Topics and Trends in Most Cited Anesthesia and Pain Management Papers, Class of 2026

What topics and trends defined most-cited Anesthesia and Pain Management research in the Class of 2026?

Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia, bupivacaine, multimodal analgesia, and opioid-sparing effect define the Class of 2026 anesthesia cohort, with nerve blocks, numeric rating scales, and propofol induction co-prominent. Ultrasound-guided blocks and bupivacaine rose sharply from Class of 2025, while randomized controlled trial framing, esketamine, and cesarean-delivery studies receded among top-cited papers.

See details ↓

Updated July 13, 2026

At a glance

Field: Anesthesia and Pain Management
Cohort label: Class of 2026 (2024 publications)
Papers analyzed: 9,014
Papers ranked: 20
Top topics in ranked papers: Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia, bupivacaine, multimodal analgesia, opioid-sparing effect, numeric rating scale
Publication window: Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024
Eligibility: Research articles; reviews excluded
Citation window: 18 months post-publication
18m citation range: 18–38
Data source: OpenAlex · Retrieved Jul 2026
License: CC BY 4.0

Rankings

20 papers ranked by 18-month citation count

#1 of 9,014

3818m citations

Anaesthetic efficacy and postinduction hypotension with remimazolam compared with propofol: a multicentre randomised controlled trial

J Fechner et al.Anaesthesia202410.1111/anae.16205

CorrespondingJ. FechnerInstitutionthe Surgery Under Remimazolam -Total IntraVenous Anaesthesia (SURE-TIVA) Trial Group, Spain

remimazolamPropofolTotal intravenous anesthesia (TIVA)Postinduction hypotensionNarcotrend Indexnon-inferiority trialASA physical status 3 or 4elective surgeryNoradrenalineShort-acting benzodiazepineAnaesthetic depth monitoringcomorbidityAnesthesia inductionHemodynamic stabilityphase 3 clinical trial

#2 of 9,014

3718m citations

Complication Rates After Ultrasonography-Guided Nerve Blocks Performed in the Emergency Department

Andrew Goldsmith et al.JAMA Network Open202410.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.44742

CorrespondingAndrew GoldsmithInstitutionLahey Hospital and Medical Center, United States

Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesiaEmergency department procedural safetyNational Ultrasound-Guided Nerve Block RegistryMultimodal analgesiaFascia iliaca blockLocal anesthetic systemic toxicityIntralipid rescue therapyRetrospective multicenter observational registryComplication ratePostoperative pain scoresOpioid consumption reductionResident physician procedural trainingAcute pain management

#3 of 9,014

3618m citations

Opioid Prescribing for Acute Pain Management in Children and Adolescents in Outpatient Settings: Clinical Practice Guideline

Scott E Hadland et al.PEDIATRICS202410.1542/peds.2024-068752

CorrespondingScott E HadlandInstitutionMass General for Children, United States

Opioid prescribing guidelinesacute pain management in childrenAmerican Academy of Pediatrics clinical practice guidelineOpioid use disorder riskopioid poisoning and overdoseracial disparities in pain treatmentMultimodal analgesianonopioid medicationsNonpharmacologic pain interventionsimmediate-release opioid formulationscodeine contraindicationstramadol contraindicationsobstructive sleep apnea risk factortonsillectomy and adenoidectomy postsurgical painbreastfeeding and opioid usechronic pain history in acute pain treatmentopioid tapering harmsnaloxone provisionsafe opioid storage and disposalkey action statements

#4 of 9,014

3218m citations

Perioperative Adjunctive Esketamine for Postpartum Depression Among Women Undergoing Elective Cesarean Delivery

Yu Chen et al.JAMA Network Open202410.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.0953

