Clinical trial NCT03127800: Morphine in Moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
Official title: The Effect of Acute Intravenous Morphine Administration on Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) in Patients With Moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA): A Paired Design Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: TERMINATED
Phase: PHASE3
Conditions: Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
Keywords: Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
Morphine sulphate
Sleep Disordered Breathing
Central Sleep Apnoea
Hypoxaemia
Hypercapnia
Cheyne-Stokes Respiration
Analgesia
Respiration
Apnoea-Hypopnea Index
Oxygen Desaturation Index
Oximetry
Respiratory Polygraphy
Polysomnography
Lead sponsor: Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Sponsor class: OTHER_GOV
First posted: 2017-04-25
Enrollment: 6
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of morphine (a drug commonly used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain, particularly following surgery) on the number of pauses in breathing in patients with moderate obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Morphine has been shown to reduce upper airway muscle tone and can also cause shallow breathing, which can affect breathing function in patients with sleep apnoea. However, to date these effects have not been proven in clinical trials. Although, caution is advised when prescribing morphine to patients with sleep apnoea, there is currently no strong evidence that morphine makes sleep apnoea worse. Only one randomised controlled trial (considered the gold standard in medical research) has shown no worsening of symptoms for patients with sleep apnoea. The effect of morphine on patients with sleep apnoea will be assessed in a safe, controlled, hospital environment. Information from the study will help inform doctors about the safety of giving morphine to patients with sleep apnoea in urgent situations, for example after surgery.

The results of this study will enable clinicians to make better decisions when prescribing this drug to patients with OSA in the future.

Detailed description: Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) is a term used to cover a range of breathing events encountered during sleep and includes Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). OSA is the most common form of SDB and is caused by partial or complete upper airway occlusion during sleep leading to repetitive arousals to restore the airway patency. These frequent, obstructive events can be associated with symptoms of unrefreshing sleep and adverse health outcomes. The incidence of OSA is increasing due to rising levels of obesity, which has been identified as the strongest risk factor for developing OSA. It is estimated that at present 80% of sufferers are undiagnosed. It must therefore be assumed that some of these patients are referred for surgery.

Morphine, opiates and opioids remain the treatment of choice for moderate and severe pain relief. Inevitably, a large number of patients will be presenting for surgery and receiving postoperative opioid analgesia. Opioids may reduce respiratory rate and tidal volume, decrease chemoresponsiveness to hypercapnia/hypoxia as well as decrease upper airway muscle tone. These effects might further impair respiratory function in patients with SDB. There is limited data showing increased extubation complications, increased incidence of paradoxical breathing patterns and pronounced oxygen desaturations in patients with SDB receiving opioid-based analgesia, but only one randomised controlled trial examining the effect of an opioid in subjects with SDB.

Therefore, the current evidence base regarding the management of patients with OSA and their peri-operative risk is sparse. As such the current recommendation from the American Society of Anaesthesiologists to limit the use of opioids in such patients, is based on expert opinion only. Indeed the effect of opioid analgesia on patients with SDB remains poorly understood, making informed decisions when prescribing such substances to patients with SDB a challenge.

This prospective, paired design trial will investigate the effect of intravenous morphine sulphate on respiration during sleep in patients with moderate OSA.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age ≥ 18 years
2. Patients with diagnosis of moderate or severeOSA at screening, diagnosed by nocturnal oximetry, rPSG or PSG (defined as AHI or ODI of 15-50 events/hour) established on Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
3. Patients established on CPAP with confirmed moderate OSA (AHI 15-29 events/hr) 6 nights after withdrawal of CPAP (confirmed at baseline rPSG)
4. Patients diagnosed with moderate OSA by rPSG or PSG, naïve to CPAP treatment

Exclusion Criteria:

