Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34332605›Full record

Observational studyJournal of cardiothoracic surgery2021

Incorporation of an intercostal catheter into a multimodal analgesic strategy for uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: a feasibility study.

Jian Wei Tan, Jameelah Sheik Mohamed, John Kit Chung Tam

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Journal of cardiothoracic surgery, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06838026 (Internal, External Intercostal Nerve Block and Intercostal Catheter for Pain Management After Uniportal VATS), which is not on this map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 18% 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.

NCT06838026 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Internal, External Intercostal Nerve Block and Intercostal Catheter for Pain Management After Uniportal VATS: A Clinical Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorAl-Quds UniversityRan2025 to 2026Enrolled90ConditionsThoracic, Pain, Postoperative, Analgesia, Satisfaction, PatientArmsExternal Intercostal Nerve Block, Internal Intercostal Nerve Block, Intercostal Catheter
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
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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

3 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Jian Wei TanDepartment of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, National University Heart Centre, National University Health Systems, Singapore, Singapore.
Jameelah Sheik MohamedDepartment of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, NUHS Tower Block, Singapore, 119228, Singapore.
John Kit Chung TamDepartment of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, National University Heart Centre, National University Health Systems, Singapore, Singapore. surjtkc@nus.edu.sg.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6269-3653
National University Health System · SGNational University Heart Centre Singapore · SGNational University of Singapore · SG

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWell-controlled postoperative pain is essential for early recovery after uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (UVATS). Conventional analgesia like opioids and thoracic epidural anaesthesia have been associated with hypotension and urinary retention. Intercostal catheters are a regional analgesic alternative that can be inserted during UVATS to avoid these adverse effects. This feasibility study aims to evaluate the postoperative pain scores and analgesic requirements with incorporation of an intercostal catheter into a multimodal analgesic strategy for UVATS.

methodsIn this observational study, 26 consecutive patients who underwent UVATS were administered a multilevel intercostal block and oral paracetamol. All of these patients received 0.2% ropivacaine continuously at 4 ml/h via an intercostal catheter at the level of the incision. Rescue analgesia including etoricoxib, gabapentin and opioids were prescribed using a pain ladder approach. Postoperative pain scores and analgesic usage were assessed. The secondary outcomes were postoperative complications, days to ambulation and length of stay.

resultsNo technical difficulties were encountered during placement of the intercostal catheter. There was only one case of peri-catheter leakage. Mean pain score was 0.31 (range 0-2) on post-operative day 1 and was 0.00 by post-operative day 5. 16 patients (61.6%) required only oral rescue analgesia. The number of patients who required rescue non-opioids only increased from 1 in the first 7 months to 8 in the next 7 months. There were no cases of hypotension or urinary retention. Median time to ambulation was 1 day (range 1-2). Mean post-operative length of stay was 4.17 ± 2.50 days.

conclusionsIncorporation of an intercostal catheter into a multimodal analgesia strategy for UVATS is feasible and may provide adequate pain control with decreased opioid usage.

Indexed as

Postoperative PainThoracic Surgery, Video-AssistedAnalgesicsCathetersFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleAnalgesicsIntercostal catheterON-Q pain relief systemPostoperative recovery after thoracic surgerySubpleural analgesiaUniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (UVATS)

Identifiers

PMID34332605
PMCPMC8325303
OpenAlexW3188276631

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.