Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42020531›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of clinical pharmacology2026

Intraperitoneal dexamethasone as an adjuvant to local anesthesia in laparoscopic surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Mohamed Saad Rakab, Basim Alshahrani, Mukhtar Shaybah Alshanqiti, Abdulillah Mohammed Al Rashoud, Joori Badi Rasheed Alanazi, Basel Ayed Almutairi, Mohammad Nahar Alshammiri, Ali Ahmed Alshamrani, Anas Ied Alenezi, Mohammed Adel Alherz and 2 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of clinical pharmacology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the 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.

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

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

12 authors.

Mohamed Saad RakabDepartment of Clinical Research and Scientific Services, Publication Hub, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. mohamedrikab2000@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2735-7483
Basim AlshahraniCollege of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mukhtar Shaybah AlshanqitiCollege of Medicine, Taibah University, Madinah, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulillah Mohammed Al RashoudCollege of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Joori Badi Rasheed AlanaziCollege of medicine, Northern Boarders University, Arar, Saudi Arabia.
Basel Ayed AlmutairiCollege of Medicine, Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammad Nahar AlshammiriRoyal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Manamah, Bahrain.
Ali Ahmed AlshamraniArabian Gulf University, Manamah, Bahrain.
Anas Ied AleneziCollege of medicine, Northern Boarders University, Arar, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed Adel AlherzCollege of medicine, Tanta university, Tanta, Egypt.
Abdullah Mulfi AlharbiCollege of Medicine, Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia.
Jaber Aabdullah AlshahraniConsultant Family Medicine and Medical Education, Ministry of Defense Health Services, Armed Forces Hospital Southern Region, Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDexamethasone is commonly added to local anesthetic–based perioperative regimens to improve postoperative analgesia and reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), but the consistency of benefit across procedures remains uncertain.

methodsWe performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing dexamethasone-containing regimens versus the same local anesthetic without dexamethasone. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were searched. Outcomes included pain scores at prespecified postoperative timepoints (1–24 h), rescue analgesia use and timing, and PONV. Random-effects models were applied.

resultsNine trials were included from 902 records. Most were laparoscopic cholecystectomy, with one bariatric-surgery trial and one hysterectomy trial; comparisons were generally balanced (20–52 patients/arm). Pain scores significantly favored dexamethasone addition at 1 h (MD − 0.75), 2 h (MD − 0.84), 4 h (MD − 1.91), 12 h (MD − 1.12), and 24 h (MD − 1.28), but heterogeneity was substantial to high across timepoints (I² ≈72%–96%) and prediction intervals generally crossed the null. Rescue analgesia use within 0–24 h was significantly reduced with the addition of dexamethasone (RR 0.85), and time to first rescue analgesia was longer (MD 169 min). PONV was consistently lower with dexamethasone (RR 0.28) with no heterogeneity observed.

conclusionsDexamethasone reduces PONV reliably and may improve postoperative pain, rescue analgesia requirements and PONV, although analgesic effects are inconsistent across trials.

Indexed as

Adjuvants, AnesthesiaAnesthesia, LocalAnesthetics, LocalAntiemeticsDexamethasoneLaparoscopyPostoperative Nausea and VomitingPostoperative PainHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicAdjuvants, AnesthesiaAnesthetics, LocalAntiemeticsDexamethasoneDexamethasoneIntraperitonealLaparoscopic SurgeryLocal AnesthesiaMeta-Analysis

Identifiers

PMID42020531

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

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.