* Inability to give informed consent or comply with the protocol
* Current, clinically significant acute respiratory tract infection (at screening and at study visit)
* Chronic respiratory disease (other than OSA), symptomatic ischemic heart disease
* Pregnancy or suspected pregnancy/breast feeding
* Current or recent (within last week of entering the trial and for the duration fo the trial) use of gabapentin, pregabalin, melatonin, mirtazapine, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, sodium oxybate, ramelteon, Z-drugs and opiates/opioids
* Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), linezolid taken within two weeks of participation in the trial
* A known allergy to the investigational medicinal product (IMP) or non investigational medicinal product(s) (NIMP)(s)
* Patients with an inadequate command of English and such that an interpreter would be required overnight
* Change in weight of greater than 5% since the baseline rPSG
* Vital signs recordings (oxygen saturations, blood pressure, pulse rate) that in the clinician's opinion deem the patient unsafe to participate in the trial
* Clinician deems the patient unsafe to participate in the trial (e.g. severely sleepy patients who cannot withdraw from CPAP)
* CPAP intolerant/poor responder
* History of drug abuse (oral and intravenous) including: alcohol, substituted amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, methaqualone, cannabis and opioids
* A drop of oxygen saturations below 85% continuously for longer than five minutes during the baseline rPSG
* Professional driver

