Cardiothoracic & vascular anesthesia
Ultrasound‐Guided Superficial Parasternal Intercostal Plane Block for Early Pain Management in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery—A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors' conclusion
In this randomized controlled trial a single-shot SPIP block did not reduce the 24-h cumulative opioid consumption after cardiac surgery.
Study context
- Population
- Elective patients scheduled for aortic valve replacement via full sternotomy
- Participants
- 74 patients
- Comparison
- Preoperative SPIP block with ropivacaine vs saline
- Primary endpoint
- Cumulative oxycodone consumption
- Follow-up
- First 24 postoperative hours
Methodological detailsplacebo-controlled, single-centre (tertiary referral hospital)
- Placebo-controlled
- Single-centre (tertiary referral hospital)
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
24-h cumulative oxycodone consumption · 24 h
Not significantly different between groups (group values as printed; the abstract does not state which group each value belongs to)
93.8 mg ± 33.3 vs. 109.4 mg ± 37.9
Secondary outcomes
| Outcome | SPIP | Saline | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRS pain at rest · 4Reduced with SPIP | 3.3 ± 2.4 | 5.0 ± 1.8 | P = 0.002 |
Vasopressor and antiemetic need, bowel function recovery, intensive care unit (ICU) time, block-related complications
- No differences found
Original publication
Ultrasound‐Guided Superficial Parasternal Intercostal Plane Block for Early Pain Management in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery—A Randomized Controlled Trial. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. Published 13 May 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →