Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41560076›Full record

SynthesisMedicine2026

Efficacy of transmuscular quadratus lumborum block on postoperative nausea and vomiting: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Xiao Liang, Mingyue Chen, Shixiao Tang, Xinyu Feng, Dongxiao Huang

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

5 authors.

Xiao LiangDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Jiangnan University Medical Center (Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Affiliated Wuxi Clinical College of Nantong University), Wuxi, China.
Mingyue ChenDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Jiangnan University Medical Center (Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Affiliated Wuxi Clinical College of Nantong University), Wuxi, China.
Shixiao TangDepartment of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China.
Xinyu FengJiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
Dongxiao HuangDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Jiangnan University Medical Center (Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Affiliated Wuxi Clinical College of Nantong University), Wuxi, China.ORCID 0000-0001-7684-0899

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe use of transmuscular quadratus lumborum block (TQLB) offers potent pain relief in surgical interventions; nonetheless, the evidence is inadequate to prove its benefits in treating nausea and vomiting. This meta-analysis aimed to calculate the impact of TQLB on postoperative nausea and vomiting.

methodsTwo investigators carried out investigations for randomized controlled trials from Embase, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library, respectively. We used Review Manager software for the meta-analysis.

resultsTwelve trials with 725 patients were included. The incidences of postoperative nausea (risk ratio [RR]: 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44-0.78) and postoperative vomiting (RR: 0.29, 95% CI: 0.09-0.88) in the TQLB group were notably less than those in the control group without publication bias as high-quality evidence evaluated by Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation. TQLB could reduce the rest (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -0.53, 95% CI: -0.89 to -0.17) and activity (SMD: -0.48, 95% CI: -0.78 to -0.18). Numeric rating scale at the 6 hours after the operation, the rest and activity visual analogue scale (VAS) at both of the 6 hours (rest VAS: SMD: -1.01, 95% CI: -1.91 to -0.11; activity VAS: SMD: -0.89, 95% CI: -1.48 to -0.30) and 24 hours (rest VAS: SMD: -0.64, 95% CI: -1.15 to -0.12; activity VAS: SMD: -1.74, 95% CI: -2.39 to -1.10) after the surgery. TQLB could shorten the time to first ambulation (SMD: -0.54, 95% CI: -0.96 to -0.11), intestinal movement (SMD: -1.06, 95% CI: -1.43 to -0.69), and length of hospital stay (SMD: -0.89, 95% CI: -1.32 to -0.45). TQLB could notably decrease the incidence of rescue analgesia administration (RR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.27-0.88) and increase the satisfaction degree (RR: 4.10, 95% CI: 2.41-6.99). The generalizability and interpretation of these results are constrained by the study's limited sample size, the exploratory analysis of secondary endpoints, and potential heterogeneity.

conclusionTQLB may decrease the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, enhance postoperative pain management, accelerate postoperative recovery, and increase the satisfaction degree of patients. These benefits highlight the potential efficacy of TQLB to ensure safer and faster recovery following surgical procedures as high-quality evidence.

Indexed as

Nerve BlockPostoperative Nausea and VomitingAbdominal MusclesHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as Topicmeta-analysisnauseatransmuscular quadratus lumborum blockvomiting

Identifiers

PMID41560076
PMCPMC12826255

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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 Socratic graph.