Pectoral nerve blocks decrease postoperative pain and opioid use after pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement in children.

BACKGROUND: Pectoral nerve blocks (PECs) can reduce intraprocedural anesthetic requirements and postoperative pain. Little is known about the utility of PECs in reducing pain and narcotic use after pacemaker (PM) or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placement in children. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether PECs can decrease postoperative pain and opioid use after PM or ICD placement in children. METHODS: A single-center retrospective review of pediatric patients undergoing transvenous PM or ICD placement between 2015 and 2020 was performed. Patients with recent cardiothoracic surgery or neurologic/developmental deficits were excluded. Demographics, procedural variables, postoperative pain, and postoperative opioid usage were compared between patients who had undergone PECs and those who had undergone conventional local anesthetic (Control). RESULTS: A total of 74 patients underwent PM or ICD placement; 20 patients (27%) underwent PECs. There were no differences between PECs and Control with regard to age, weight, gender, type of device placed, presence of congenital heart disease, type of anesthesia, procedural time, or complication rates. Patients who underwent PECs had lower pain scores at 1, 2, 6, 18, and 24 hours compared to Control. PECs patients had a lower mean cumulative pain score [PECs 1.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.8-2.2) vs Control 3.1 (95% CI 2.7-3.5); P <.001] and lower total opioid use [PECs 6.0 morphine milligram equivalent (MME)/m2 (95% CI 3.4-8.6) vs Control 15.0 MME/m2 (95% CI 11.8-18.2); P = .001] over the 24 hours postimplant. CONCLUSION: PECs reduce postoperative pain scores and lower total opioid usage after ICD or PM placement. PECs should be considered at the time of transvenous device placement in children.

Risk of cardiac disease and observations on lack of potential predictors by clinical history among children presenting for cardiac evaluation of mid-exertional syncope.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of cardiac disorders among children with mid-exertional syncope evaluated by a paediatric cardiologist, determine how often a diagnosis was not established, and define potential predictors to differentiate cardiac from non-cardiac causes. Study design We carried out a single-centre, retrospective review of children who presented for cardiac evaluation due to a history of exertional syncope between 1999 and 2012. Inclusion criteria included the following: (1) age ⩽18 years; (2) mid-exertional syncope; (3) electrocardiogram, echocardiogram and an exercise stress test, electrophysiology study, or tilt test, with exception of long QT, which did not require additional testing; and (4) evaluation by a paediatric cardiologist. Mid-exertional syncope was defined as loss of consciousness in the midst of active physical activity. Patients with peri-exertional syncope immediately surrounding but not during active physical exertion were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 60 patients met the criteria for mid-exertional syncope; 32 (53%) were diagnosed with cardiac syncope and 28 with non-cardiac syncope. A majority of cardiac patients were diagnosed with an electrical myopathy, the most common being Long QT syndrome. In nearly half of the patients, a diagnosis could not be established or syncope was felt to be vasovagal in nature. Neither the type of exertional activity nor the symptoms or lack of symptoms occurring before, immediately preceding, and after the syncopal event differentiated those with or without a cardiac diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Children with mid-exertional syncope are at risk for cardiac disease and warrant evaluation. Reported symptoms may not differentiate benign causes from life-threatening disease.