Effectiveness of ondansetron as an adjunct to lidocaine intravenous regional anesthesia on tourniquet pain and postoperative pain in patients undergoing elective hand surgery: a systematic review protocol

Review question/objective The objective of this quantitative systematic review is to determine the effects of ondansetron as an adjunct to lidocaine on the tourniquet pain and postoperative pain of American Society of Anesthesiologists  class 1 or 2 adult patients undergoing elective hand surgery with intravenous regional anesthesia. Inclusion criteria Types of participants This quantitative systematic review will consider studies that included American Society of Anesthesiologists 1 or 2 patients aged 18 years or older who used ondansetron as an adjunct to lidocaine for intravenous regional anesthesia in elective hand surgery. Types of intervention(s)/phenomena of interest This quantitative systematic review will consider studies that evaluated the analgesic effectiveness of ondansetron admixed to lidocaine for intravenous regional anesthesia in patients undergoing elective hand surgery. Patients treated with the admixture of ondansetron and lidocaine for  Intravenous regional anesthesia  will be compared to those who were treated with lidocaine alone. Types of outcomes This quantitative systematic review will consider studies that include the following outcome measures: 1: Tourniquet pain as measured by time to onset of tourniquet pain; 2: Postoperative pain relief as measured by first analgesic requirement time. The first analgesic requirement time is defined as the time which has elapsed after tourniquet release to the first request by the patient for analgesic and is assessed via visual analogue score in two to six hour intervals up to 24 hours postoperatively.