Following abdominal surgery with inhalation anaesthesia and epidural ropivacaine analgesia, inadvertent intravenous (i.v.) administration of ropivacaine occurred in a 1-year-old boy. The child spent 75 min in the postanaesthesia care unit and was transferred to the paediatric intensive care unit. Two hours after transfer, it was noted that the epidural tubing was connected to the peripheral i.v. line. The child remained awake, vital signs were stable, and his oxygen saturation ranged from 96-98% on room air. The epidural catheter was removed. He did not require further pain relief for the next 10 h.