Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41142003›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in pediatrics2025

The effects of alfentanil on emergence agitation in children under general anesthesia: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Yuanling Xu, Kun Ding, Xuemei Zhao, Yingying Sun

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in pediatrics, 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. Trial
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

4 authors.

Yuanling XuDepartment of Anaesthesiology, Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Kun DingDepartment of Anaesthesiology, Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Xuemei ZhaoDepartment of Anaesthesiology, Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Yingying SunDepartment of Anaesthesiology, Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Emergence agitation (EA) is characterized by excessive reactivity and sensory impairment that occurs in children after general anesthesia. Alfentanil is a µ-opioid receptor with rapid onset and short duration, widely used in minor surgery. The aim of this meta-analysis is to assess the effect of alfentanil on the incidence of EA in children undergoing general anesthesia. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science databases were reviewed to search for related trials published before April 30, 2025. The primary outcome was the incidence of EA. Secondary outcomes included rescue analgesia, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), emergence time, extubation time, and time to discharge from post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). Results: The study extracted from 5 studies including 532 patients. Compared to saline, alfentanil reduced the incidence of EA in children (RR = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.42-0.70; Conclusions: Limited available evidence suggests that alfentanil is associated with a lower incidence of EA in children. However, further high-quality studies are needed to verify the effect of alfentanil in preventing the occurrence of EA in children undergoing general anesthesia. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42023448260, PROSPERO CRD42023448260.

Indexed as

alfentanilemergence agitationgeneral anesthesiapediatricreview

Identifiers

PMID41142003
PMCPMC12545061

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.