• Seung-Hyun Kim, Hyun-Jung Kim, Namo Kim, Bora Lee, Jeehyun Song, and Yong-Seon Choi.
• Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Anesthesia and Pain Research Institute, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
• Minerva Anestesiol. 2020 May 1; 86 (5): 554-564.

IntroductionThis study aimed to evaluate the effect of quadratus lumborum (QL) block on pain after surgeries under general or spinal anesthesia.Evidence AcquisitionA systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were performed to compare pain scores at rest and with movement 48 h postoperatively in a QL block group and a control group both with placebo block and without block and the time to first additional analgesics. The analgesic effect of the QL block according to the type of surgery and block approach was also examined. A literature search was performed using well-known databases for articles published up to March 2019.Evidence SynthesisNine RCTs were included. Compared to the control group, pain scores at rest were significantly lower for 48 h postoperatively in the QL block group. QL block reduced pain scores with movement at six, 12, and 24 h postoperatively. The QL block group exhibited the most improved numerical pain scores at 12 h postoperatively both at rest and with movement, with a mean difference (MD) of -2.16 (95% confidence interval [CI] -3.12 to -1.20) and -2.26 [95% CI -3.54 to -0.98]), respectively. The subgroup analysis of pain scores at rest showed a statistically significant subgroup difference (P=0.02, I2=75.7%), suggesting a different analgesic effect of QL block based on the approach. Time to first additional analgesics postoperatively was longer in the QL block group than in the control group (MD 333.51 minutes [95% CI 69.37 to 597.64]).ConclusionsQL block may be a good multimodal analgesic approach for pain after abdominal surgeries.

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