Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28953949›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2017

Effect of tramadol as an adjuvant to local anesthetics for brachial plexus block: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Hye Won Shin, Bum Jun Ju, Yoo Kyung Jang, Hae Seun You, Hyun Kang, Ji Yong Park

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 32 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Hye Won ShinDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3770-6675
Bum Jun JuDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Yoo Kyung JangDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Hae Seun YouDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Hyun KangDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Ji Yong ParkDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Korea University · KRChung-Ang University Hospital · KR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTramadol, a 4-phenyl-piperidine analog of codeine, has a unique action in that it has a central opioidergic, noradrenergic, serotonergic analgesic, and peripheral local anesthetic (LA) effect. Many studies have reported contradictory findings regarding the peripheral analgesic effect of tramadol as an adjuvant to LA in brachial plexus block (BPB). This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of tramadol as an adjunct to LA in BPB during shoulder or upper extremity surgery.

methodsWe searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, KoreaMed databases, and Google Scholar for eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared BPB with LA alone and BPB with LA and tramadol. Primary outcomes were the effects of tramadol as an adjuvant on duration of sensory block, motor block, and analgesia. Secondary outcomes were the effects of tramadol as an adjuvant on time to onset of sensory block and motor block and on adverse effects. We performed the meta-analysis using Review Manager 5.3 software.

resultsWe identified 16 RCTs with 751 patients. BPB with tramadol prolonged the duration of sensory block (mean difference [MD], -61.5 min; 95% CI, -95.5 to -27.6; P = 0.0004), motor block (MD, -65.6 min; 95% CI, -101.5 to -29.7; P = 0.0003), and analgesia (MD, -125.5 min; 95% CI, -175.8 to -75.3; P < 0.0001) compared with BPB without tramadol. Tramadol also shortened the time to onset of sensory block (MD, 2.1 min; 95% CI, 1.1 to 3.1; P < 0.0001) and motor block (MD, 1.2 min; 95% CI, 0.2 to 2.1; P = 0.010). In subgroup analysis, the duration of sensory block, motor block, and analgesia was prolonged for BPB with tramadol 100 mg (P < 0.05) but not for BPB with tramadol 50 mg. The quality of evidence was high for duration of analgesia according to the GRADE system. Adverse effects were comparable between the studies.

conclusionsIn upper extremity surgery performed under BPB, use of tramadol 100 mg as an adjuvant to LA appears to prolong the duration of sensory block, motor block, and analgesia, and shorten the time to onset of sensory and motor blocks without altering adverse effects.

Indexed as

Adjuvants, PharmaceuticBrachial Plexus BlockAnesthetics, LocalHumansTramadolAdjuvants, PharmaceuticAnesthetics, LocalTramadol

Identifiers

PMID28953949
PMCPMC5617157
OpenAlexW2757770765

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.