Comparative efficacy of ultrasound guidance or conventional anatomical landmarks for neuraxial puncture in adult patients: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: Preprocedural, real-time, and computer-aided three-dimensional ultrasound has been widely used for neuraxial puncture; however, the optimal guidance is unclear. We examined the comparative efficacy of three ultrasound guidance and anatomical landmarks for neuraxial puncture in adults.
Methods: We searched for randomised controlled studies comparing the efficacy of ultrasound guidance and anatomical landmarks for neuraxial puncture in adults using electronic databases and unpublished studies. The primary outcomes were first-pass success and patient satisfaction. A random-effects network meta-analysis (NMA) was used.
Results: We identified 74 eligible studies (7090 patients). Preprocedural ultrasound and real-time ultrasound-guided neuraxial puncture improved first-pass success compared with anatomical landmarks (risk ratio [RR] 1.6; 95% credible interval [CrI] 1.3-1.9; RR 1.9; 95% CrI 1.3-2.9, respectively, moderate confidence). Computer-aided ultrasound-guided neuraxial puncture also increased first-pass success (RR 1.8; 95% CrI 0.97-3.3, low confidence), although estimates were imprecise. However, real-time ultrasound-guided neuraxial puncture resulted in minimal difference in first-pass success compared with preprocedural ultrasound (RR 1.2; 95% CrI 0.8-1.8, moderate confidence). Preprocedural ultrasound improved patient satisfaction slightly compared with anatomical landmark use (standardised mean differences 0.28; 95% CrI 0.092-0.47, low confidence).
Conclusions: This NMA provides evidence supporting ultrasound-guided neuraxial puncture compared with use of anatomical landmarks, including indirect comparisons. Among the three ultrasound guidance methods, preprocedural ultrasound appears to be a better adjunctive option.
(Copyright © 2023 British Journal of Anaesthesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)