Background/aims Perioperative pain in children is often inadequately treated, and emergence agitation is common. The purpose of this analysis was to determine whether nalbuphine is suitable for perioperative eye pain and to analyse if it influences the occurrence of emergence delirium/agitation (EDA) in children undergoing ophthalmic surgery in general anaesthesia.

Methods Retrospective cohort analysis of 50 children in preschool age undergoing general anaesthesia for ophthalmic surgery receiving nalbuphine as a postoperative analgesic in a German university hospital from June 2020 to February 2021.

Scores and values for pain and EDA were routinely recorded after awakening and during the stay in the recovery room. Data were evaluated retrospectively from the medical records.

Results A total of 50 children (17 girls and 33 boys) underwent general anaesthesia for ophthalmic surgery. The median age of the children included was 20.5 months (range, 1–68 months), the median body weight was 12.25 kg (range, 2.9–29 kg). All patients received ibuprofen (10 mg/kg¹) during induction of anaesthesia and nalbuphine (0.1 mg/kg) at the end of surgery. All patients had an Paediatric-Anaesthesia-Emergence-Delirium-I-score (PAED-ED-I Score) of less than 6 and acceptable Face-Legs-Activity-Cry-Consolability-scores (FLACC less than 3) on waking and on leaving the recovery room.

Conclusion Nalbuphine shows a sufficient analgesic effect for pain therapy following ophthalmic surgery in preschool children. Nalbuphine seems to reduce the incidence of EDA in children undergoing ophthalmic surgery.