Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41696379›Full record

ArticleIndian journal of anaesthesia2026

Analgesic efficacy of erector spinae plane block compared with paravertebral block in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

M S Sarathkumar, Divya Jain, Venkata Ganesh, Ashok Kumar, G Karnika, Preethy J Mathew

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Indian journal of anaesthesia, 2026. 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. Article
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

6 authors.

M S SarathkumarSenior Resident, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4360-726X
Divya JainProfessor, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3085-1802
Venkata GaneshAssistant Professor, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5670-7932
Ashok KumarTutor, National Institute of Nursing Education, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1691-4953
G KarnikaResident, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3006-8723
Preethy J MathewProfessor, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3792-0401

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background and Aims: Paravertebral block (PVB) and erector spinae plane block (ESPB) are commonly used truncal blocks for thoracic and upper abdominal surgeries in adults and children. ESPB is a superficial block, easy to perform, and relatively safe with fewer complications compared to PVB, which is a deeper block, requiring more technical expertise. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to generate evidence on the analgesic efficacy of ESPB compared with PVB. Methods: The protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar for RCTs comparing ESPB with PVB in children from inception to date. Time to first rescue analgesic dose was taken as the primary outcome. Analgesic consumption in the first 24 h in the postoperative period, pain scores at different time intervals, and postoperative complications were recorded as secondary outcomes. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed in R (REML estimator), reporting pooled effect, 95% confidence interval (CI), τ², I², and the Q test for heterogeneity. Results: Four trials ( Conclusion: The evidence suggests PVB prolongs postoperative analgesia compared to ESPB in children, but with an increased rate of complications.

Indexed as

Analgesiachilderector spinae plane blockintraoperative complicationsmeta-analysispain managementparavertebral blockregional anaesthesiasurgical proceduresultrasonography

Identifiers

PMID41696379
PMCPMC12900236

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

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.