Summary of findings 4. Conscious sedation and analgesia (CSA) + paracervical block (PCB) versus electro‐acupuncture + PCB.
| Conscious sedation and analgesia (CSA) plus PCB compared with electro‐acupuncture plus PCB for women undergoing oocyte retrieval for assisted reproduction | ||||||
| Patient or population: women undergoing oocyte retrieval for assisted reproduction Setting: assisted reproduction clinic Intervention: CSA + PCB Comparison: electro‐acupuncture + PCB | ||||||
| Outcomes | Anticipated absolute effects* (95% CI) | Relative effect (95% CI) | No. of participants (studies) | Quality of the evidence (GRADE) | Comments | |
| Risk with electro‐acupuncture + PCB |
Risk with CSA + PCB (95% CI) |
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| Intraoperative pain | Mean intraoperative pain score in the comparison group was 2.6 to 4.85 points on a 0 to 10 VAS. | Mean score in the CSA‐only group was 0.66 points lower (0.93 lower to 0.39 lower). | ‐ | 781 (4 RCTs) | ⊕⊕⊝⊝ LOWa,b | |
| Postoperative pain | No studies reported this outcome. | Not estimable | ‐ | ‐ | ||
| Pregnancy | 367 per 1000 | 358 per 1000 (295 to 428) |
OR 0.96 (0.72 to 1.29) |
783 (4 RCTs) | ⊕⊕⊝⊝ LOWa,c | |
| Patient satisfaction | No studies reported this outcome. | Not estimable | ‐ | ‐ | ||
| Side effects (postoperative vomiting and/or vomiting) | No studies reported this outcome. | Not estimable | ‐ | ‐ | ||
| Postoperative complications | No studies reported this outcome. | Not estimable | ‐ | ‐ | ||
| *The risk in the intervention group (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI). CI: confidence interval; OR: odds ratio; RCT: randomised controlled trial; VAS: visual analogue scale. | ||||||
| GRADE Working Group grades of evidence. High quality: We are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect. Moderate quality: We are moderately confident in the effect estimate: The true effect is likely to be close to the estimate of the effect, but there is a possibility that it is substantially different. Low quality: Our confidence in the effect estimate is limited: The true effect may be substantially different from the estimate of the effect. Very low quality: We have very little confidence in the effect estimate: The true effect is likely to be substantially different from the estimate of effect. | ||||||
aDowngraded one level for serious risk of bias: unclear risk of bias in one or two domains.
bDowngraded one level for serious inconsistency (I2 = 76%).
cDowngraded one level for serious imprecision: wide confidence intervals compatible with benefit in either group or no effect.