CorrespondingXiaodan WuInstitutionFujian Medical University, China

esketaminepostpartum depression preventionperioperative adjunctive administrationcesarean deliveryEdinburgh Postnatal Depression ScaleIntravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA)randomized controlled trialintention-to-treat analysisNumeric Rating Scalesingle intravenous injection post-fetal deliverypostpartum day 7 outcome assessmentperinatal mental health interventionNMDA receptor antagonistantidepressant effect durationChinese Clinical Trial Registrypostoperative pain on movementadverse event monitoring

#5 of 9,014

3018m citations

Serratus Anterior Plane Blocks for Early Rib Fracture Pain Management

Christopher Partyka et al.JAMA Surgery202410.1001/jamasurg.2024.0969

CorrespondingChristopher PartykaInstitutionRoyal North Shore Hospital, Australia

Serratus anterior plane blockRib fracture pain managementBlunt thoracic traumaRegional anesthesiaProtocolized care bundleOpioid consumption reductionComposite pain score outcomeOral morphine equivalentsrandomized controlled trialPragmatic randomized clinical trialintention-to-treat analysisHemithorax analgesiaPneumonia incidence in rib fracture patientslength of hospital stayveterinary anesthesia-related mortalityComplete-case analysisACTRN12621000040864

#6 of 9,014

3018m citations

Injectable Hydrogel Delivery System with High Drug Loading for Prolonging Local Anesthesia

Yongchun Li et al.Advanced Science202410.1002/advs.202309482

CorrespondingJie Liu, Jingdun XieInstitutionSun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, China

injectable hydrogel delivery systemheterogeneous hydrogel microspheresropivacainemicrofluidic chip fabricationin situ alkalizationself-healing hydrogel matrixcarboxymethylcellulose modification (CMC-ADH)oxidized hyaluronic acid (OHA)dexmedetomidine co-deliverycore-shell microsphere structuresustained local anesthetic deliveryhigh drug loading capacityPeripheral nerve blockssensory blockade durationmotor blockade durationsynergistic analgesiaPostoperative pain managementOpioid consumption reduction

#7 of 9,014

2918m citations

Chronic postsurgical pain

Valeria Martinez et al.European Journal of Anaesthesiology202410.1097/eja.0000000000001974

CorrespondingDominique FletcherInstitutionRaymond Poincaré Hospital, France

Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP)breast cancer surgerysternotomyendometriosis surgerytotal knee arthroplastypredictive scoring system for CPSPneuropathic pain componentpre-operative painprospective observational studyNIT-1 study6-month pain incidenceQuality of life assessmentpsychological and functional wellbeingrisk factors for chronic painPatient surveyleg pain after TKAabdominal pain after endometriosis surgeryclinicaltrials.gov NCT03834922

#8 of 9,014

2718m citations

Trends in Opioid Prescribing and New Persistent Opioid Use After Surgery in the United States

Alexandra O Luby et al.Annals of Surgery202410.1097/sla.0000000000006461

CorrespondingAlexandra O. Luby, Dominic Alessio-Bilowus, Hsou Mei Hu, Jennifer F. WaljeeInstitutionUniversity of Michigan, United States

Persistent opioid usePostoperative opioid prescribingOpioid-naive patientsOral morphine equivalentsHealth Care Cost Institute (HCCI) claims dataretrospective cohort studyMulti-payer claims data analysisMixed effects logistic regressionOpioid stewardshiptotal knee arthroplastyShoulder arthroscopyOrthopedic surgeryPreoperative nonopioid controlled substance usePostoperative complicationInitial opioid prescription sizeLong-term opioid use riskOpioid prescribing trends 2013-2021odds ratioPrivately insured adult patientsDose-response relationship between prescription size and persistent use

#9 of 9,014

2718m citations

Comparison of opioid‐free and opioid‐inclusive propofol anaesthesia for thyroid and parathyroid surgery: a randomised controlled trial

Dan Wang et al.Anaesthesia202410.1111/anae.16382

CorrespondingKe PengInstitutionFirst Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, China

Opioid-free anesthesiaPropofolPostoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV)thyroid surgeryparathyroid surgeryesketaminelidocainedexmedetomidinesufentanilBispectral index (BIS)DexamethasoneondansetronMultimodal analgesiaacetaminophenflurbiprofen axetilantiemetic usepostoperative hypotensionHypoxemiatime to extubationPatient satisfaction

#10 of 9,014

2718m citations

Intravenous Lidocaine for Gut Function Recovery in Colonic Surgery

Hugh Paterson et al.JAMA202410.1001/jama.2024.23898

CorrespondingHugh PatersonInstitutionUniversity of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

intravenous lidocaine infusionminimally invasive colon resectionreturn of gut functionGI-3 composite end pointGI-2 recoverypostoperative ileusrandomized controlled trialALLEGRO trialpostoperative nausea and vomiting scoreOverall Benefit of Analgesia Score (OBAS)Postoperative opioid consumptionQuality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15)EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Levelenhanced recovery after surgerytime to discharge readinesselective colectomyPerioperative pain managementsaline placebo controlcolonic surgery recovery

#11 of 9,014

2418m citations

Cardiac arrest in obstetric patients receiving anaesthetic care: results from the 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists

D N Lucas et al.Anaesthesia202410.1111/anae.16204

CorrespondingD. N. LucasInstitutionLondon North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, United Kingdom

7th National Audit Project (NAP7)peri-operative cardiac arrestObstetric anesthesiaNeuraxial anesthesiaLabour analgesiaremifentanil patient-controlled analgesiaSpinal anesthesiahigh neuraxial blockbradyarrhythmiahaemorrhageincidence estimationfailed airway managementresuscitation adequacynational audit methodologyParturientsveterinary anesthesia-related mortalitycardiac arrest incidence comparison

#12 of 9,014

2418m citations

EXPERIENCE OF THE ULTRASOUND-ASSISTED NERVE BLOCKADE OF THE FASCIAL PLANE BY ERECTOR SPINE BLOCK IN ACUTE PANCREATITIS

M. А. Shapkin et al.Scientific research of the SCO countries: synergy and integration202410.34660/inf.2023.35.17.077

CorrespondingM. А. ShapkinInstitutionBuyanov Moscow City Clinical Hospital, RU

Erector spinae plane block (ESPB)Ultrasound-guided fascial plane nerve blockAcute pancreatitisRegional anesthesia for abdominal pain

#13 of 9,014

2318m citations

Addition of Liposomal Bupivacaine to Standard Bupivacaine versus Standard Bupivacaine Alone in the Supraclavicular Brachial Plexus Block: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Timmy Chi Wing Chan et al.Anesthesiology202410.1097/aln.0000000000005035

CorrespondingStanley Sau Ching WongInstitutionUniversity of Hong Kong, China

bupivacainesupraclavicular brachial plexus blockRegional anesthesiadistal radial fracture fixationAcute postoperative painweighted area under curve pain scoreNumeric Rating ScaleOverall Benefit of Analgesia Score (OBAS)Sensory assessmentpostoperative analgesia durationsustained local anesthetic delivery

#14 of 9,014

2118m citations

Pharmacogenetic Approaches in Personalized Medicine for Postoperative Pain Management

Maria Leonor Ferreira do Couto et al.Biomedicines202410.3390/biomedicines12040729

CorrespondingDaniel Humberto PozzaInstitutionUniversity of Porto, Portugal

PharmacogeneticsGenotype-guided therapyPostoperative pain managementopioid consumptionOPRM1 gene mutationCYP2D6 polymorphismCYP2C9 polymorphismCOMT gene variationABCB1 gene variationanalgesic efficacyPerioperative carePersonalized medicineOpioid prescribingDrug metabolism enzymes

#15 of 9,014

2018m citations

An Engineered Bionic Nanoparticle Sponge as a Cytokine Trap and Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenger to Relieve Disc Degeneration and Discogenic Pain

Wenbo Yang et al.ACS Nano202410.1021/acsnano.3c08097

CorrespondingZengwu Shao, Xiangcheng Qing, Yizhong PengInstitutionHuazhong University of Science and Technology, China

