Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39853688›Full record

ReviewActa anaesthesiologica Scandinavica2025

High-dose glucocorticoids in the treatment of postoperative pain after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery-protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Bertram Vorm, Anni Nørgaard Jeppesen, Lene Mølgaard Hansen, Mads Lumholdt, Thomas Lass Klitgaard, Allan Vestergaard Danielsen, Peter Juhl-Olsen, Phillip Sperling, Jannie Bisgaard

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

9 authors.

Bertram VormDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.ORCID 0009-0009-8092-7167
Anni Nørgaard JeppesenDepartment of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Lene Mølgaard HansenDepartment of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID 0009-0003-1719-1608
Mads LumholdtDepartment of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0003-0450-329X
Thomas Lass KlitgaardDepartment of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-8781-1206
Allan Vestergaard DanielsenDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-3025-7873
Peter Juhl-OlsenDepartment of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0003-1951-9091
Phillip SperlingDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-7534-4671
Jannie BisgaardDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0001-6499-9691

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundVideo-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is widely used in lung cancer surgery, as this technique causes less pain and faster recovery than open thoracotomy. However, significant postoperative pain persists in a number of patients, often leading to increased opioid use and opioid-related adverse events in addition to prolonged admission times. Perioperatively administered glucocorticoids have been demonstrated effective in reducing pain after other types of surgeries, but the effect in VATS remains unclear.

methodsThis systematic review will assess the impact of glucocorticoids on postoperative pain in adult patients undergoing VATS. We will include randomised trials comparing higher doses of glucocorticoids to lower doses, placebo or no treatment. The review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis statement and Cochrane methodology. The certainty of evidence will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. The primary outcome is standardised dynamic pain scores within 24 h. Secondary outcomes are opioid use, time to first mobilisation, length of hospital stay and numeric rating score >3 at any point within the first 24 h following surgery. Exploratory outcomes are opioid-related adverse effects and glucocorticoid-related adverse effects classified in major and minor events. Data will be meta-analysed with sensitivity and subgroup analyses and trial sequential analyses. Furthermore, we will assess the risk of reporting bias and heterogeneity.

conclusionThis systematic review and meta-analysis will provide an overview of the current evidence of how glucocorticoids affect postoperative pain and recovery in adult patients undergoing VATS.

Indexed as

GlucocorticoidsPostoperative PainThoracic Surgery, Video-AssistedAnalgesics, OpioidHumansMeta-Analysis as TopicRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicResearch DesignSystematic Reviews as TopicAnalgesics, OpioidGlucocorticoidsglucocorticoidslung resection surgerymeta‐analysispostoperative painsystematic review

Identifiers

PMID39853688
PMCPMC11757097

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Registered trials

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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.