NCT02005575

The Effect of Dexamethasone on the Duration and Functionality of Bupivacaine Intercostal Nerve Blockade

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: Phase 4
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 50 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The proposed study is a randomized, double-blinded, non-placebo-controlled evaluation of the effect of the addition of dexamethasone to intraoperative intercostal nerve block bupivicaine solutions on the duration of pain relief and post operative pulmonary function.

Detailed description

Our study proposes two groups of 25 patients undergoing similar VATS surgery with a single surgeon, Dr. R. McKenna, who will receive interoperatively placed intercostal nerve blocks at the same levels. Each group will receive intercostals nerve blocks with one of two different solutions: group one will receive intercostal nerve blocks with only 0.46% bupivacaine (19.5 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine + .5 cc saline), group 2 will receive intercostal blocks with 0.46% bupivacaine and dexamethasone(19.5 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine + .5ml .4% dexamethasone). The patients will have pulmonary lung function objectively assessed by portable spirometry and clinical factors both preoperatively and postoperatively. Our study objective is to examine and quantify the potentially beneficial effects of intercostal nerve blockade prolongation with dexamethasone on postoperative pulmonary function and postoperative recovery.

Conditions

• Post Minimally Invasive Thorascopic Surgical Pain

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Bupivacaine and Dexamethasone	The standard of care is to use a regional block solution containing both decadron and bupivicaine.
DRUG	Placebo

Timeline

• Start date: 2013-10-01
• Primary completion: 2015-03-01
• Completion: 2015-03-01
• First posted: 2013-12-09
• Last updated: 2015-02-04

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States