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Ultrasound-guided trunk and core blocks in infants and children

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Abstract

Regional anesthetic techniques for perioperative analgesia in children are being increasingly utilized with the reported advantages of providing superior analgesia, decreasing opioid consumption, and reducing opioid-related adverse effects. The following article reviews the available literature regarding core and trunk blocks in infants and children; specifically, transversus abdominis plane, ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve, rectus sheath, lumbar plexus, and paravertebral and intercostal nerve blockade. The common indications and potential complications and adverse effects for each block are presented. Additionally, the anatomy and techniques needed for their performance are reviewed. Finally, a summary of the relevant literature in relation to each peripheral nerve block technique is included.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Drew Tobias as the ultrasound model for imaging purposes.

Conflict of interest

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA

    Tarun Bhalla, Elisabeth Dewhirst & Joseph D. Tobias

  2. Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL, USA

    Amod Sawardekar & Narasimhan Jagannathan

  3. Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Children’s Memorial Hospital, 700 Children’s Drive, Chicago, IL, 43205, USA

    Tarun Bhalla

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  1. Tarun Bhalla
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  2. Amod Sawardekar
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  3. Elisabeth Dewhirst
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  4. Narasimhan Jagannathan
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  5. Joseph D. Tobias
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Correspondence to Tarun Bhalla.

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Bhalla, T., Sawardekar, A., Dewhirst, E. et al. Ultrasound-guided trunk and core blocks in infants and children. J Anesth 27, 109–123 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00540-012-1476-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00540-012-1476-5

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