Article Case No. No. of SGBs Anesthetic Type & Dosage Instrument1 PTSD Severity Pre-SGB (1,2,3)2 PTSD Severity
Post-SGB (1,2,3)2
Overall Improvement
in PTSD (%)2,4
Follow-up
Time (1,2,3)2
Mulvaney et al. [51] 1 2 Ropivacaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
PCL-M 76, 67 26, 34 71.2* 1 day, 264 days
2 1 Ropivacaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
PCL-M 54 24 81.1* 50 days
Hickey
et al. [52]
3 1 Ropivacaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
CAPS 126 118 6.3 7 days
4 1 Ropivacaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
CAPS 87 60 31.0* 7 days
5 1 Ropivacaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
CAPS 83 56 32.5* 6 days
6 2 Ropivacaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
CAPS 106, 79 26, 18 83.0* 9 days, 103 days
7 1 Ropivacaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
CAPS 117 79 32.5* 7 days
8 1 Ropivacaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
CAPS 64 52 18.8 7 days
9 1 Ropivacaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
CAPS 104 43 58.7* 7 days
Article Case No. No. of SGBs Anesthetic
Type & Dosage
Instrument1 PTSD Severity Pre-SGB (1,2,3)2 PTSD Severity
Post-SGB (1,2,3)2
Overall Improvement
in PTSD (%)2,4
Follow-up
Time (1,2,3)2
  10 2
Ropivacaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
CAPS3 104, - 103, 96 7.7 7 days, 28 days
  11 1 Ropivacaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
CAPS 101 79 21.8 7 days
Lipov
et al. [53]
12 1 Bupivicaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
PCL-M 58 51 17.1 16 days
13 1 Bupivicaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
PCL-M 68 35 64.7* 3 days
14 1 Bupivicaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
PCL-M 67 63 8.0 1 day
15 1 Bupivicaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
PCL-M 68 31 72.5* 48 days
16 1 Bupivicaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
PCL-M 55 29 68.4* 4 days
17 1 Bupivicaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
PCL-M 77 23 90.0* 6 days
18 2 Bupivicaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
PCL-M 70, 70 17, 29 77.4* 1 day, 2 days
Article Case No. No. of SGBs Anesthetic
Type & Dosage
Instrument1 PTSD Severity Pre-SGB (1,2,3)2 PTSD Severity
Post-SGB (1,2,3)2
Overall Improvement
in PTSD (%)2,4
Follow-up
Time (1,2,3)2
  19 3 Bupivicaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
PCL-M3 79, -, 30 54, -, 21 93.5* 1 day, 17 days,
59 days
Lipov
et al. [54]
20 2 Bupivicaine
(6.5cc, 0.5% soln)
PCL-M 71, 66 40, 30 75.9* 43 days, 135 days
Alino
et al. [55]
21 2 Ropivacaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
PCL-M 64, 35 22, 29 74.5* 3 days, 136 days
  22 1 Ropivacaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
PCL-M 80 18 98.4* 2 days
23 1 Ropivacaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
PCL-M 69 34 67.3* 30 days
24 1 Ropivacaine
(7cc, 0.5% soln)
PCL-M 76 24 88.1* 1 day
*Clinically meaningful improvement in PTSD-related symptoms with ≥ 30% decline in PCL or CAPS scores. For cases with 1 SGB treatment, overall improvement was calculated using the pre-SGB 1 and post-SGB 1 scores. For cases with 2 SGB treatments, overall improvement was calculated using the pre-SGB 1 and post-SGB 2 or 3 scores.
1PCL=Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - Military Version, CAPS=Clinician-Administered Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale.
2Post-traumatic stress disorder symptom severity pre- or post-SGB treatments 1, 2 or 3 as applicable; Follow-up time was computed from SGB 1 to the last point of contact with patient when PCL or CAPS assessments were collected.
3Some data were missing. 4Overall Improvements calculated as the difference in either PCL-M or CAPS scores from pre-SGB 1 to post-SGB 2 or 3. PTSD improvement as measured by the PCL-M were adjusted by subtracting 17 from all pre- and post-SGB scores given the baseline value of PCL-M starts at 17, not 0 as is the case for CAPS.
Table 2: Comparative Summary of Stellate Ganglion Block Treatments and Overall Improvement in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder