Intercostal nerve blockade for children.

A modified technique of intercostal nerve blockade is described which is suitable for use in children. Ten patients received intercostal nerve blockade on a total of 29 occasions in order to provide analgesia following liver transplantation and to facilitate weaning from artificial ventilation of the lungs. The opioid requirement of patients who received intercostal nerve blockade was considerably lower than that of those who did not; 56% of the children who received intercostal nerve blockade required no additional analgesia. One child, the first to receive intercostal nerve blockade, developed a pneumothorax following the procedure. The technique has proved to be safe in skilled hands. It is an acceptable method of postoperative analgesia in children after liver transplantation and may be a useful technique in the management of other paediatric patients.