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Depth from the skin to the thoracic paravertebral space in infants and children

The actual depth from the skin to the paravertebral space (S‐PVS depth) was determined in twenty paediatric ASA 1 patients (age range: 1‐175 months, weight range: 3.8‐61.0 kg) receiving a thoracic paravertebral block for renal surgery or cholecystectomy. The S‐PVS depth correlated well to patient weight (r= 0.94) and the S‐PVS depth can be predicted by the following equation: S‐PVS depth (mm) = 21.2 + 0.53 × (weight in kg). Our previously reported equation for the prediction of the S‐PVS depth, derived from computed tomography scans, was found to significantly (P= 0.0023) differ from the regression line generated in the present study and will underestimate the S‐PVS depth by approximately 2.5‐3.0 mm compared to the present results. The reader is, thus, recommended to use the new equation for a more accurate prediction of the S‐PVS depth when performing a thoracic paravertebral blockade in children.