NCT07249827

A Randomized Comparison Between 0.67 mcg/kg, 1 mcg/kg, and 1.33 mcg/kg of Perineural Dexmedetomidine for Ultrasound-Guided Infraclavicular Block

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 69 (estimated)
• Sponsor: McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study will compare three different doses of perineural dexmedetomidine 0.67 mcg/kg, 1 mcg/kg, and 1.33 mcg/kg as adjuvants to local anesthetics for ultrasound-guided infraclavicular brachial plexus blocks (ICBs). Our research hypothesis is that 1.33 mcg/kg will provide a 15%-longer duration than 1mcg/kg, which in turn will provide a 15%-longer duration than 0.67 mcg/kg. Since analgesic duration and sensory duration can be influenced by intake of pain medications and surgical trauma to small cutaneous nerves, respectively, we will select motor block duration as the main outcome to better target the action of dexmedetomidine on the brachial plexus.

Detailed description

With the approval of Ethics Committee of the McGill University Health Centre, a total of 69 patients undergoing upper extremity surgery (elbow and below) will be recruited. Recruitment will be carried out by an investigator not involved in patient care one day before surgery All ICBs will be supervised by the coauthors and conducted preoperatively in an induction room. After skin disinfection and draping, the ICB will be performed with a previously described technique. In each group, a proven 90% effective volume of 35 mL of local anesthetic solution will be injected. As LA solution, it will be used a mixture of lidocaine 1.0%-bupivacaine 0.25% with epinephrine 5 µ/mL plus PN 2 mg dexamethasone. The injectate will be slowly injected through the block needle. Patients will be randomized to receive the study drug, PN dexmedetomidine 0.67 mcg/kg or PN dexmedetomidine 1 mcg/kg, or PN dexmedetomidine 1.33 mcg/kg mixed with the above-mentioned LA solution. A research assistant (licensed anesthesiologist) will prepare the local anesthetic solutions and will add the study drug following the randomization order. The operator, patient, and investigator assessing the block will be blinded to group allocation. The primary outcome will be the duration of the motor block (defined as the temporal interval between the end of LA injection through the block needle and the return of movement to the hand and fingers) for patients with successful ICBs. Patients will be provided with a data sheet and asked to record the time at which motor function returns. An investigator blinded to group allocation will collect this data sheet in person (inpatients) or by phone (outpatients) on postoperative day 1.

Conditions

• Analgesia
• Pain, Acute
• Upper Extremity Surgery
• Nerve Block

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	dexmedetomidine (perineural) 0.67 mcg/kg	Perineural dexmedetomidine 0.67 mcg/kg will be added to the local anesthetic used to block the cords of the brachial plexus with an infraclavicular approach.
DRUG	dexmedetomidine (perineural) 1 mcg/kg	Perineural dexmedetomidine 1 mcg/kg will be added to the local anesthetic used to block the cords of the brachial plexus with an infraclavicular approach.
DRUG	dexmedetomidine (perineural) 1.33 mcg/kg	Perineural dexmedetomidine 1.33 mcg/kg will be added to the local anesthetic used to block the cords of the brachial plexus with an infraclavicular approach.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-12-28
• Primary completion: 2026-06-30
• Completion: 2026-06-30
• First posted: 2025-11-25
• Last updated: 2026-01-07

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada