Paediatric anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia · May 2015
Should we abandon landmark-based technique for caudal anesthesia in neonates and infants?
Caudal anesthesia is a landmark-based technique with ultrasound guidance occasionally used in the absence of landmarks. The current surface landmark remains a popular approach due to its desirable success rate. However, incomplete ossification of the posterior vertebral elements can make this procedure for neonatal caudal anesthesia difficult. The aim of this study was to describe the anatomical relationship of the posterior superior iliac spines (PSISs) to the sacral cornua in infants using ultrasound. ⋯ This study showed that the current landmark (equilateral triangle) for infant caudal anesthesia is unreliable. Importantly, the sacral hiatus is clinically identifiable only if the sacral cornua are palpable; otherwise, using ultrasound is essential.