SynthesisFrontiers in neurology2025
Comparative effectiveness of nerve block strategies for preventing postherpetic neuralgia in thoracic herpes zoster: a network meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Efficacy and safety of ozone autohemotherapy for zoster-associated pain: a meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis.Frontiers in neurologyPooled it
- The Effect of Personalized Oral Health Education on Oral Hygiene Behavior and Periodontal Health: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.International journal of dentistry · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Shingles is a common global disease, with the chest region being one of its most frequently affected areas. Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is one of the most common and debilitating complications of this disease, characterized by high incidence, prolonged duration, and treatment resistance, severely affecting patients' daily life and quality of life. Currently, research on the prevention of PHN remains limited. Nerve block, as a promising intervention, has been widely applied in clinical pain management. However, there is still no consensus on the efficacy and safety of different nerve block techniques for the prevention of chest-related PHN, warranting further systematic evaluation and comparison. Methods: A network meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4 and Stata 18.0, analyzing data from nine studies retrieved from four English-language databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Result: This study included a total of 9 randomized controlled trials, involving 741 patients with chest herpes zoster and 8 different interventions. The results of the network meta-analysis indicated that the top three interventions in terms of total effective rate were: PVB: Amide local anesthetics + Methylene blue > PVB: Methylene blue > ESPB: Amide local anesthetics + Glucocorticoid. In terms of pain level, as assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale, the top three interventions were: PVB: Amide local anesthetics + Glucocorticoid > PVB: Amide local anesthetics > ESPB: Amide local anesthetics + Glucocorticoid. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that PVB is superior to ESPB in both reducing VAS scores and improving the total effective rate. Among the interventions, PVB: Amide local anesthetics + Methylene blue demonstrated the best performance in terms of total effective rate, while PVB: Amide local anesthetics + Glucocorticoid showed the most significant effect in reducing VAS scores. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42024604329.
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Registered trials
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