Caudal Epidural Vs. TAP Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Pediatric Infraumbilical Surgery: a RCT

This randomized controlled trial investigates the postoperative analgesic efficacy of caudal epidural block versus ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in pediatric patients undergoing infraumbilical surgery. A total of 60 pediatric patients (aged 1 to 7 years, ASA I-II) were randomly assigned to one of two groups: * Group C (Caudal Block): Received 1 mL/kg of 0.25% bupivacaine in the caudal epidural space. * Group T (TAP Block): Received 0.3 mL/kg of 0.25% bupivacaine injected into the transversus abdominis plane under ultrasound guidance. Primary Outcome: * Postoperative FLACC pain scores at 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours. Secondary Outcomes: * Total analgesic consumption (including rescue analgesia). * Intraoperative hemodynamic parameters (heart rate, blood pressure, SpO₂). * Incidence of nausea and vomiting (PONV). * Parental satisfaction scores. The study aims to determine which regional anesthesia technique provides superior pain relief and reduces systemic analgesic requirements in pediatric patients.