Table 2.
Results of meta-analysis.
| Outcomes | Studies | Participants | Effect estimate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MD (OR) and 95% CI | I 2 (%) | P | |||
| VAS score (before block) | 5 | 548 | −0.02 [−0.19, 0.16] | 15 | 0.85 |
| VAS score (15 min after block) | 2 | 240 | −2.15 [−3.53, −0.77] | 92 | 0.002 |
| VAS score (30 min after block) | 4 | 388 | −0.97 [−1.75, −0.19] | 93 | 0.01 |
| VAS score (60 min after block) | 3 | 238 | −1.03 [−2.17, 0.11] | 92 | 0.08 |
| VAS score (120 min after block) | 3 | 232 | −1.05 [−1.90, −0.20] | 86 | 0.02 |
| VAS score (at the moment of disengagement) | 3 | 379 | −0.96 [−1.46, −0.46] | 94 | 0.0002 |
| Time of first stage | 8 | 1305 | −18.51 [−37.26, 0.25] | 92 | 0.05 |
| Time of second stage | 8 | 1300 | 1.28 [−4.72, 7.28] | 97 | 0.68 |
| Mode of delivery | 7 | 674 | 1.13 [0.70, 1.81] | 0 | 0.62 |
| Onset of analgesia | 4 | 288 | 0.04 [−2.51, 2.58] | 93 | 0.98 |
| MAP (before block) | 4 | 477 | 0.68 [−1.08, 2.43] | 0 | 0.45 |
| MAP (15 min after block) | 3 | 327 | −0.93 [−8.32, 6.46] | 91 | 0.81 |
| MAP (30 min after block) | 3 | 317 | −0.92 [−3.78, 1.93] | 52 | 0.53 |
| MAP (60 min after block) | 2 | 167 | −3.05 [−6.16, 0.05] | 39 | 0.05 |
| MAP (120 min after block) | 2 | 161 | −3.74 [−6.75, −0.74] | 31 | 0.01 |
| MAP (at the moment of disengagement) | 2 | 229 | 0.32 [−8.83, 9.47] | 92 | 0.95 |
| HR (before the block) | 4 | 477 | −0.41 [−1.88, 1.05] | 0 | 0.58 |
| HR (15 min after block) | 3 | 327 | −3.33 [−10.53, 3.87] | 93 | 0.36 |
| HR (30 min after block) | 3 | 317 | −2.70 [−4.47, −0.92] | 48 | 0.003 |
| HR (60 min after block) | 2 | 167 | −5.83 [−7.78, −3.88] | 0 | <0.00001 |
| HR (120 min after block) | 2 | 161 | −4.90 [−6.66, −3.13] | 0 | <0.00001 |
| HR (at the moment of disengagement) | 2 | 229 | −1.21 [−12.73, 10.30] | 96 | 0.84 |
| Blood loss | 3 | 275 | −6.03 [−10.93, −1.13] | 0 | 0.02 |
| Motor block (modified Bromage scale) | 7 | 1162 | 0.29 [−0.37, 0.96] | 95 | 0.39 |
| Apgar score (1 min) | 4 | 437 | −0.01 [−0.11, 0.10] | 8 | 0.88 |
| Apgar score (5 min) | 5 | 587 | −0.00 [−0.07, 0.07] | 0 | 0.97 |
| Umbilical artery pH | 5 | 508 | 0 [−0.01, 0.02] | 0 | 0.72 |
| Umbilical artery PaO2 | 2 | 230 | 1.25 [−2.88, 5.37] | 96 | 0.55 |
| Incidence of maternal bradycardia | 8 | 1323 | 2.90 [1.04, 8.11] | 0 | 0.04 |
| Incidence of hypotension | 7 | 1173 | 1.11 [0.38, 3.20] | 37 | 0.85 |
| Incidence of nausea/vomiting | 9 | 1403 | 0.49 [0.30, 0.82] | 0 | 0.006 |
| Incidence of itching | 6 | 598 | 0.46 [0.12, 1.81] | 21 | 0.27 |
| Incidence of shivering | 3 | 201 | 0.96 [0.29, 3.16] | 0 | 0.95 |
| Incidence of urinary retention | 5 | 511 | 0.49 [0.22, 1.10] | 0 | 0.08 |
| Incidence of fetal heart rate abnormality | 4 | 464 | 0.91 [0.40, 2.04] | 0 | 0.82 |
MD, mean difference; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval; VAS, visual analog scale; MAP, mean arterial pressure; HR, heart rate.