NCT00616603

The Effects of Dexamethasone on the Duration of Sciatic Nerve Blocks

• Status: Terminated
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 43 (actual)
• Sponsor: Loma Linda University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Dexamethasone is a commonly used steroid. This medication has been used for many years by physicians for many different indications. Recent articles, multiple case reports, and experience at this institution have indicated that dexamethasone successfully prolongs the effective duration of local anesthetics for regional blocks. This can cause a significant reduction in postoperative pain and the decreased need for postoperative narcotics. Although other adjuncts can be used for prolonging nerve blocks, epinephrine causes local vasoconstriction which can cause ischemia and nerve damage in a large nerve such as the sciatic nerve.Dexamethasone will not cause this problem and yet could prolong the duration of a sciatic nerve block. Therefore, the goal of this study is to prospectively evaluate the effectiveness of dexamethasone, both locally through the nerve block and systemically via IV administration, in prolonging the effective duration of local anesthetics when used in sciatic nerve blocks.

Conditions

• Total Knee Arthroplasty

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Ropivacaine	20 ml of 0.2% ropivacaine injected locally as regional anesthesia given once.
DRUG	Dexamethasone	8mg Dexamethasone injected locally along with ropivacaine for regional anesthesia given once.
DRUG	Dexamethasone	2ml(8mg)Dexamethasone given once intravenously.
DRUG	Normal Saline	2ml of normal saline given once intravenously.

Timeline

• Start date: 2007-08-01
• Primary completion: 2011-01-01
• Completion: 2011-05-01
• First posted: 2008-02-15
• Last updated: 2014-06-11
• Results posted: 2014-06-11

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States