SynthesisCNS drugs2025
Comparative Effectiveness of Different Opioid Regimens, in Daily Dose or Treatment Duration, Prescribed at Surgical Discharge: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in CNS drugs, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Oxycodone combined with pulsed radiofrequency for refractory cancer pain from spinal metastases: a randomized controlled study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Trial
- Reduced opioids after total joint replacement surgery (REPAIRS): a pilot randomized controlled trial.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2025Trial
- Individualizing Perioperative Analgesia: Patient-Specific Determinants of Postoperative Pain and Opioid-Related Outcomes.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Review
- Expectations about pain management after discharge from total hip and knee replacement surgery: a qualitative study with patients and prescribers.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOpioids are prescribed for postsurgical pain management, but a balance between achieving adequate pain control and minimising opioid-related harm is required. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of different opioid regimens, in daily dose or treatment duration, prescribed at surgical discharge.
methodsA systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and ICTRP was performed from inception to 12 January 2025. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs comparing different daily doses or treatment durations of opioid analgesics were included. All surgeries were included, except those related to cancer treatment or palliative care. Eligible populations were adults (≥ 18 years) or individuals classified as adults according to the criteria of the respective studies. Data were extracted at immediate-term (≤ 3 days), short-term (> 3 to ≤ 7 days), medium-term (> 7 to ≤ 30 days), and long-term (> 30 days). Data from RCTs were pooled using a random-effects model. Risk of bias was assessed. Certainty of evidence from RCTs was evaluated with Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE). The primary outcome was pain intensity. Adverse events were also measured.
resultsA total of 8432 records were identified. In total, 12 RCTs with 7128 patients and 24 non-RCTs with 118,849 patients were included. Studies included orthopaedic, gynaecology and obstetric surgeries, ranging from minor to major procedures. Higher-doses of opioids were more effective than lower-doses in reducing immediate pain intensity (mean difference (MD) 4.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.50-8.23, n = 364, three studies, I
conclusionsHigher-dose opioids provide a slight reduction in immediate post-discharge pain intensity but may lead to more adverse events. Longer durations of opioid treatment are probably not more effective in reducing pain than shorter treatment durations. Our findings suggest that clinicians may choose to prescribe lower doses of opioids or shorter durations of opioids without compromising pain control, even for major surgery.
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Registered trials
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 Socratic graph.