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Analgesic Efficacy and Hemodynamic Stability of Ultrasound-guided Thoracic Erector Spinae Plane Block Versus Thoracic Epidural Analgesia in Pediatric Thoracic Surgery: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

15 mei 2026 bijgewerkt door: Nguyen Dang Thu
Thoracic surgery in children is considered a highly invasive procedure that significantly affects respiratory mechanics and cardiovascular function, resulting in substantial physiological disturbances during the perioperative period. In pediatric patients, the chest wall is structurally immature and highly compliant; therefore, impairment of ventilation after thoracic surgery may persist and predispose to atelectasis, hypoxemia, and other pulmonary complications. Inadequate postoperative analgesia may further compromise respiratory function, delay mobilization, and prolong recovery, particularly during the first 48-72 hours after thoracic surgery, when pain intensity is typically greatest. Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) has long been regarded as the reference technique for postoperative pain control in thoracic surgery. However, in pediatric patients, epidural catheter placement may be technically challenging and is associated with potential adverse effects such as hypotension, bradycardia, urinary retention, and other neuraxial-related complications. Thoracic epidural blockade produces bilateral sympathetic inhibition, which may lead to hemodynamic instability, particularly during thoracic surgery requiring lateral decubitus positioning and one-lung ventilation. Furthermore, epidural placement is often performed after induction of general anesthesia in children, which may limit early recognition of neurological complications. These concerns highlight the need for alternative regional analgesic techniques that provide effective analgesia while maintaining hemodynamic stability. Ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block (ESPB) has recently emerged as a promising fascial plane block for thoracic analgesia. Injection of local anesthetic deep to the erector spinae muscle and superficial to the transverse process allows cranio-caudal spread across multiple dermatomes, potentially providing analgesia to the posterior, lateral, and anterior thoracic walls. Increasing evidence suggests that ESPB offers effective perioperative analgesia in thoracic surgery with a favorable safety profile and minimal sympathetic blockade. Continuous ESPB catheter techniques have also been reported to provide sustained postoperative analgesia comparable to epidural analgesia. Despite these encouraging findings, direct comparisons between continuous ESPB and TEA in pediatric thoracic surgery remain limited, particularly regarding hemodynamic effects, adverse events, and technical feasibility. Therefore, this randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare the analgesic efficacy and hemodynamic stability of continuous ultrasound-guided thoracic ESPB with thoracic epidural analgesia in children undergoing thoracic surgery.

Studie Overzicht

Toestand

Voltooid

Conditie

Interventie / Behandeling

Gedetailleerde beschrijving

This prospective, single-center, randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Department of Anesthesiology at Vietnam National Children's Hospital between January 2024 and December 2024 after approval by the institutional review board. Written informed consent was obtained from the patients' parents or legal guardians before enrollment. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and reported following the CONSORT guidelines.

Children aged 4-16 years with ASA physical status I-II undergoing elective unilateral thoracic surgery under general anesthesia were enrolled. Eligible procedures included surgery for pulmonary cysts, mediastinal tumors, diaphragmatic hernia, lung tumors, and chest wall tumors. Patients with allergy to local anesthetics, significant hepatic, renal, or cardiovascular disease, coagulation disorders, untreated hypovolemia, infection at the puncture site, spinal or chest wall deformities, or paravertebral tumors near the puncture level were excluded. Patients were withdrawn if consent was withdrawn, if major intraoperative bleeding (>20 mL/kg) occurred, or if conversion to median sternotomy was required.

After enrollment, patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to one of the following study groups:

  • ESPB group: After induction of general anesthesia, patients underwent ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block at the T5-T6 or T6-T7 level using a high-frequency linear probe. Following hydrodissection confirmation, 0.25% levobupivacaine (0.3 mL/kg, maximum 20 mL) was injected and a catheter was inserted for continuous postoperative analgesia.
  • TEA group: After induction of general anesthesia, patients underwent thoracic epidural catheter placement at the T5-T6 or T6-T7 interspace using the loss-of-resistance technique with a Tuohy needle. After confirmation of correct placement, 0.25% levobupivacaine (0.3 mL/kg, maximum 20 mL) was administered through the epidural catheter.

