Testing of pre-operative peripheral nerve blocks in randomised controlled trials: A scoping review protocol

BACKGROUND: Peripheral nerve blocks are widely used for anaesthesia in upper or lower limb surgery, but the methods used to assess their success vary substantially across randomised controlled trials. Standardised reporting of how peripheral nerve blocks are tested and how success is defined is essential for ensuring the validity and comparability of clinical research and correct clinical implementation of nerve blocks. This scoping review aims to map existing research practices and assess the extent to which trials provide reporting on peripheral nerve block evaluation.

METHODS: This scoping review will adhere to guidelines from the Joanna Briggs Institute and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). A comprehensive search will be conducted on the PubMed database for trials published in peer-reviewed journals of anaesthesia from 2014 onward. An online tool will be used for screening and data extraction. Outcomes include the proportion of trials that report whether peripheral nerve blocks were tested, describe testing methods, define successful blocks, and report success rates.

RESULTS: The results of the review will be presented descriptively and with tables where appropriate.

CONCLUSION: This protocol outlines a review exploring variability in the reporting of methods used to test peripheral nerve blocks. It aims to assist with the interpretation of clinical trials and possibly guide future research to facilitate comparison of findings between clinical trials.