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A Pain Study Comparing Two Commonly Used Medications to Treat Pain After Bowel Surgery

NCT02849678 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 68

Last updated 2018-03-20

Study results available
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Summary

This research study is testing whether the local anesthetic lidocaine is as effective as ropivacaine for post-operative pain control in continuous thoracic paravertebral nerve blocks. Ropivacaine and Lidocaine are FDA-approved drugs that has been successfully used in this hospital for post-operative pain control for the past few years, thus has become the standard drugs used for this nerve block. Lidocaine has numerous potential advantages over ropivacaine, such as faster onset of action, better safety profile and greater anti-inflammatory action. Catheters placed near both sides of a patient's spine for postoperative pain control are called thoracic paravertebral nerve blocks and are a part of routine care. Through those catheters, a "numbing" medication, or local anesthetic, to block the transmission of pain from the surgical incision to the spinal cord, thus reducing pain. The research part of the study is whether subjects will receive either the local anesthetic lidocaine or ropivacaine. The goal of this study is to determine whether the lidocaine controls pain better and facilitates a faster recovery after abdominal surgery than ropivacaine.

In this research study, the investigators will compare patient-reported pain scores, any additional pain medication requirements for adequate pain control, time it takes for bowel function to return to normal following surgery, as well as the incidence of any side effects, such as numbness and weakness, subjects may experience between those receiving lidocaine versus those receiving ropivacaine. The investigators will screen 100 patients and enroll 60 subjects into this study.

Conditions

  • Postoperative Pain

Interventions

DRUG

Ropivacaine

0.5% Ropivacaine will be infused through a catheter placed in the thoracic paravertebral space to block the transmission of pain signals at the level of the spinal nerves from the abdominal incision. It is the local anesthetic used as the standard drug in paravertebral nerve blocks at our institution. It is also used in other nerve block infusions at our hospital and institutions across the country. It will be used as the standard drug to which lidocaine is compared.

DRUG

Lidocaine

Lidocaine will be infused through a catheter placed in the thoracic paravertebral space to block the transmission of pain signals at the level of the spinal nerves from the abdominal incision. At a concentration of 0.5%, Lidocaine has been deemed safe to use for peripheral nerve blocks and analgesia. There are several studies to support this as listed in the references. Compared to ropivacaine, lidocaine is shorter-acting, less cardiotoxic, and safer to use.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Pittsburgh

    collaborator OTHER

  • Jacques E. Chelly

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Andrea Fanelli, MD · University of Pittsburgh

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
80 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2008-01-31
Primary Completion
2013-11-30
Completion
2016-05-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT02849678 on ClinicalTrials.gov