Pediatric spinal anesthesia at a tertiary care hospital: Eleven years after

Background: Pediatric spinal anesthesia is an old technique whose use is not widespread, in spite of reducing the risk of cardiorespiratory events (hypoxemia, bradycardia, and hypotension) associated with general anesthesia, especially in neonates and infants. This retrospective cohort study aimed to assess the safety and effectiveness of the pediatric spinal anesthesia program at our tertiary care hospital over 11 years.

Methods: Two hundred children, between 8 days and 13 years of age, who underwent lower body surgery under spinal anesthesia from May 2010 to July 2021 were included. Demographic and procedural data were collected, and success, failure, and complication rates calculated.

Results: The success rate was 97.5% (n = 195). The incidence of complications was 2% (n = 4). They were 2 cases of intraoperative hypoxemia and 2 cases of postoperative postdural puncture headache , and they quickly resolved with no sequelae.

Conclusion: Pediatric spinal anesthesia is a safe and effective technique with good acceptance among anesthesiologists. Thus, the implementation of a pediatric spinal anesthesia program at a tertiary care hospital is feasible and affordable.