Comparison of analgesic efficacy of continuous transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block with continuous epidural analgesia in renal transplant recipients.
Ojha, H., et al.Saudi Journal of Anaesthesia 2025; 19(1): 45-51.
Aims
This study aimed to compare continuous transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block versus continuous epidural analgesia in kidney transplant recipients.
Interventions
Participants were randomised to either the TAP block group or the epidural group.
Participants
62 patients that underwent live living donor kidney transplantation.
Outcomes
The main outcomes of interest were numerical pain rating score, fentanyl consumption and haemodynamic parameters (heart rate, blood pressure) and patient satisfaction.
Follow-up
24 hours post-operation
CET Conclusions
This is a small clinical trial of two continuous anaesthetic infiltrations. The patients and clinicians could not be blinded, understandably. The study was powered to show non-inferiority of TAP block. The study outcomes were primarily subjective, and as the study was unblinded the conclusions are weakened by this. There did not appear to be any significant differences in the effectiveness of the continuous epidural and TAP block anaesthetic techniques.
Data analysis
Strict intention-to-treat analysis
Trial registration
CTRI/2016/12/007577