SynthesisPloS one2018
Clinical analgesic efficacy of dexamethasone as a local anesthetic adjuvant for transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block: A meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 52 citations in OpenAlex.
- Perineural dexamethasone added to peripheral nerve block in knee surgery: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Anaesthesiology intensive therapy · 2025Pooled it
- Hydromorphone is Noninferior to Dexamethasone as an Adjuvant to Ropivacaine for Transversus Abdominis Plane Block After Laparoscopic Colorectal Cancer Surgery: A Randomized, Double-Blind Trial.Journal of pain research · 2026Trial
- Are the Analgesic Effects of Morphine Added to Transversus Abdominis Plane Block Systemic or Regional? A Randomized Clinical Trial.Pain research & management · 2025Trial
- Article
- Assessment of Efficacy of Erector Spinae Plane Block Versus Subcostal Transversus Abdominis Plane Block for Postoperative Pain Management in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Under General Anaesthesia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences · 2025Article
- Effect of Perineural Dexamethasone as an Adjuvant to Ropivacaine in Rectus Sheath Block for Radical Cystectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Intrathecal hydromorphone vs. transversus abdominis plane block for upper abdominal surgery: a propensity score-matching study.BMC anesthesiology · 2025Article
- Article
- What is the impact of dexamethasone on postoperative pain in adults undergoing general anaesthesia for elective abdominal surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Perioperative medicine (London, England) · 2022Article
- Synergistic Effects of Dexamethasone and Dexmedetomidine in Extending the Effects of Pectoral I and Pectoral II Blocks for Postoperative Analgesia Following Total Mastectomy with Lymph Node Dissection.Clinics and practice · 2021Article
- Ultrasound-Guided Transversus Abdominis Plane Block for Cesarean Delivery: Injection Site Pain as a New Complication and Dexamethasone Reduced Incidence.Journal of pain research · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPerineural dexamethasone has been shown to prolong the duration of local anesthetic (LA) effect in regional anesthesia; however, the use of perineural dexamethasone as an adjuvant to to the transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block remains controversial. This meta-analysis sought to assess the efficacy of dexamethasone in prolonging the TAP block and enhancing recovery after abdominal surgery.
methodsWe identified and analyzed 9 RCTs published on or before September 30, 2017, regardless of the original language, after searching the following 6 bibliographic databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, Springer, Ovid, and the Cochrane Library. databases. These studies compared the effects of perineural dexamethasone mixed with local anesthetic versus local anesthetic alone in the TAP block. The Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias Tool was used to evaluate the methodological quality of each RCT. The primary outcomes were the time until the first request for postoperative analgesics and the analog pain scores at 2, 6, 12, and 24 h after surgery. The secondary outcomes were the analgesic consumption and the incidence of nausea and vomiting on the first day after surgery. We used Trial Sequential Analysis (TSA) to control for random errors.
resultsPerineural dexamethasone prolonged the duration of LA effect in the TAP block [mean difference (MD): 2.98 h; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.19 to 3.78] and reduced analog pain scores at 2 h [MD: -1.15; 95% CI: -2.14 to -0.16], 6 h [MD: -0.97; 95% CI: -1.51 to -0.44], and 12 h [MD: -0.93; 95% CI: -1.14 to -0.72] postoperatively. Furthermore, the use of perineural dexamethasone was associated with less analgesic consumption [standard mean difference: -1.29; 95% CI: -1.88 to -0.70] and a lower incidence of nausea and vomiting [odds ratio: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.16 to 0.49] on the first day after surgery.
conclusionDexamethasone prolongs the LA effect when used as an adjuvant in the TAP block and improves the analgesic effects of the block.
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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.