Efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions in pain relief and opioid consumption after cardiac surgery: A systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions, including massage, for pain relief after cardiac surgery.
Results Summary
Massage was found to be effective for pain relief after cardiac surgery, though transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and acupressure ranked higher in efficacy. No significant reduction in opioid use or anxiety was observed with any intervention.
Population
Patients recovering from cardiac surgery (4,253 participants across 42 trials).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation | decrease | pain relief after cardiac surgery | patients after cardiac surgery | cumulative ranking curve surface, 0.97; probability, 77.03% | was associated with the best probability of successful pain relief | #1 |
Acupressure | decrease | pain relief after cardiac surgery | patients after cardiac surgery | cumulative ranking curve surface, 0.79; probability, 30.69% | was the second-best option | #2 |
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, acupressure, music and massage | decrease | pain relief after cardiac surgery | patients after cardiac surgery | - | were effective for pain relief | #3 |
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, acupressure, music and massage | decrease | postoperative cardiac pain | patients after cardiac surgery | - | may effectively alleviate postoperative cardiac pain | #4 |
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation | decrease | pain relief | patients after cardiac surgery | - | representing the best choice for pain relief | #5 |
any pair-up intervention | no change | opioid use | patients after cardiac surgery | no significant change | no evidence that any pair-up intervention significantly reduced | #6 |
any pair-up intervention | no change | anxiety | patients after cardiac surgery | no significant change | no evidence that any pair-up intervention significantly reduced | #7 |
OBJECTIVE: To investigate and rank the evidence for the efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions in relieving pain after cardiac surgery using comprehensive comparisons. BACKGROUND: Although several previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses showed that non-pharmacological interventions effectively control and reduce pain after cardiac surgery, none quantitatively compared the effect of these different types of interventions. DESIGN: Systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Network Meta-Analysis guidelines. METHODS: Six databases were searched from inception to April 2021 to collect all published evidence from randomised clinical trials. One author extracted the relevant information from the eligible trials; a second author independently reviewed the data. Before analysing the extracted data, two investigators independently assessed the quality of the included studies. Conventional meta-analysis was conducted using either fixed- or random-effects models according to statistical heterogeneity. The Bayesian network meta-analysis was conducted using the consistency model. RESULTS: We identified 42 randomised clinical trials comparing 14 groups with 4253 patients. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, acupressure, music and massage were effective for pain relief, with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation being associated with the best probability of successful pain relief after cardiac surgery (cumulative ranking curve surface, 0.97; probability, 77.03%). Acupressure (cumulative ranking curve surface, 0.79; probability, 30.69%) was the second-best option. However, there was no evidence that any pair-up intervention significantly reduced opioid use or anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, acupressure, music and massage may effectively alleviate postoperative cardiac pain, with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation representing the best choice for pain relief. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The results of this network meta-analysis can guide patients after cardiac surgery and healthcare providers to make optimal decisions in managing postoperative cardiac pain. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42021246183.