Clinical trial NCT01597479: Ultrasound Guided Distal Peripheral Nerve Blocks and Postoperative Pain.
Official title: Effectiveness of Distal Peripheral Nerve Blocks on Postoperative Pain Management After Ambulatory Thumb Resection Arthroplasty.
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE4
Conditions: Postoperative Pain
Keywords: Ultrasound guided distal peripheral nerve blocks
Lead sponsor: Fundació Institut de Recerca de l'Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2012-05-14
Enrollment: 52
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The aim of this clinical trial is to determinate if distal ultrasound guided peripheral nerve blocks on target nerves (radial and median nerve blocks at the elbow), using low volume and low concentration of long acting local anesthetic provide better postoperative pain control compare with systemic analgesia alone after thumb resection arthroplasty (TRA) due to a prolonged selective sensitive block on the tissue trauma.

Detailed description: We designed a prospective randomized controlled trial, with nursing blinded evaluation.

We enrolled 52 patients scheduled for elective ambulatory TRA. 2 patients were excluded after randomization. Patients were randomized into two groups:

A. Group A= no distal peripheral nerve blocks (no dPNBs group; n = 24 ): We performed usual anesthetic technique for surgery: an AXILLARY BRAQUIAL PLEXUS BLOCK using SHORT ACTING local anesthetic (mepivacaine 1%). Patients allocated in this group didn't received any additional intervention in the postoperative period.

B. Group B (dPNBs group; n = 26): We performed the same anesthetic technique for surgery (AXILLARY BLOCK with 1% of mepivacaine) with an additional intervention. Patients allocated in this group received postoperatively dPNBs on target nerves. Based on surgical approached and technique we evaluated that radial and median nerves were responsible for the innervation of the surgical area, and therefore responsible for the postoperative pain. We performed dPNBs ON RADIAL AND MEDIAN NERVES (TARGET NERVES) WITH LONG ACTING AND LOW CONCENTRATION LOCAL ANESTHETIC (0,125% levobupivacaine 5ml/nerve).

All blocks were performed under ultrasound guidance.

Analgesic regime prescribed at discharge was the same in both groups: dexketoprofen with tramadol for rescue analgesia.

The primary outcome was to evaluate the proportion of patients experienced moderate to severe pain during first and second day postoperatively, mesured using a numerical visual scale (NVS) of 0 to 10 (0= no pain and 10= worst pain imaginable). We defined mild pain (NVS 0-3), moderate pain (NVS 7-10) and severe pain (NVS 7-10).

We considered dPNBs effective when patients experienced mild pain (NVS 0-3) for at least 6 hours after dPNBs puncture.

Secondary outcomes included:

1. Maximum pain intensity during first and second day postoperatively.
2. Duration of dPNBs, defined as the interval between dPNBs performance and the occurrence of first pain.
3. Time to discharge, defined as the interval since patient arrived at postoperative care unit (PACU) until discharge home.
4. Presence of distal hand motor block after dPNBs puncture.
5. Needed for rescue analgesia and total consumption of tramadol during first and second day postoperatively
6. Incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting during 1st and 2nd day postoperatively
7. Needed for rescue antiemetic therapy, total consumption of ondansetron and effectiveness of treatment during 1st and 2nd day postoperatively.

Patients were contacted by phone first and second day postoperatively from a blinded PACU nursing staff (all outcome data were collected by PACU nursing staff blinded to group allocation).

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Age more than 18 years.
* Ambulatory TRA.
* Free acceptance to participate in the study, with informed consent signed by patient, guardian or family member.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Age less than 18 years
* Pregnancy.
* Inability to provide informed consent.
* Allergy to amide local anesthetics/NSAIDs
* Preexisting chronic pain treated with opioids.
* Neuropathy involving the extremity undergoing surgery or neurological-cognitive deficits that may interfere in the assessement.
* Contraindications to dPNBs

Primary outcomes:
measure: Proportion of Patients Who Experienced Moderate to Severe Pain During First and Second Postoperative Day
timeFrame: Up to 48 hours
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Maximum Pain Intensity, Rescue Analgesia, Nausea and Vomiting Incidence, Use of Ondansetron for NVPO, Efectiveness of Ondansetron
timeFrame: Up to 48 hours
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Barcelona
country: Spain
facility: Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau
Study officials:
affiliation: Fundació Institut de Recerca de l'Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau
name: Mireia Rodriguez, anesthesia
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Dufeu N, Marchand-Maillet F, Atchabahian A, Robert N, Ait Yahia Y, Milan D, Robert C, Coroir M, Beaussier M. Efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided distal blocks for analgesia without motor blockade after ambulatory hand surgery. J Hand Surg Am. 2014 Apr;39(4):737-43. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2014.01.011. Epub 2014 Feb 28.
citation: Fredrickson MJ, Ting FS, Chinchanwala S, Boland MR. Concomitant infraclavicular plus distal median, radial, and ulnar nerve blockade accelerates upper extremity anaesthesia and improves block consistency compared with infraclavicular block alone. Br J Anaesth. 2011 Aug;107(2):236-42. doi: 10.1093/bja/aer101. Epub 2011 May 15.
citation: Fredrickson MJ, Wolstencroft PJ, Chinchanwala S, Boland MR. Does motor block related to long-acting brachial plexus block cause patient dissatisfaction after minor wrist and hand surgery? A randomized observer-blinded trial. Br J Anaesth. 2012 Nov;109(5):809-15. doi: 10.1093/bja/aes266. Epub 2012 Aug 2.
citation: Bouaziz H, Narchi P, Mercier FJ, Khoury A, Poirier T, Benhamou D. The use of a selective axillary nerve block for outpatient hand surgery. Anesth Analg. 1998 Apr;86(4):746-8. doi: 10.1097/00000539-199804000-00013.
citation: Vial F, Bouaziz H, Mekler G, Cornet C, Merle M, Laxenaire MC. [Postoperative pain and surgical treatment of trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis of the thumb after ambulatory surgery]. Ann Fr Anesth Reanim. 2000 Nov;19(9):643-8. doi: 10.1016/s0750-7658(00)00292-6. French.