Table 2 Evidence profile for patients receiving erector spinae vs serratus anterior plane block in thoracic surgeries
Outcomes | Limitations | Inconsistency | Indirectness | Publication bias | Mean difference or RR [95% CI] | No of participants (studies) | Strength or certainty of the evidence (GRADE) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Postoperative Pain Scores (Static) at 24 h | No serious limitation | Moderate test for inconsistency (I2 = 65); resolution on sensitivity analysis | Not detected | Not detected | − 0.31 [− 0.57, − 0.05] | 485 (9) | ⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊕ High |
24-h postoperative oral morphine (mg) equivalent consumption | No serious limitation | High test for inconsistency (I2 = 90%); resolution on sensitivity analysis for subgroup “VATS” | Not detected | Not detected | − 19.75 [− 25.65, − 13.80] | 425 (8) | ⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊖ Moderate |
Pain scores (static) at 2 h | No serious limitation | High test for inconsistency (12 = 95%) | Not detected | Not detected | − 0.38 [− 0.94, 0.19] | 425 (8) | ⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊖ Moderate |
Pain scores (static) at 12 h | No serious limitation | High test for inconsistency (12 = 91%) | Not detected | Not detected | − 0.49 [− 0.94, − 0.04] | 291 (5) | ⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊖ Moderate |
Pain scores (dynamic) at 2 h | No serious limitation | Moderate test for inconsistency (12 = 72%) | Not detected | Not detected | − 0.53 [1.14, 0.08] | 269 (5) | ⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊖ Moderate |
Pain scores (dynamic) at 12 h | No serious limitation | Moderate test for inconsistency (12 = 46%) | Not detected | Not detected | − 0.72 [− 1.09, − 0.35] | 345 (4) | ⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊖ Moderate |
Pain scores (dynamic) at 24 h | No serious limitation | High test for inconsistency (12 = 78%) | Not detected | Not detected | − 0.64 [− 1.13, − 0.14] | 439 (6) | ⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊖ Moderate |
Time to request first dose of postoperative analgesia | No serious limitation | High test for inconsistency (12 = 99%) | Not detected | Not detected | 2.70 [1.64, 3.77] | 310 (6) | ⊕ ⊕ ⊕ Moderate |
Successful block on first attempt | No serious limitation | Moderate test for inconsistency (12 = 41%) | Not detected | Not detected | 0.92 [0.74, 1.14] | 119 (2) | ⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊖ Moderate |
Postoperative nausea | No serious limitation | Low test for inconsistency (12 = 0%) | Not detected | Not detected | 0.94 [0.61, 1.46] | 251 (5) | ⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊕ High |
Postoperative vomiting | No serious limitation | Low test for inconsistency (12 = 0%) | Not detected | Significant bias detected on Egger’s regression (p = 0.005) | 0.86 [0.56, 1.34] | 251 (5) | ⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊖ Moderate |
Hypotension | No serious limitation | Moderate test for inconsistency (12 = 63%) | Not detected | Not detected | 1.11 [0.17, 7.04] | 189 (4) | ⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊖ Moderate |