ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effects of thoracic epidural analgesia on postoperative rebound hypertension after ligation of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) . Methods Forty-eight ASA Ⅰ -Ⅱpatients undergoing ligation of PDA were studied. There were 20 male and 28 female. The age ranged from 4-30 years and body weight 15-56 kg. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: general anesthesia group (group C, n= 22) and combined general-epidural anesthesia group (group TEA, n = 26). In group C combined intravenous-inhalational anesthesia was used and intermittent intramuscular pethidine 1 mg?kg-1 was given for postoperative pain relief. In TEA group epidural catheter was placed at T8-9 before induction of general anesthesia and a loading dose of 3-6 ml of a mixture of 0. 125 %-0. 15% bupivacaine + 0.0001% fentanyl + 0.005% droperidol was given 20 min before the end of surgery followed by infusion of the mixture at a rate of 2 ml?h-1. ECG, BP, HR, RR and SpO2 were monitored during and after operation. VAS pain score was evaluated and compared between the two groups. Results Better analgesia was achieved in TEA group. Postoperative blood pressure was significantly higher in group C than that in TEA group (P