Riassunto dello studio

Three randomized controlled trials containing 179 patients scheduled for hip fracture surgery were included in this meta-analysis comparing pre-operative epidural analgesia to other forms of analgesia for the management of pre-operative pain. The primary outcome of interest was pooled pre-operative pain. Secondary outcomes of interest included post-operative pain and adverse events. Tertiary outcomes included length of stay, time to achieve mobility, and length of stay in post-operative care unit. Results of the meta-analysis revealed no significant differences between epidural analgesia and systemic analgesia for pooled pre-operative pain (p=0.17). Secondary and tertiary outcomes of interest, as well as comparisons between epidural analgesia and 3-in-1 blockade, were unable to be performed due to limited data.