Comparison of splanchnic nerve block vs celiac plexus block for upper abdominal tumor pain relief and quality of life: A prospective, randomized and comparative study.

Background and Objectives: Patients now live longer thanks to advanced cancer treatments and early cancer identification. In this study, the efficacy of celiac plexus and splanchnic nerve blocks for pain management and quality of life in patients with upper abdominal malignancies at three months is compared. Material and Methods: This prospective, randomized trial compared the efficaciousness of a splanchnic nerve block vs a celiac plexus block for managing excruciating pain, as well as the side effects associated with both neurolytic blocks. This study was carried out at the Department of Anaesthesiology, Kurnool Medical College, Andhra Pradesh, India. From the patients who are part of this investigation, informed permission was acquired. Using data from the pilot study conducted between August 2022 to July 2023, a sample size of 20 was chosen. Results: Out of 60, a total of 20 patients that were evaluated for eligibility, 10 individuals were found to not meet the necessary inclusion criteria, while an additional 10 patients chose not to partake in the study. A total of sixty patients were randomly assigned to groups over the course of the trial. Group SNB consisted of 10 patients, while Group CPB also included 10 patients. In order to elucidate the descriptive data statistics, the frequency analysis method was employed for categorical variables, while the mean and standard deviation were utilized for continuous variables. Conclusion: The statistical data and findings of this study demonstrate that a splanchnic nerve block exhibits clinical comparability to a celiac plexus block, but with statistically significant discrepancies that hold little clinical significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]