outcomes as excellent, good, moderate or poor, according to the degree of reduction in VAS score from baseline. The independent variables assessed included symptom duration, block level, number of blocks, primary diagnosis, prior caudal block, anterior epidural space filling of dye, medication history, demographic data, radiating pain, back surgery and spondylolisthesis. Results: At a mean follow-up period of 1 month after STEB, excellent results were noted in the patients diagnosed with herniated lumbar disc (70%), non-specific spondylosis (54%), spinal stenosis (44%), and failed back syndrome (28%). The patients with epidural adhesion and combined spondylolisthesis were associated with poorer outcomes. Combined caudal block, symptom duration and the extent of epidural spread of the drug were not related to the effectiveness of the treatment. Conclusions: Selective transforaminal epidural block is effective in treating patients with radiculopathy, such as herniated lumbar disc, but it isrelatively ineffective in treating patients with structural deformities, such as failed back syndrome and spondylolisthesis.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.280-283
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• 2015

Caudal epidural injection is a common intervention in patients with low back pain and sciatica. Even though the complications of fluoroscopically directed epidural injections are less frequent than in blind epidural injections, complications due to contrast media can occur. We report a case of anaphylactic shock immediately after injection of an intravenous nonionic contrast medium (iohexol) during the caudal epidural injection for low back pain and sciatica in a patient without a previous allergic history to ionic contrast media (ioxitalamate). Five minutes after the dye was injected, the patient began to experience dizziness, and the systolic blood pressure dropped to 60 mmHg. Subsequently, the patient exhibited a mild drowsy mental state. About 30 minutes after the subcutaneous injection of 0.2 mg epinephrine, the systolic blood pressure increased to 90 mmHg. The patient recovered without any sequela. Life-threatening complications after injection of intravenous contrast medium require immediate treatment.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.469-473
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• 1999

A 120 kg, 3-year-old, male ostrich (Struthio camelus) was submitted to the veterinary teaching hospital, Chonbuk national university, for chronic weight loss, anorexia, small hard fecal pellets, and lethargy. Illness was first noticed approximately 2 weeks before submission. Although the bird was able to stand, he was extremely weak and cachectic. Blood examination indicated that the bird was dehydration (PCV: 55%). Fluoroscopic and lateral abdominal radio-graphic view indicated impaction of distended proventriculus with bigger rocks than normal. Anesthesia was induced with ketamine (10 mg/kg, IV)-xylazine (1 mg/kg, IV) combination and maintained with ketamine (10 mg/kg, IV) at intervals of 8 to 15 minutes during the entire procedure. After induction of general anesthesia, the bird was positioned in dorsal recumbency. The skin was incised approximately 15cm caudal to the caudal margin of the sternum and extended 20 to 25 cm caudally. After the proventriculotomy was peformed, the impacted material that weighed 3kg contained rocks in 4 to 6cm diameter was removed. The incision of proventriculus was closed in 2 layers. Cephalothin sodium (30 mg/kg, IV, q12hrs) and dexamethazone (2 mg/kg, IM, q24hrs) was administered before and after 5 days of the operation. The bird was eating well and defecating normal feces after 3 weeks of the surgery