SynthesisAnesthesiology2016
Perioperative Dextromethorphan as an Adjunct for Postoperative Pain: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Synthesis in Anesthesiology, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Dextromethorphan Beyond the Cough: Exploring Its Psychedelic Potential: A Systematic Review.CNS drugs · 2026Pooled it
- American Society for Enhanced Recovery and Perioperative Quality Initiative Joint Consensus Statement on Perioperative Opioid Minimization in Opioid-Naïve Patients.Anesthesia and analgesia · 2019Guideline
- Effect of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Antagonist Dextromethorphan on Opioid Analgesia in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.Pain research & management · 2016Trial
- Mixed pain phenotypes in musculoskeletal disorders: mechanisms and management.Nature reviews. Rheumatology · 2026Review
- Opioid consumption in the first 30 days after surgery was independently associated with new persistent opioid use.Regional anesthesia and pain medicine · 2026Article
- Comprehensive Pain Management in Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Review of Contemporary Approaches.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- Minimizing Narcotic Use in Rhinoplasty: An Updated Narrative Review and Protocol.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Anesthetic Challenges during Endobronchial Brachytherapy: A Case Report.Acta medica Philippina · 2024Article
- How to Modulate Peripheral and Central Nervous System to Treat Acute Postoperative Pain and Prevent Pain Persistence.Current neuropharmacology · 2024Review
- Article
- Clinical Implications of Opioid Therapy.Cancer treatment and research · 2021Article
- A New Use for an Old Medicine: Dextromethorphan to Prevent Postoperative Sore Throat.International journal of preventive medicine · 2021Article
- Enhanced Recovery After Cesarean: Current and Emerging Trends.Current anesthesiology reports · 2021Review
- Dextromethorphan and bupropion reduces high level remifentanil self-administration in rats.Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior · 2020Article
- Opioid-Sparing Anesthetic Technique for Pediatric Patients Undergoing Adenoidectomy: A Pilot Study.Journal of pain research · 2020Article
- Evaluation of Enhanced Recovery After Following a Surgical Protocol for Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Peritoneal Carcinomatosis.Medical archives (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina) · 2019Article
- Central Sensitization, N-methyl-D-aspartate Receptors, and Human Experimental Pain Models: Bridging the Gap between Target Discovery and Drug Development.Anesthesiology · 2019Article
- The prescription opioid crisis: role of the anaesthesiologist in reducing opioid use and misuse.British journal of anaesthesia · 2019Review
- Review
- Regional and Multimodal Analgesia to Reduce Opioid Use After Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Narrative Review.HSS journal : the musculoskeletal journal of Hospital for Special Surgery · 2019Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundN-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists have been shown to reduce perioperative pain and opioid use. The authors performed a meta-analysis to determine whether the use of perioperative dextromethorphan lowers opioid consumption or pain scores.
methodsPubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Pubget, and EMBASE were searched. Studies were included if they were randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trials written in English, and performed on patients 12 yr or older. For comparison of opioid use, included studies tracked total consumption of IV or intramuscular opioids over 24 to 48 h. Pain score comparisons were performed at 1, 4 to 6, and 24 h postoperatively. Difference in means (MD) was used for effect size.
resultsForty studies were identified and 21 were eligible for one or more comparisons. In 848 patients from 14 trials, opioid consumption favored dextromethorphan (MD, -10.51 mg IV morphine equivalents; 95% CI, -16.48 to -4.53 mg; P = 0.0006). In 884 patients from 13 trials, pain at 1 h favored dextromethorphan (MD, -1.60; 95% CI, -1.89 to -1.31; P < 0.00001). In 950 patients from 13 trials, pain at 4 to 6 h favored dextromethorphan (MD, -0.89; 95% CI, -1.11 to -0.66; P < 0.00001). In 797 patients from 12 trials, pain at 24 h favored dextromethorphan (MD, -0.92; 95% CI, -1.24 to -0.60; P < 0.00001).
conclusionThis meta-analysis suggests that dextromethorphan use perioperatively reduces the postoperative opioid consumption at 24 to 48 h and pain scores at 1, 4 to 6, and 24 h.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.