MnO2@TMNP nanomaterialMnO2 nanoparticlesTrkA-overexpressing macrophage membrane coatingcytokine trapreactive oxygen species scavengingM1 macrophage polarizationnucleus pulposus cell apoptosisNerve growth factor bindingsensory nerve ingrowthextracellular matrix degradationRat intervertebral disc degeneration modeldiscogenic painmechanical hyperalgesiathermal hyperalgesiacalcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)Substance Pdorsal root ganglionGlial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP)c-FOS signalingBiomimetic nanoparticle

#16 of 9,014

2018m citations

Comparison of remimazolam-based and propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia on hemodynamics during anesthesia induction in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement: a randomized controlled trial

Taichi Kotani et al.Journal of Anesthesia202410.1007/s00540-024-03311-x

CorrespondingMitsuru IdaInstitutionNara Medical University, Japan

remimazolamPropofolTotal intravenous anesthesia (TIVA)transcatheter aortic valve replacementHemodynamic stabilityPostinduction hypotensionaortic valve stenosis patientsvasopressor requirementblood pressure fluctuationheart rate variability during induction

#17 of 9,014

2018m citations

Unilateral sacral erector spinae plane block for hip fracture surgery

F Marrone et al.Anaesthesia Reports202410.1002/anr3.12269

CorrespondingFrancesco MarroneInstitutionSanto Spirito Hospital, Italy

sacral erector spinae plane blockhip fractureintramedullary nailingproximal femoral fractureNeuraxial anesthesiaGeneral anesthesiaElderly patientscardiovascular comorbidityrespiratory comorbiditysecond sacral vertebraintermediate crest injectionunilateral local anaesthetic injectionbilateral sensory blockT12 to S2 dermatomeshypotension avoidanceMotor-sparing regional anesthesiaRegional anesthesialower limb surgery anaesthesia

#18 of 9,014

1918m citations

Effectiveness of the Bilateral and Bilevel Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB) in Pediatric Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgery: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Controlled Trial

Małgorzata Domagalska et al.Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics202410.1097/bpo.0000000000002707

CorrespondingMałgorzata Domagalska, Tomasz Reysner, Grzegorz Kowalski, Katarzyna Wieczorowska–TobisInstitutionPoznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland

Erector spinae plane block (ESPB)Bilateral and bilevel block techniquespine surgeryUltrasound-guided regional anesthesiaMotor-evoked potentials (MEPs)Intraoperative neuromonitoringNeutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR)Surgical stress responsePostoperative pain managementOpioid consumption reductionNumeric Rating ScaleSham blockRemifentanil consumptionPropofol consumptionPostoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV)Pediatric anesthesiarandomized controlled trialMultimodal analgesia

#19 of 9,014

1918m citations

Effect of remimazolam versus propofol on hypotension after anesthetic induction in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: A randomized controlled trial

Jae-Woo Ju et al.Journal of Clinical Anesthesia202410.1016/j.jclinane.2024.111580

CorrespondingKaram NamInstitutionSeoul National University Hospital, Republic of Korea

remimazolamPropofolPostinduction hypotensioncoronary artery bypass graftingAnesthesia inductioncardiac anesthesiaHemodynamic stability

#20 of 9,014

1818m citations

WALANT surgery of the hand: state of the art

Ilse Degreef et al.EFORT Open Reviews202410.1530/eor-24-0033

CorrespondingIlse DegreefInstitutionLeuven University Hospitals, Belgium

WALANT techniquetumescent local anesthesialidocaineEpinephrinetourniquet-free surgery30G needle injectionhand surgeryPatient satisfactionsedation-free surgeryneuropraxia reductionMotor-sparing regional anesthesiabalanced tendon reconstructionaccess to surgical carecost-effective surgical techniquepainless injection technique

Topic trends

Dominant research themes and year-over-year shifts in Anesthesia and Pain Management