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in Apnoea-Hypopnea Index (AHI)
timeFrame: Change in AHI from baseline Respiratory Polygraphy (rPSG) through to completion of study at overnight visit, within 4 months of baseline
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change in arterial oxygen desaturations
timeFrame: Change in arterial oxygen desaturations from baseline Respiratory Polygraphy (rPSG) through to completion of study at overnight visit, within 4 months of baseline
measure: Change in the percentage of time spent with nocturnal saturations
timeFrame: Change in percentage of time spent with nocturnal saturations from baseline Respiratory Polygraphy (rPSG) through to completion of study at overnight visit, within 4 months of baseline
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Papworth Everard
country: United Kingdom
facility: Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
state: Cambridgeshire
Study officials:
affiliation: Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
name: Ian Smith, MBBS
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
affiliation: Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
name: Martina Mason, MBBS
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Beloeil H, Delage N, Negre I, Mazoit JX, Benhamou D. The median effective dose of nefopam and morphine administered intravenously for postoperative pain after minor surgery: a prospective randomized double-blinded isobolographic study of their analgesic action. Anesth Analg. 2004 Feb;98(2):395-400. doi: 10.1213/01.ANE.0000093780.67532.95.
citation: Bernards CM, Knowlton SL, Schmidt DF, DePaso WJ, Lee MK, McDonald SB, Bains OS. Respiratory and sleep effects of remifentanil in volunteers with moderate obstructive sleep apnea. Anesthesiology. 2009 Jan;110(1):41-9. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e318190b501.
citation: Boldt J, Thaler E, Lehmann A, Papsdorf M, Isgro F. RETRACTED: Pain management in cardiac surgery patients: comparison between standard therapy and patient-controlled analgesia regimen. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 1998 Dec;12(6):654-8. doi: 10.1016/s1053-0770(98)90237-3.
citation: Brown KA, Laferriere A, Moss IR. Recurrent hypoxemia in young children with obstructive sleep apnea is associated with reduced opioid requirement for analgesia. Anesthesiology. 2004 Apr;100(4):806-10; discussion 5A. doi: 10.1097/00000542-200404000-00009.
citation: Catley DM, Thornton C, Jordan C, Lehane JR, Royston D, Jones JG. Pronounced, episodic oxygen desaturation in the postoperative period: its association with ventilatory pattern and analgesic regimen. Anesthesiology. 1985 Jul;63(1):20-8. doi: 10.1097/00000542-198507000-00004.
citation: Dimsdale JE, Norman D, DeJardin D, Wallace MS. The effect of opioids on sleep architecture. J Clin Sleep Med. 2007 Feb 15;3(1):33-6.
citation: Duran J, Esnaola S, Rubio R, Iztueta A. Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea and related clinical features in a population-based sample of subjects aged 30 to 70 yr. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001 Mar;163(3 Pt 1):685-9. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.163.3.2005065.
citation: Esclamado RM, Glenn MG, McCulloch TM, Cummings CW. Perioperative complications and risk factors in the surgical treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Laryngoscope. 1989 Nov;99(11):1125-9. doi: 10.1288/00005537-198911000-00004.
citation: Gross JB, Bachenberg KL, Benumof JL, Caplan RA, Connis RT, Cote CJ, Nickinovich DG, Prachand V, Ward DS, Weaver EM, Ydens L, Yu S; American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Perioperative Management. Practice guidelines for the perioperative management of patients with obstructive sleep apnea: a report by the American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Perioperative Management of patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Anesthesiology. 2006 May;104(5):1081-93; quiz 1117-8. doi: 10.1097/00000542-200605000-00026. No abstract available.
citation: Kohler M, Stoewhas AC, Ayers L, Senn O, Bloch KE, Russi EW, Stradling JR. Effects of continuous positive airway pressure therapy withdrawal in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2011 Nov 15;184(10):1192-9. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201106-0964OC.
citation: Koo, CY. Respiratory effects of opioids in perioperative medicine. The Open Anesthesiology Journal (Suppl 1-M6):23-4. 2011.
citation: Kushida CA, Littner MR, Morgenthaler T, Alessi CA, Bailey D, Coleman J Jr, Friedman L, Hirshkowitz M, Kapen S, Kramer M, Lee-Chiong T, Loube DL, Owens J, Pancer JP, Wise M. Practice parameters for the indications for polysomnography and related procedures: an update for 2005. Sleep. 2005 Apr;28(4):499-521. doi: 10.1093/sleep/28.4.499.
citation: Mogri M, Desai H, Webster L, Grant BJ, Mador MJ. Hypoxemia in patients on chronic opiate therapy with and without sleep apnea. Sleep Breath. 2009 Mar;13(1):49-57. doi: 10.1007/s11325-008-0208-4. Epub 2008 Aug 6.
citation: Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network. Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea/Hypopnoea Syndrome in Adults. A national clinical guideline. (Guideline Number 73). 2003.
citation: Ostermeier AM, Roizen MF, Hautkappe M, Klock PA, Klafta JM. Three sudden postoperative respiratory arrests associated with epidural opioids in patients with sleep apnea. Anesth Analg. 1997 Aug;85(2):452-60. doi: 10.1097/00000539-199708000-00037. No abstract available.
citation: Shaw IR, Lavigne G, Mayer P, Choiniere M. Acute intravenous administration of morphine perturbs sleep architecture in healthy pain-free young adults: a preliminary study. Sleep. 2005 Jun;28(6):677-82. doi: 10.1093/sleep/28.6.677.
citation: American Pain Society. Principles of analgesic use in the treatment of acute pain and cancer pain. 1999.
citation: Stradling J, Smith D, Radulovacki M, Carley D. Effect of ondansetron on moderate obstructive sleep apnoea, a single night, placebo-controlled trial. J Sleep Res. 2003 Jun;12(2):169-70. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2869.2003.00342.x. No abstract available.
citation: Wang D, Teichtahl H, Drummer O, Goodman C, Cherry G, Cunnington D, Kronborg I. Central sleep apnea in stable methadone maintenance treatment patients. Chest. 2005 Sep;128(3):1348-56. doi: 10.1378/chest.128.3.1348.
citation: Webster LR, Choi Y, Desai H, Webster L, Grant BJ. Sleep-disordered breathing and chronic opioid therapy. Pain Med. 2008 May-Jun;9(4):425-32. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2007.00343.x.
citation: Yarmush J, D'Angelo R, Kirkhart B, O'Leary C, Pitts MC 2nd, Graf G, Sebel P, Watkins WD, Miguel R, Streisand J, Maysick LK, Vujic D. A comparison of remifentanil and morphine sulfate for acute postoperative analgesia after total intravenous anesthesia with remifentanil and propofol. Anesthesiology. 1997 Aug;87(2):235-43. doi: 10.1097/00000542-199708000-00009.
citation: Young T, Evans L, Finn L, Palta M. Estimation of the clinically diagnosed proportion of sleep apnea syndrome in middle-aged men and women. Sleep. 1997 Sep;20(9):705-6. doi: 10.1093/sleep/20.9.705.
citation: Young T, Palta M, Dempsey J, Skatrud J, Weber S, Badr S. The occurrence of sleep-disordered breathing among middle-aged adults. N Engl J Med. 1993 Apr 29;328(17):1230-5. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199304293281704.