Regional anesthetic approaches to pain management were examined in 72 children and young adults (ages 3 weeks to 31 years) who were observed on the surgical or medical wards of a children's hospital separate from intensive care areas. A protocol was devised to permit safe conduct of these techniques on the ward. Full resuscitation supplies were kept at each bedside. All patients receiving epidural narcotics had an apnea monitor, hourly counting of respiratory rates, and restriction of systemic analgesics. All bolus re-injections into the catheters were performed by an anesthesiologist who monitored the patient for 20 min. Minor side-effects, including pruritus, nausea, and urinary retention were common, but manageable. Significant complications included: one case of decubitus ulcers requiring skin-grafting, one episode of mild hypotension in a patient with terminal malignancy, requiring ephedrine and phenylephrine, and one mild toxic reaction on test dosing due to presumed intravascular migration of a lumber sympathetic catheter. Regional analgesic techniques can provide excellent analgesia on the wards for selected children and young adults, provided precautions are taken. Further study is required to define specific indications, risks and benefits relative to simpler techniques.