CONTINUOUS EPIDURAL INFUSIONS How will my child be monitored? What are the benefits of an epidural infusion? PEDIATRIC CONTINUOUS EPIDURAL INFUSIONS The nurses will monitor your child every hour including their heart rate and breathing patterns Before your child gets up, the nurse will monitor his / her movement as the freezing agent can make your child’s legs feel “heavy” and slightly numb The doctors will visit your child during the day and will monitor the effect of the pain medication and the possible side effects Side effects that can be treated may include nausea, vomiting, mild itchiness and difficulty urinating The epidural can give steady pain relief so that your child is more comfortable. Lower doses of medication can be given. The risks and benefits are considered before a decision is made about epidural management. The doctor (anesthetist) will place the catheter while your child is sedated or asleep in the operating room. If you have any questions about epidural anesthesia, the anesthetist will be pleased to discuss them with you Reference: McCaffrey, M. & Pasero, C. (1999) Pain: Clinical Manual. Mosby, Inc. Form No. P5311E Created Jan 03

What is a continuous epidural infusion? Why is this method being chosen? It is a method of pain control for your child A small tube (catheter) is placed temporarily in your child’s back near the nerves that sense pain The medication is given every hour into the area by a syringe on a specially programmed pump The doctor (anesthestist) can give “extra” medication through the tube if your child is feeling more pain A continuous epidural infusion will provide a steady amount of medication so that better pain control is possible The EPIDURAL allows for the pain medication to act on the nerves that send pain messages to the brain and the freezing agent numbs the area and makes it less painful Used together, lower amounts of both medications can be given with less side effects Your child should be comfortable and able to move sooner after surgery How long will the epidural infusion be used? The epidural will be used for short-term pain control usually for 2 - 4 days or until oral medications can be taken Before the epidural is removed, your child will be started on other medications to control pain What kind of medication is used? The pump can give a freezing agent (local anesthetic) alone, a pain medication alone or both together The medications are given based upon your child’s weight