Sterile water injections for analgesia in renal colic: a meta-analysis of level 1 evidence
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of Sterile water injections (SWIs) for acute pain relief in renal colic.
Methods: This study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science and Cochrane were searched to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing SWIs with placebo or other analgesics in renal colic patients. Data were pooled and analysed using random effects modelling with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Results: Six RCTs including 1322 renal colic patients were included, with 466 (35.2%) receiving SWIs. Patients receiving SWIs had comparable demographics and presenting features to the control groups, with control medications ranging from placebos, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, and opioids. Self-reported pain scores at 30 min following intervention were lower in SWI than placebo (MD = - 4.63, 95% CI: - 5.16, - 4.10, P < 0.001) and other analgesics (MD = - 0.36, 95% CI: - 0.52, - 0.21, P < 0.001). The use of rescue analgesia was lower in those receiving SWIs compared to placebo (OR = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.10, 0.59, P = 0.002) and other analgesics (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.29, 0.74, P = 0.001). No significant side effects were attributed to SWI use.
Conclusions: SWIs demonstrated superior pain relief and reduced rescue analgesia requirements, compared to placebo and standard treatment, offering a promising alternative for patients where traditional options are unsuitable.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 1,322 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Effect of dexamethasone as an analgesic adjuvant to multimodal pain treatment after total knee arthroplasty: randomised clinical trial
- Effect of a Postoperative Multimodal Opioid-Sparing Protocol vs Standard Opioid Prescribing on Postoperative Opioid Consumption After Knee or Shoulder Arthroscopy: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- Comparison of the Post-Caesarean Analgesic Effect of Adding Dexmedetomidine to Paracetamol and Ketorolac: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- A triple-blind randomized clinical trial of different associations between dexamethasone and non-steroids anti-inflammatories for preemptive action in third molar extractions
- An open label randomized clinical trial of Indomethacin for mild and moderate hospitalised Covid-19 patients
- Oral paracetamol and/or ibuprofen for treating pain after soft tissue injuries: Single centre double-blind, randomised controlled clinical trial
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.