A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 1 study with a total of 18 pregnant or lactating women. The trials compared one steroid injection with methylprednisolone and bupivacaine to splinting with a thumb spica. All patients in the steroid injection group (9/9) achieved complete relief of pain whereas none of the patients in the thumb spica group (0/9) had complete relief of pain, one to six days after intervention (number needed to treat to benefit (NNTB) = 1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.8 to 1.2). No side effects or local complications of steroid injection were noted.
Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality (inadequate allocation concealment) and imprecise results (few patients and wide confidence intervals).
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