Fluoroscopy-guided Versus Traditional Placement of Epidural Catheters
Completed · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Pain, Postoperative, Pain, Chronic
In brief
This is a prospective, randomized, controlled, and single blinded study. All work performed at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, a tertiary care and level one trauma center for the state of New Hampshire with 28 operative suites. 100 patients scheduled to undergo thoracotomies are randomized to receive an epidural placed (for postoperative pain control) using either a traditional approach by feeling the spine for landmarks or using fluoroscopic X-ray guidance. Randomization is blinded to both the anesthesia team caring for the patient in the operating room and to one member of the acute pain team who follows the patient after surgery and is responsible for evaluating post operative pain control (dermatomal distribution of sensory blockade and visual analog scale) and pulmonary function (incentive spirometer use). All patients receive a standardized epidural infusion with local anesthetic and additional pain medications as needed.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT02678039
- Run by
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
- People needed
- 100
- Starts
- 2012-08-01
- Expected to finish
- 2014-05-01
- Last updated by the study team
- 2017-09-12
Who can join
Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Patient scheduled for open thoracotomy procedure
- Patient provides informed consent
You may not qualify if…
- Age less than 19
- Pregnancy
- Contraindication to an epidural catheter placement bleeding disorder cardiac valve stenosis systemic infection spinal abnormality
- Allergy to local anesthetics or X-ray dye
- Patient refusal to participate
Where it is running
- Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center — Lebanon, New Hampshire, United States
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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