To evaluate whether different doses of intravenous lidocaine are effective at preventing fentanyl-induced cough (FIC), we searched PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, EMBASE and Web of Science, according to predefined criteria, for all articles published until June 2017. A meta-analysis and subgroup analysis were performed by combining the reported incidence of FIC. The odds ratio (OR) was used as a summary statistic. Eleven articles were included, with 965 patients in the lidocaine group and 745 patients in the control group. A pooled analysis indicated that the overall incidence of FIC was significantly different between the lidocaine group and the control group (OR, 0.27; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.21-0.35; P < 0.05), as well as between the adult and paediatric subgroups. Sensitivity analysis showed that the results were stable. Subgroup analyses showed that compared to a placebo, both low (0.5-1.0 mg/kg) and high doses of lidocaine (1.5-2.0 mg/kg) were effective at reducing FIC incidence. There was no significant difference between low or high doses of lidocaine. Fentanyl doses added no significant heterogeneity as shown by meta-regression. The findings of this meta-analysis indicate that prophylactic intravenous lidocaine is effective at preventing FIC in both adults and children.