Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41693258›Full record

SynthesisAnaesthesia2026

Pain management after elective caesarean section under neuraxial anaesthesia: an updated systematic review and procedure-specific postoperative pain management (PROSPECT) recommendations.

Gillian Crowe, Benjamin Atterton, Eva Roofthooft, Girish P Joshi, Narinder Rawal, Christopher Wu, Axel R Sauter, Marie-Pierre Bonnet, Dominique Nuala Lucas, Marc Van de Velde and 1 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Anaesthesia, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07777029 (Subcutaneous Methadone for Cesarean Analgesia), which is not on this map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing 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.

NCT07777029 nanot yet recruitingnot on this map

Subcutaneous Methadone for Cesarean Analgesia: A Non-inferiority Study Using Quality of Recovery -10 Score.

TypeinterventionalSponsorClinica Alemana de SantiagoRan2026 to 2027Enrolled128ConditionsCesarean Section PainArmsMethadone 0.15 mg/kg, morphine
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. 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

11 authors.

Gillian CroweDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
Benjamin AttertonDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Eva RoofthooftDepartment of Anesthesiology, ZAS Sint-Augustinus - Sint-Vincentius Hospitals, Antwerp, Belgium.
Girish P JoshiDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
Narinder RawalInstitution for Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
Christopher WuDepartment of Anesthesiology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA.
Axel R SauterDepartment of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Marie-Pierre BonnetDepartment of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Perioperative Medicine, Sorbonne University, Armand-Trousseau Hospital, APHP, Paris, France, Universite Paris Cite, Inserm, Obstetrical, Perinatal and Paediatric Epidemiology Research Team (Epope), CRESS, Paris, France.
Dominique Nuala LucasDepartment of Anaesthesia, Northwick Park Hospital, London, UK.
Marc Van de VeldeDepartment of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
PROSPECT Working Group of the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionElective caesarean section is a common and painful procedure. Uncontrolled pain following caesarean section can profoundly and negatively on a wide range of patient and healthcare-centred outcomes. The aim of this systematic review was to update existing recommendations for postoperative pain management after elective caesarean section performed under neuraxial anaesthesia.

methodsA systematic review using the PROcedure SPEcific Postoperative Pain ManagemenT (PROSPECT) methodology was undertaken. Randomised trials evaluating the efficacy of analgesic, anaesthetic and surgical interventions were retrieved. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials were also reviewed. Trials evaluating pain management for emergency surgical deliveries or caesarean section performed under general anaesthesia were not included.

resultsSixty-one randomised controlled trials were included. For patients undergoing elective caesarean section performed under neuraxial anaesthesia, we recommend that clinicians administer intrathecal morphine 50-100 μg or diamorphine 300 μg pre-operatively, and paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and dexamethasone after delivery. If a neuraxial opioid is not administered, clinicians should use one of a range of recommended fascial plane blocks; alternatively, the wound should be infiltrated with local anaesthetic. The postoperative regimen should include regular paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, with opioids used for rescue. The surgical technique should include a Joel-Cohen incision. The peritoneum should not be closed. DISCUSSION: An analgesic regimen to manage pain safely and effectively after elective caesarean section based on up-to-date evidence is presented. Consideration has been given to balancing analgesic efficacy and potential adverse effects. Future research should determine the optimal dose of dexamethasone and epidural long-acting opioid, establish the most effective regional analgesic technique and develop standardised outcome sets to better compare techniques.

Indexed as

Anesthesia, ObstetricalAnesthesia, SpinalCesarean SectionPain ManagementPostoperative PainAnalgesics, OpioidElective Surgical ProceduresFemaleHumansPregnancyRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicAnalgesics, Opioidcaesarean deliverycaesarean sectionpainpostoperative analgesiapostoperative pain

Identifiers

PMID41693258
PMCPMC13161748

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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.