Transversus abdominis plane block versus local anaesthetic wound infiltration for analgesia after caesarean section: A systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis.

BACKGROUND: Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block and local anaesthetic wound infiltration are used to relieve pain after caesarean section. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether TAP block or local anaesthetic wound infiltration is the better analgesic option after caesarean section. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials, Web of Science up to June 2020. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: We retrieved randomised controlled trials comparing TAP block with wound infiltration after caesarean section. Primary outcome was pain score during rest (analogue scale, 0 to 10) at 2 h postoperatively, analysed according to the TAP block technique (ultrasound-guided/landmark-guided), anaesthetic strategy (spinal/general), intrathecal fentanyl (yes/no) and multimodal analgesia (yes/no). Secondary pain-related outcomes included pain scores during rest at 12 and 24 h, and total intravenous morphine consumption at 2, 12 and 24 h. We sought rates of block complications, including postoperative infection, haematoma, visceral injury and local anaesthetic systemic toxicity. RESULTS: Seven trials, totalling 475 patients, were identified. There was no difference in pain score during rest at 2 h between groups. Subgroup analyses revealed no differences related to TAP block technique (P = 0.64), anaesthetic strategy (P = 0.53), administration of intrathecal fentanyl (P = 0.59) or presence of multimodal analgesia (P = 0.57). Pain score during rest at 12 h and intravenous morphine consumption at 2 and 12 h were identical in both groups. Data were insufficient to compare block complications. Overall quality of evidence was moderate. CONCLUSION: There is moderate level evidence that TAP block and wound infiltration provide similar postoperative analgesia after caesarean section. TRIAL REGISTRY NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42020208046.

Transversus abdominis plane block versus local anesthetic wound infiltration for optimal analgesia after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis.

BACKGROUND: Both transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block and local anesthetic wound infiltration have been used to relieve pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We undertook this systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis to determine the best analgesic technique. METHODS: We systematically searched the literature for trials comparing TAP block with wound infiltration after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The primary outcome was pain score during rest (analogue scale, 0-10) at 2 postoperative hours. Secondary pain-related outcomes included pain scores during rest at 12 and 24 h, pain scores during movement and intravenous morphine consumption at 2, 12 and 24 h, and postoperative nausea and vomiting. Other secondary outcomes sought were block-related complications such as rates of postoperative infection, hematoma, visceral injury and local anesthetic systemic toxicity. RESULTS: Ten trials including 668 patients were identified. There was a significant difference in pain score during rest at 2 postoperative hours in favour of TAP block when compared with wound infiltration (mean difference [95%CI]: -0.7 [-1.2, -0.2]; I2 = 71%; p = 0.008). Pain scores during rest at 12 and 24 h and pain scores during movement at 24 h were also significantly lower with TAP block than wound infiltration. Postoperative morphine consumption and the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting were significantly lower in patients who received a TAP block. Data were insufficient to compare block-related complications. The overall quality of evidence was moderate-to-high. CONCLUSIONS: There is moderate-to-high level evidence that the TAP block provides superior analgesia when compared with wound infiltration in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Trial registry number: PROSPERO CRD42020208057.

Combination of femoral triangle block and infiltration between the popliteal artery and the capsule of the posterior knee (iPACK) versus local infiltration analgesia for analgesia after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a randomized controlled triple-blinded trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Femoral triangle block and local infiltration analgesia are two effective analgesic techniques after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Recently, the iPACK block (infiltration between the popliteal artery and the capsule of the posterior knee) has been described to relieve posterior knee pain. This randomized controlled triple-blinded trial tested the hypothesis that the combination of femoral triangle block and iPACK provides superior analgesia to local infiltration analgesia after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. METHODS: Sixty patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction received general anesthesia and were randomly allocated to two groups: femoral triangle block and iPACK under ultrasound guidance or local infiltration analgesia. For each group, a total of 160 mg of ropivacaine was injected. Postoperative pain treatment followed a predefined protocol with intravenous morphine patient-controlled analgesia, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen. The primary outcome was cumulative intravenous morphine consumption at 24 hours postoperatively. Secondary pain-related outcomes included pain scores (Numeric Rating Scale out of 10) measured at 2 and 24 hours postoperatively. Functional outcomes, such as range of motion and quadriceps strength, were also recorded at 24 postoperative hours, and at 4 and 8 postoperative months. RESULTS: Cumulative intravenous morphine consumption at 24 hours postoperatively was significantly reduced in the femoral triangle block and iPACK group (femoral triangle block and iPACK: 9.7 mg (95% CI: 6.7 to 12.7); local infiltration analgesia: 17.0 mg (95% CI: 11.1 to 23.0), p=0.03). Other pain-related and functional-related outcomes were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of femoral triangle block and iPACK reduces intravenous morphine consumption during the first 24 hours after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, when compared with local infiltration analgesia, without effect on other pain-related, early, or late functional-related outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT03680716).

