Ultrasound-Guided Block of the Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve in Pediatric Patients

Evaluation of Ultrasound-Guided Block of the Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve in Pediatric Patients for Reconstructive Surgical Procedures

The purpose of this study is to determine whether either a peripheral nerve block under ultrasound (u/s) guidance of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN), versus an u/s guided block of the nerve followed by continuous catheter infusion of local anesthetic, offers better post-operative analgesia in pediatric burn patients undergoing reconstructive surgery, than the current analgesic regimen of subcutaneous local anesthetic infiltration.

Eligible subject, pediatric patients having reconstructive surgery for burns, having skin graft donor sites of the lateral thighs, will be randomized into three groups: control (having local infiltration of site), ultrasound guided nerve block, or ultrasound guided nerve block with catheter placement --fascia iliac.

Post-operative comfort will be assessed over the next 48 hours.

Inclusion Criteria:

• going for reconstructive surgery requiring split thickness skin graft
• patient's donor site will be in distribution of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve
• age >=2 and <22
• patient emotionally/intellectually able to describe intensity of post-op pain using VAS or Wong- Baker faces scale.

Exclusion Criteria:

• potential block/catheter site infected or burned.
• intolerance/allergy to local anesthetics
• BMI > 30
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score > 2