We have compared bupivacaine 5 mg ml-1, either isobaric in saline 0.9% or hyperbaric in 8% glucose, for spinal anaesthesia in 100 children, aged 2-115 months, in a double-blind, randomized, parallel group, prospective study. Children were premedicated with diazepam 0.5 mg kg-1 orally. Seventy-two children were sedated before, and 25 children after, lumbar puncture, with either propofol or thiopental (thiopentone). After lumbar puncture in the lateral decubitus position with a 24-27-gauge paediatric spinal needle, isobaric or hyperbaric bupivacaine 5 mg ml-1 was injected in a dose of 0.3-0.5 mg kg-1 using a blinded procedure. Maximum cephalad extent of the block was tested by transcutaneous electrical stimulation. The success rate of the block was greater with hyperbaric bupivacaine (96%) compared with isobaric bupivacaine (82%) (P = 0.025, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0-28%). Intense motor block was associated with adequate sensory block. Spread and duration of sensory block showed a similar wide scatter in both groups. The highest median level of sensory block was T4 (range T1-12) in the isobaric group and T4 (T1-7) in the hyperbaric group. Times to two segment regression of block were similar: 80 (55-190) min in the isobaric and 80 (30-190) min in the hyperbaric group. Cardiovascular stability was good. Etilefrin was administered to one child to treat hypotension and atropine to one child to treat bradycardia. The study gave an impression of a delayed onset time of spinal block, as most of the nine children who required either fentanyl or a sedative for a mild reaction to skin incision had complete block when transferred to the recovery room after operation. Five children developed a mild, position-dependent headache.

We have evaluated the safety and efficacy of ketoprofen during tonsillectomy in 106 adults receiving standardized anaesthesia. Forty-one patients received ketoprofen 0.5 mg kg(-1) at induction ('pre' ketoprofen group) and 40 patients after surgery ('post' ketoprofen group), in both cases followed by a continuous ketoprofen infusion of 3 mg kg(-1) over 24 h; 25 patients received normal saline (placebo group). Oxycodone was used for rescue analgesia. Patients in the ketoprofen groups experienced less pain than those in the placebo group. There was no difference between the study groups in the proportion of patients who were given oxycodone during the first 4 h after surgery. However, during the next 20 h, significantly more patients in the placebo group (96%) received oxycodone compared with patients in the 'pre' ketoprofen group (66%) and the 'post' ketoprofen group (55%) (P=0.002). Patients in the placebo group received significantly more oxycodone doses than patients in the two ketoprofen groups (P=0.001). Two patients (5%) in the 'pre' ketoprofen group and one (3%) in the 'post' ketoprofen group had post-operative bleeding between 4 and 14 h. All three patients required electrocautery.

We concluded that ketoprofen administered i.v. during the operation produced analgesia and reduced opioid consumption and the incidence of vomiting in children after strabismus surgery.

We have investigated if a low dose of ketoprofen (0.3 mg kg-1) i.v., provided as good analgesia with less adverse effects than higher doses (1.0 and 3.0 mg kg-1) in 220 children, aged 1-7 yr, undergoing adenoidectomy, in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study. The postoperative analgesic effect was notable even after the lowest dose of ketoprofen. However, the higher doses seemed to provide better analgesia with no increase in adverse events or intraoperative bleeding. None of the children experienced postoperative bleeding which would have required intervention or delayed discharge from hospital. This study confirms the efficacy and safety of intraoperative ketoprofen in children during adenoidectomy.

We have investigated if pain intensity or analgesic requirements in hospital predicted pain intensity, pain duration or analgesic requirements at home in 611 children, aged 1-7 yr, after day-case adenoidectomy. We also investigated if ketoprofen 0.3-3.0 mg kg-1, administered pre-emptively i.v. during operation, modified pain at home. In hospital, a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study design was performed. A standard anaesthetic technique was used in all children and fentanyl i.v. was available for rescue analgesia. After discharge, the study design was open, experimental, prospective and longitudinal. On return home, children were prescribed ketoprofen tablets 5 mg kg-1 day-1. Parents were asked to complete an analgesia diary; non-responders were contacted by telephone. The response rate was 91%. The number of doses of fentanyl given in hospital correlated with pain intensity at home (P < 0.001). There were no other correlations and no pre-emptive effect of ketoprofen.