Interscalene brachial plexus block for surgical repair of clavicle fracture: a matched case-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Innervation of the clavicle is complex and debated, with scarce data on the analgesic and clinical impact of regional anaesthesia after surgical repair of clavicle fracture. METHODS: In order to assess the analgesic efficiency of an interscalene brachial plexus block (ISB) for surgical repair of clavicle fracture, 50 consecutive patients scheduled for surgical fixation of middle/lateral clavicle fracture under general anaesthesia with ISB were prospectively enrolled. This cohort was compared to a historical control of 76 retrospective patients without regional block. The primary outcome was total intravenous morphine equivalent consumption at 2 postoperative hours. To assess the ISB impact, both an overall cohort analysis and a case-matched analysis with each ISB-treated patient matched to a Non-ISB-treated patient was performed. Matching employed a 1-to-1, nearest-neighbour approach using the Mahalanobis metric. RESULTS: In the overall cohort, patients with ISB had significantly lower i.v. morphine equivalent consumption at 2 postoperative hours (0.7 mg (95% CI 0.1 to 1.2) versus controls 8.8 mg (95% CI 7.1 to 10.4); P <  0.0001). These results persisted after case-matching the cohorts (mean difference for the primary outcome: 8.3 mg (95% CI 6.5 to 10.0); P <  0.001). CONCLUSIONS: ISB provides effective analgesia after surgical fixation of middle and lateral clavicle fracture. These results should help physicians in establishing an analgesic strategy for this type of surgery. Further research is needed to identify the optimal regional technique for medial third clavicle fractures and the clinically relevant contributions of the cervical and brachial plexus. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov - NCT02565342, October 1st 2015.

Fascia iliaca block in the emergency department for hip fracture: a randomized, controlled, double-blind trial.

BACKGROUND: Hip fracture causes moderate to severe pain and while fascia iliaca block has been reported to provide analgesic benefit, most previous trials were unblinded, with subsequent high risks of performance, selection and detection biases. In this randomized, control double-blind trial, we tested the hypothesis that a fascia iliaca block provides effective analgesia for patients suffering from hip fracture. METHODS: Thirty ASA I-III hip fracture patients over 70 years old, who received prehospital morphine, were randomized to receive either a fascia iliaca block using 30 ml of bupivacaine 0.5% with epinephrine 1:200,000 or a sham injection with normal saline. The fascia iliaca block was administered by emergency medicine physicians trained to perform an anatomic landmark-based technique. The primary outcome was the comparison between groups of the longitudinal pain score profiles at rest over the first 45 min following the procedure (numeric rating scale, 0-10). Secondary outcomes included the longitudinal pain score profiles on movement and the comparison over 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, and 24 h after the procedure, along with cumulative intravenous morphine consumption at 24 h. RESULTS: At baseline, the fascia iliaca group had a lower mean pain score than the sham injection group, both at rest (difference = - 0.9, 95%CI [- 2.4, 0.5]) and on movement (difference = - 0.9, 95%CI [- 2.7; 0.9]). These differences remained 45 min after the procedure and the two longitudinal pain score profiles were parallel both for patients at rest and on movement (test of parallelism for patients at rest p = 0.53 and on movement p = 0.45). The same parallel change in pain scores over time was observed over 24 h of follow-up (test of parallelism for patients at rest p = 0.82 and on movement p = 0.12). These results were confirmed after adjustment for gender, ASA score, and cumulative sums of intravenous morphine received pre-procedure and during-follow-up. In addition, there was no difference between the two groups in total cumulative intravenous morphine consumption at 24 h. CONCLUSION: Fascia iliaca block following anatomic landmarks may not provide supplementary analgesia for patients suffering from hip fracture, when low pain scores are reported after prehospital morphine. Additional larger trials will help reach definitive conclusion. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Clinicaltrials.gov - NCT02433548 . The study was registered retrospectively.

The analgesic efficacy of transverse abdominis plane block versus epidural analgesia: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to compare the analgesic efficacy of epidural analgesia and transverse abdominis plane (TAP) block. TAP block has gained popularity to provide postoperative analgesia after abdominal surgery but its advantage over epidural analgesia is disputed. METHODS: We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement guidelines. Only trials comparing TAP block with epidural analgesia were included. The primary outcome was pain score at rest (analog scale, 0-10) on postoperative day 1 analyzed in subgroups according to the population (children and adults). Secondary outcomes included rate of hypotension, length of stay, and functional outcomes (time to first bowel sound, time to first flatus). RESULTS: Ten controlled trials, including 505 patients (195 children and 310 adults), were identified. Pain scores at rest on postoperative day 1 were equivalent for TAP block and epidural analgesia groups in children (mean difference: 0.3; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.1 to 0.6; I = 0%; P = .15) and in adults (mean difference: 0.5; 95% CI: -0.1 to 1.0; I = 81%; P = .10). The quality of evidence for our primary outcome was moderate according to the GRADE system. The epidural analgesia group experienced a higher rate of hypotension (relative risk: 0.13; 95% CI: 0.04-0.38; I = 0%; P = .0002), while hospital length of stay was shorter in the TAP block group (mean difference: -0.6 days; 95% CI: -0.9 to -0.3 days; I = 0%; P < .0001), without impact on functional outcomes. CONCLUSION: There is moderate evidence that TAP block and epidural analgesia are equally effective in treating postoperative pain in both pediatric and adult patients, while TAP block is associated with fewer episodes of hypotension and reduced length of stay.

