ReviewEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2021
Effect of Epidural Dexmedetomidine as an Adjuvant to Local Anesthetics for Labor Analgesia: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Review in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05327088 (Effect of Epidural Dexmedetomidine VS Nalbuphine for Labor Analgesia), which is not on this map. Cited by 12 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.
Effect of Epidural Dexmedetomidine VS Nalbuphine for Labor Analgesia
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Comparison of dexmedetomidine and opioids as local anesthetic adjuvants in patient controlled epidural analgesia: a meta-analysis.Korean journal of anesthesiology · 2024Pooled it
- Comparative efficacy of opioid and non-opioid analgesics in labor pain management: A network meta-analysis.PloS one · 2024Pooled it
- Determining the Optimal Volume of Ropivacaine Combined with Dexmedetomidine for Programmed Intermittent Epidural Bolus in Labor Analgesia: A Randomized Dose-Response Study.Drug design, development and therapy · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Determination of the Dose-Response Relationship of Epidural Dexmedetomidine Combined with Ropivacaine for Labor Analgesia.Drug design, development and therapy · 2022Trial
- Safety and Efficacy of Dexmedetomidine as an Adjuvant in Epidural Anesthesia for Labor Analgesia: A Narrative Review.Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Article
- Technical aspects of neuraxial analgesia during labor and maternity care: an updated overview.Journal of anesthesia, analgesia and critical care · 2025Review
- Labor Epidural Anesthesia and Postpartum Depression Risk: Prospective Observation Study and Mendelian Randomization Analysis.Drug design, development and therapy · 2025Observational
- Neuraxial Analgesia for Scoliosis Correction: A Case Series in a Specialised Children's Centre.Cureus · 2024Article
- The optimal dose of dexmedetomidine as a 0.59% ropivacaine adjuvant for epidural anesthesia in great saphenous varicose vein surgery, based on hemodynamics and anesthesia efficacy: a randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Article
- Treatment of breakthrough labor pain with epidural dexmedetomidine: a case series.Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical Center)Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThis study aims to determine the analgesic effect and safety of dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant to epidural local anesthetics during labor.
methodsRandomized controlled trials comparing epidural blocks with or without dexmedetomidine for labor analgesia were comprehensively searched. Review manager 5.4 was used to analyze the extracted data.
resultsCompared with placebo and opioids, dexmedetomidine relieved labor pain of 15 min (
conclusionsEpidural dexmedetomidine has the potential to offer a better analgesic effect than placebo, similar labor pain control to opioids, and has no definite adverse effects on the parturient or fetus, but more high-quality studies are needed to confirm these conclusions.
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.