Anaesthesia
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Review Meta Analysis
Intra-articular infiltration analgesia for arthroscopic shoulder surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Phrenic-sparing analgesic techniques for shoulder surgery are desirable. Intra-articular infiltration analgesia is one promising phrenic-sparing modality, but its role remains unclear because of conflicting evidence of analgesic efficacy and theoretical concerns regarding chondrotoxicity. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the benefits and risks of intra-articular infiltration in arthroscopic shoulder surgery compared with systemic analgesia or interscalene brachial plexus block. ⋯ Compared with interscalene brachial plexus block, there was no difference in opioid consumption, but patients receiving interscalene brachial plexus block had better pain scores at 2, 4 and 24 h postoperatively. There was no difference in opioid- or block-related adverse events, and none of the trials reported chondrotoxic effects. Compared with systemic analgesia, intra-articular infiltration provides superior pain control, reduces opioid consumption and enhances patient satisfaction, but it may be inferior to interscalene brachial plexus block patients having arthroscopic shoulder surgery.
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Review Meta Analysis
Mortality in patients admitted to intensive care with COVID-19: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause critical illness and deaths internationally. Up to 31 May 2020, mortality in patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) with COVID-19 was 41.6%. Since then, changes in therapeutics and management may have improved outcomes. ⋯ A lack of standardisation of reporting prevents comparison of cohorts in terms of underlying risk, severity of illness or outcomes. We found that the decrease in ICU mortality from COVID-19 has reduced or plateaued since May 2020 and note the possibility of some geographical variation. More standardisation in reporting would improve the ability to compare outcomes from different reports.
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Review Meta Analysis
Quadratus lumborum block vs. transversus abdominis plane block for caesarean delivery: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Take-away message
- Analgesia post-caesarean section (CS) is of global importance, as both the most frequently performed surgical procedure, and one that is commonly associated with significant pain, impacting maternal experience.
- Fascial blocks, such as the transversus abdominis plane (TAP) and quadratus lumborum block (QLB), have been advocated for use in reducing post-CS pain. This network meta-analysis confirms the equivalent benefit of either block in improving post-operative pain in the absence of using intrathecal morphine.
- Although the QLB is advocated for its potential to reduce both somatic and visceral pain, unlike the TAP block, comparing studies investigating either block did not reveal any significant benefit of TAP over QLB.
- No analgesic benefit was found for either when intrathecal morphine is used (although TAP block may be associated with lower incidence of nausea, vomiting & sedation, in the presence of IT morphine).
- As is common to many meta-analyses, these conclusions are somewhat undermined by the moderate-to-low levels of evidence in the included studies.
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Review Meta Analysis
Efficacy of erector spinae plane block for analgesia in breast surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
The erector spinae plane block has similar efficacy to paravertebral block for reducing post breast surgery pain, but is inferior to pectoralis nerve block.
pearl -
Review Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Epidural vs. transversus abdominis plane block for abdominal surgery - a systematic review, meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis.
Although epidural analgesia results in a small improvement in acute post-abdominal surgery pain compared to transversus abdominis plane block, the magnitude is small and associated with post-op hypotension.
pearl