Optimal Dose of Perineural Dexamethasone to Prolong Analgesia After Brachial Plexus Blockade: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Perineural dexamethasone has gained popularity in regional anesthesia to prolong analgesia duration. However, uncertainty remains regarding the optimal perineural dose. Clarification of this characteristic is of significant importance as the administration of dexamethasone may lead to dose-dependent complications. The objective of this meta-analysis was to define the optimal perineural dexamethasone dose to prolong analgesia after brachial plexus blockade for adult patients undergoing upper limb surgery. METHODS: We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement guidelines and searched databases including MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE until January 2017, without language restriction. Only trials comparing perineural dexamethasone and local anesthetics with local anesthetics alone for brachial plexus blocks were included in the present meta-analysis. The Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias Tool was used to assess the methodological quality of each trial and meta-analyses were performed following a random effects model. The primary outcome was duration of analgesia for each type of local anesthetic (short-/intermediate-acting and long-acting local anesthetics). A meta-regression followed by a subgroup analysis were performed to assess the impact of different perineural dexamethasone doses on duration of analgesia; for the latter analysis, trials were grouped in low (1-4 mg) and moderate (5-10 mg) dexamethasone doses. Secondary outcomes included the rate of neurologic complication and resting pain scores and morphine consumption within the first 24 hours. RESULTS: Thirty-three controlled trials, including 2138 patients, were identified. The meta-regression revealed a ceiling effect with a perineural dexamethasone dose of 4 mg when combined with short-/intermediate-acting (8 trials; 366 participants) or long-acting local anesthetics (23 trials; 1869 participants). This finding was confirmed by subgroup analyses comparing low and moderate dexamethasone doses. With short-/intermediate-acting local anesthetics, the mean difference (95% confidence interval) of analgesia duration with low and moderate doses was 277 (234-322) minutes and 229 (161-297) minutes, respectively. With long-acting local anesthetics, the mean differences with low and moderate doses were 505 (342-669) minutes and 509 (443-575) minutes. Perineural dexamethasone did not increase the rate of neurologic complications (risk ratio [95% confidence interval], 1.40 [0.54-3.63]). The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation quality of evidence for the primary and secondary outcomes were very low, due mainly to limitations, inconsistency, indirectness, and publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: There is currently very low quality evidence that 4 mg of perineural dexamethasone represents a ceiling dose that prolongs analgesia duration by a mean period of 6 and 8 hours when combined with short-/intermediate- or long-acting local anesthetics, respectively. Additional data are needed to explore the threshold for this effect, particularly with doses below 4 mg. The risk of neurologic complications is probably not increased (very low evidence).

Electrophysiological Study of Femoral Nerve Function After a Continuous Femoral Nerve Block for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Randomized, Controlled Single-Blind Trial.

BACKGROUND: A continuous femoral nerve block (CFNB) is an effective analgesic treatment after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction but may result in transient femoral nerve injuries and quadriceps muscle weakness, which in turn contribute to worsened functional outcomes. PURPOSE: To compare electrophysiological criteria of a femoral nerve injury as well as functional and pain-related outcomes after ACL reconstruction when analgesia was provided by a CFNB or intravenous patient-controlled analgesic of morphine (IV PCA). STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled clinical trial; Level of evidence, 1. METHODS: A total of 74 patients scheduled for ACL reconstruction were randomized to receive a CFNB before surgery, followed by a ropivacaine infusion for 2 days and oxycodone, or IV PCA. The primary outcome was the rate of femoral nerve injuries at 4 weeks postoperatively, defined as a reduction of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) area from the vastus medialis muscle after supramaximal femoral nerve stimulation at the groin, associated with an absent H-reflex of the femoral nerve and signs of vastus medialis muscle denervation. Secondary functional outcomes were quadriceps muscle strength, active flexion range, and distance walked, as measured on postoperative days 1 and 2. Secondary pain-related outcomes were IV morphine consumption and pain scores at rest and on movement in phase 1 recovery and on postoperative days 1 and 2. RESULTS: No patients met the electrophysiological criteria of a femoral nerve injury. The mean CMAP area at 4 weeks was equivalent in both the CFNB and IV PCA groups (47 ± 16 mV·ms and 51 ± 13 mV·ms, respectively; P = .50). While no differences were detected in functional outcomes or pain scores, the consumption of an IV morphine equivalent was reduced by the administration of a CFNB in phase 1 recovery (6 ± 5 mg and 13 ± 7 mg, respectively; P = .0003), on postoperative day 1 (6 ± 7 mg and 19 ± 17 mg, respectively; P = .0005), and on postoperative day 2 (11 ± 10 mg and 19 ± 17 mg, respectively; P = .03) compared with an IV PCA. CONCLUSION: Despite prior contrary reports, a CFNB did not result in femoral nerve injuries or worsened functional outcomes after ACL reconstruction. The improvement of analgesia with a CFNB was only marginal and not clinically relevant beyond 24 hours. Registration: NCT01321138 ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).