What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

The informative word cloud across the 50 highest 18-month-cited anesthesia and pain management papers reveals a field organized around regional techniques, local anesthetics, and opioid-sparing perioperative care—not generic trial-design labels. Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia and bupivacaine each lead at 9 of 50 papers (normalized frequency 0.18), underscoring how image-guided nerve blocks and long-acting local anesthetic choice anchor influential 2024 work. Multimodal analgesia (7 papers, 0.14), numeric rating scale (7, 0.14), and opioid-sparing effect (7, 0.14) form a second tier focused on outcome measurement and reduced opioid exposure. Opioid consumption reduction (6, 0.12) and propofol (6, 0.12) sit alongside erector spinae plane block (5, 0.10), oral morphine equivalents (5, 0.10), and postoperative nausea and vomiting (5, 0.10)—reflecting sustained interest in fascial-plane blocks, standardized opioid metrics, and antiemetic endpoints. Mid-sized terms cluster around cesarean delivery, esketamine, opioid-related adverse events, dexamethasone adjuvants, and emerging safety signals such as hypoxemia and postinduction hypotension. Peripheral nerve blocks, labour analgesia, remimazolam, and quality-of-recovery instruments appear at lower but visible prominence. After informativeness filtering, broad labels such as randomized controlled trial and postoperative pain management recede, leaving a portrait of a specialty prioritizing ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia, bupivacaine-based protocols, and multimodal opioid-sparing strategies in the highest-impact 2024 publications.

How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

Comparing normalized concept frequencies between the Class of 2025 (2023 publications) and Class of 2026 (2024 publications) cohorts shows a reorientation of early-high-impact anesthesia research toward ultrasound-guided regional techniques, bupivacaine protocols, and opioid-sparing perioperative strategies. Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia exhibited the largest gain (+0.18 normalized frequency; 0 versus 9 papers), followed by bupivacaine (+0.14; 2 versus 9) and opioid-sparing effect (+0.12; 1 versus 7). Erector spinae plane block (+0.06), oral morphine equivalents (+0.06), and opioid consumption reduction (+0.04) also rose, consistent with expanding fascial-plane block trials and standardized opioid-outcome reporting among top-cited work. The topic evolution card shows Class of 2026 bars extending furthest for ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia, bupivacaine, multimodal analgesia, numeric rating scale, and opioid-sparing effect—topics aligned with image-guided nerve blocks, multimodal protocols, and reduced postoperative opioid exposure. Conversely, randomized controlled trial framing showed the steepest decline (−0.14; 19 versus 12 papers), reflecting reduced dominance of generic trial-design vocabulary after informativeness filtering. Esketamine (−0.08; 8 versus 4), cesarean delivery (−0.06; 7 versus 4), and postoperative nausea and vomiting (−0.06) also receded, alongside modest drops for spinal anesthesia and opioid-free anesthesia. Together, these shifts suggest that the most-cited 2024 papers emphasize specific regional-anesthesia techniques, bupivacaine-based analgesia, and opioid-sparing multimodal care over broad trial labels and declining esketamine-centric narratives.

Methodology

PRI identifies high-impact research using a transparent, topic-agnostic framework applied consistently across scientific domains. Bibliographic records are drawn from OpenAlex, including publication dates, citation relationships, and document types.

This ranking covers the Class of 2026 cohort: journal articles published in 2024. Reviews and other non-article document types are excluded to ensure comparability.

Research impact is quantified with an 18-month post-publication citation window—the number of citing works published within 18 months of each paper's publication date. This metric captures early impact while controlling for publication age.

An LLM-based relevance classifier then reviews each candidate's title and abstract to confirm substantive alignment with the target domain. Only papers classified as relevant appear in the final ranking.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459

Full methodology GitHub bioRxiv preprint

Cite this ranking

Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Anesthesia and Pain Management Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/anesthesia-and-pain-management/2026. Accessed 2026-07-13.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459