General anesthesia was induced with midazolam (0.03 mg/kg), fentanyl (2 µg/kg), propofol (3 mg/kg), and atracurium (0.6 mg/kg). Following endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation was adjusted to maintain EtCO₂ between 30-40 mmHg. One-lung ventilation was established using an Arndt bronchial blocker under fiberoptic guidance. Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane in an oxygen-air mixture to maintain a bispectral index between 40 and 60. Additional fentanyl (1 µg/kg) was administered when heart rate or blood pressure increased by more than 20% from baseline values despite adequate anesthetic depth. At the end of surgery, all patients received intravenous paracetamol (15 mg/kg). Postoperative pain was assessed using the Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R) at rest and during movement. Multimodal analgesia included paracetamol every 6 hours and continuous infusion of 0.125% levobupivacaine via catheter. If FPS-R scores were ≥4, a bolus dose of levobupivacaine was administered through the catheter. Intravenous morphine (0.05 mg/kg) was used as rescue analgesia when pain remained uncontrolled

Studietype

Ingrijpend

Inschrijving (Werkelijk)

70

Fase

  • Niet toepasbaar

Contacten en locaties

In dit gedeelte vindt u de contactgegevens van degenen die het onderzoek uitvoeren en informatie over waar dit onderzoek wordt uitgevoerd.

Studie Locaties

  • Vietnam
    • Hanoi
      • Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam, 100000
        • Department of Anesthesiology, Vietnam National Children's Hospital

Deelname Criteria

Onderzoekers zoeken naar mensen die aan een bepaalde beschrijving voldoen, de zogenaamde geschiktheidscriteria. Enkele voorbeelden van deze criteria zijn iemands algemene gezondheidstoestand of eerdere behandelingen.

Geschiktheidscriteria

Leeftijden die in aanmerking komen voor studie

  • Kind

Accepteert gezonde vrijwilligers

Nee

Beschrijving

Inclusion Criteria:

  • American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-II.
  • Diagnosis of pulmonary cyst, mediastinal tumor, diaphragmatic hernia, lung tumor, or chest wall tumor requiring unilateral thoracic surgery.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Known allergy to local anesthetics;
  • Significant hepatic, renal, or cardiovascular disease;
  • Coagulation disorders or untreated hypovolemia;
  • Infection at the puncture site;
  • Spinal or chest wall deformity or paravertebral tumors near the puncture level.
  • Patients were withdrawn from the study if consent was withdrawn, if major intraoperative complications occurred such as massive bleeding (>20 mL/kg), or if conversion to median sternotomy was required during surgery.
  • Patient's parents who do not consent to participate in the study

Studie plan

Dit gedeelte bevat details van het studieplan, inclusief hoe de studie is opgezet en wat de studie meet.

Hoe is de studie opgezet?

Ontwerpdetails

  • Primair doel: Behandeling
  • Toewijzing: Gerandomiseerd
  • Interventioneel model: Parallelle opdracht
  • Masker: Enkel

Wapens en interventies

Deelnemersgroep / Arm
Interventie / Behandeling
Experimenteel: Thoracic erector spinae plane block (ESPB
Patients will receive ultrasound-guided thoracic ESPB before surgical incision. After induction of general anesthesia, a high-frequency linear ultrasound probe will be used to identify the transverse process and erector spinae muscle at the appropriate thoracic level. A bolus dose of levobupivacaine 0.25% at 0.3 mL/kg will be injected into the erector spinae plane, followed by catheter placement for continuous postoperative analgesia. Continuous infusion of levobupivacaine 0.125% at 0.2 mL/kg/h will be maintained for 72 postoperative hours.
Procedure: Thoracic erector spinae plane block (ESPB)
Patients will receive ultrasound-guided thoracic ESPB before surgical incision. After induction of general anesthesia, a high-frequency linear ultrasound probe will be used to identify the transverse process and erector spinae muscle at the appropriate thoracic level. A bolus dose of levobupivacaine 0.25% at 0.3 mL/kg will be injected into the erector spinae plane, followed by catheter placement for continuous postoperative analgesia. Continuous infusion of levobupivacaine 0.125% at 0.2 mL/kg/h will be maintained for 72 postoperative hours.
Actieve vergelijker: Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA)
Patients will receive thoracic epidural analgesia before surgical incision. After induction of general anesthesia, an epidural catheter will be inserted at the thoracic level under sterile conditions using the loss-of-resistance technique. A bolus dose of levobupivacaine 0.25% at 0.3 mL/kg will be administered via the epidural catheter, followed by continuous postoperative infusion of levobupivacaine 0.125% at 0.2 mL/kg/h for 72 postoperative hours
Procedure: Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA)
Patients will undergo thoracic epidural catheter placement for perioperative analgesia. Continuous epidural infusion of levobupivacaine will be maintained for 72 hours postoperatively

Wat meet het onderzoek?

Primaire uitkomstmaten

Uitkomstmaat
Maatregel Beschrijving
Tijdsspanne
Cumulative opioid consumption within the first 72 postoperative hours
Tijdsspanne: From induction of anesthesia until 72 hours postoperatively
Total opioid consumption included intraoperative fentanyl and postoperative rescue morphine administration. Intraoperative fentanyl consumption was recorded during surgery, while rescue morphine was administered when postoperative FPS-R score at rest ≥4 despite rescue local anesthetic bolus
From induction of anesthesia until 72 hours postoperatively

Secundaire uitkomstmaten

Uitkomstmaat
Maatregel Beschrijving
Tijdsspanne
Postoperative pain scores
Tijdsspanne: at 1hour, 2hour, 4hour, 8hour, 12hour, 18hour, 24hour, 30hour, 36hour, 42hour, 48hour, 54hour, 60hour and 72hour after surgery
Postoperative pain was assessed using the Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R) at rest and during movement at predefined postoperative time points
at 1hour, 2hour, 4hour, 8hour, 12hour, 18hour, 24hour, 30hour, 36hour, 42hour, 48hour, 54hour, 60hour and 72hour after surgery
Rescue analgesic requirement
Tijdsspanne: Within 72 hours postoperatively
The number of patients requiring rescue morphine and total rescue morphine consumption were recorded
Within 72 hours postoperatively
Block-related characteristics
Tijdsspanne: During block performance and surgery
Block failure was defined as intraoperative fentanyl requirement >4 mcg/kg.
During block performance and surgery
Catheter-related complications
Tijdsspanne: Within 72 hours postoperatively
Catheter dislodgement, catheter occlusion, vascular puncture, and other catheter-related adverse events were recorded
Within 72 hours postoperatively
Postoperative complications and adverse events
Tijdsspanne: Within 72 hours postoperatively
Postoperative nausea and vomiting, urinary retention, pruritus, tremor, respiratory complications, and other adverse events were evaluated
Within 72 hours postoperatively

Medewerkers en onderzoekers

Hier vindt u mensen en organisaties die betrokken zijn bij dit onderzoek.

Sponsor

Nguyen Dang Thu

Medewerkers

Vietnam National Children's Hospital

Publicaties en nuttige links

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Algemene publicaties

Studie record data

Deze datums volgen de voortgang van het onderzoeksdossier en de samenvatting van de ingediende resultaten bij ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieverslagen en gerapporteerde resultaten worden beoordeeld door de National Library of Medicine (NLM) om er zeker van te zijn dat ze voldoen aan specifieke kwaliteitscontrolenormen voordat ze op de openbare website worden geplaatst.

Bestudeer belangrijke data

Studie start (Werkelijk)

1 januari 2023

Primaire voltooiing (Werkelijk)

15 december 2025

Studie voltooiing (Werkelijk)

31 december 2025

Studieregistratiedata

Eerst ingediend

15 mei 2026

Eerst ingediend dat voldeed aan de QC-criteria

15 mei 2026

Eerst geplaatst (Werkelijk)

22 mei 2026

Updates van studierecords

Laatste update geplaatst (Werkelijk)

22 mei 2026

Laatste update ingediend die voldeed aan QC-criteria

15 mei 2026

Laatst geverifieerd

1 mei 2026

Meer informatie

Termen gerelateerd aan deze studie

Trefwoorden

Aanvullende relevante MeSH-voorwaarden

Andere studie-ID-nummers

  • HungGMHS/No218

Plan Individuele Deelnemersgegevens (IPD)

Bent u van plan om gegevens van individuele deelnemers (IPD) te delen?

NEE

Informatie over medicijnen en apparaten, studiedocumenten

Bestudeert een door de Amerikaanse FDA gereguleerd geneesmiddel

Nee

Bestudeert een door de Amerikaanse FDA gereguleerd apparaatproduct

Nee

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