Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41299290›Full record

ArticleBMC anesthesiology2025

Dexmedetomidine versus ketamine as adjuvants in external oblique intercostal plane block for post thoracotomy pain: a randomised trial.

Saad Ahmed Moharam, Mohammed Said ElSharkawy, Ahmed Shehata Abdelhamid, Asmaa Abdelbadie, Neveen A Kohaf, Mohamed Abd El Rahman Elgaria, Amr Attia, Ahmed Mohamed Elkashef

Registry-linked trialAbstract readEquivalence Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC anesthesiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06331182 (Comparison Between Role of Dexmedetomidine and Ketamine as an Adjuvant in External Oblique Intercostal Plane Block for Post Thoracotomy Pain), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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.

NCT06331182 nacompletednot on this map

Comparison Between Role of Dexmedetomidine and Ketamine as an Adjuvant in External Oblique Intercostal Plane Block for Post Thoracotomy Pain: A Randomized Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorTanta UniversityRan2024 to 2024Enrolled40ConditionsDexmedetomidine, Ketamine, External Oblique Intercostal Plane Block, Post Thoracotomy PainArmsKetamine, Dexmedetomidine, Bupivacaine
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

8 authors.

Saad Ahmed MoharamAnesthesiology, Surgical Intensive Care and Pain Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, 31511, Egypt.
Mohammed Said ElSharkawyAnesthesiology, Surgical Intensive Care and Pain Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, 31511, Egypt. mselsharkawy@med.tanta.edu.eg.
Ahmed Shehata AbdelhamidAnaesthesia and Intensive care Department, Faculty of Medicine, Port Said University, Port Said, Egypt.
Asmaa AbdelbadieClinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Nahda University, Beni Suef, Egypt.
Neveen A KohafClinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
Mohamed Abd El Rahman ElgariaCardiothoracic Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
Amr AttiaCardiothoracic Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
Ahmed Mohamed ElkashefAnesthesiology, Surgical Intensive Care and Pain Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, 31511, Egypt.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe external oblique intercostal plane block (EOIPB) is a novel block that targets explicitly the intercostal nerves to provide pain relief, reduce opioid use, and improve postoperative recovery. This study evaluated the effectiveness of dexmedetomidine (Dex) and Ketamine as adjuvants in EOIPB for post-thoracotomy pain (PTP).

methodsThis double-blind, randomised trial involved forty adults undergoing open thoracotomy. Cases were distributed equally into two groups. The Ketamine group received bupivacaine 0.25% with Ketamine, while the Dex group received bupivacaine 0.25% with dexmedetomidine.

resultsPatient-required intraoperative fentanyl consumption was not different between groups. Dex provided superior postoperative analgesia to Ketamine, with significantly lower pain scores at 8 h (median 2 vs. 3, p = 0.001) and 12 h (p = 0.035). Time to first rescue analgesia was prolonged (14.65 ± 2.25 vs. 10.26 ± 1.73 h, p < 0.001), and morphine consumption was notably reduced in the Dex group at both 24 h (5.4 ± 1.57 vs. 6.95 ± 1.43 mg, p = 0.003) and 48 h (7.95 ± 1.47 vs. 9.95 ± 1.43 mg, p < 0.001). The two groups did not exhibit any substantial variations in patient satisfaction and the incidences of bradycardia, hypotension, and postoperative nausea and vomiting.

conclusionsAs an adjuvant in EOIPB, Dex is superior to Ketamine. It provides a longer duration of analgesia, significantly reduces postoperative opioid consumption, and results in lower pain scores at specific time intervals, without a significant difference in adverse effects.

trial registrationRegistration at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT06331182) Date of registration: 2024-03-17.

Indexed as

DexmedetomidineKetamineNerve BlockPostoperative PainThoracotomyAdultAnalgesics, OpioidAnesthetics, LocalBupivacaineDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansIntercostal NervesMaleMiddle AgedAnalgesics, OpioidAnesthetics, LocalBupivacaineDexmedetomidineKetamineAdjuvantDexmedetomidineExternal oblique intercostal plane blockKetaminePainThoracotomy

Identifiers

PMID41299290
PMCPMC12670744

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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.