[Intraoperative and postoperative analgesia in pediatric surgery. 1 years' experience].

Operative and postoperative analgesia has become in a few years a major concern for pediatric anesthesiologists. The fact that pain can have dramatic metabolic and hemodynamic consequences has been well documented. This study shows the activity in our department in the field of analgesia during 1989. 82% of the 2,675 children having undergone surgery have received analgesia during the operative period either by the way of an i.v. narcotic or an regional block. No morbidity or mortality resulted from these techniques during the operative period. When a regional block was prolonged by the mean of a catheter, there were no major complication (2 seizures). The use of oral, rectal and i.v. analgesics follows the classic recommendations. Morphine by all routes of administration is used increasingly in our department. Two moderate respiratory depressions occurred in 1989 due to error in dosage with no consequence for the child. The authors underline the importance of well established protocols which have been discussed and approved by all, the importance of emergency procedures and treatment, which only can guaranteed the necessary safety.