• Yuji Kamimura, Norio Yamamoto, Akihiro Shiroshita, Takanori Miura, Tatsuya Tsuji, Hidehiro Someko, Eriya Imai, Ryota Kimura, and Kazuya Sobue.
• Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan; Scientific Research WorkS Peer Support Group (SRWS-PSG), Osaka, Japan.
• Br J Anaesth. 2024 May 1; 132 (5): 109711111097-1111.

BackgroundPreprocedural, real-time, and computer-aided three-dimensional ultrasound has been widely used for neuraxial puncture; however, the optimal guidance is unclear. We examined the comparative efficacy of three ultrasound guidance and anatomical landmarks for neuraxial puncture in adults.MethodsWe searched for randomised controlled studies comparing the efficacy of ultrasound guidance and anatomical landmarks for neuraxial puncture in adults using electronic databases and unpublished studies. The primary outcomes were first-pass success and patient satisfaction. A random-effects network meta-analysis (NMA) was used.ResultsWe identified 74 eligible studies (7090 patients). Preprocedural ultrasound and real-time ultrasound-guided neuraxial puncture improved first-pass success compared with anatomical landmarks (risk ratio [RR] 1.6; 95% credible interval [CrI] 1.3-1.9; RR 1.9; 95% CrI 1.3-2.9, respectively, moderate confidence). Computer-aided ultrasound-guided neuraxial puncture also increased first-pass success (RR 1.8; 95% CrI 0.97-3.3, low confidence), although estimates were imprecise. However, real-time ultrasound-guided neuraxial puncture resulted in minimal difference in first-pass success compared with preprocedural ultrasound (RR 1.2; 95% CrI 0.8-1.8, moderate confidence). Preprocedural ultrasound improved patient satisfaction slightly compared with anatomical landmark use (standardised mean differences 0.28; 95% CrI 0.092-0.47, low confidence).ConclusionsThis NMA provides evidence supporting ultrasound-guided neuraxial puncture compared with use of anatomical landmarks, including indirect comparisons. Among the three ultrasound guidance methods, preprocedural ultrasound appears to be a better adjunctive option.Copyright © 2023 British Journal of Anaesthesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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