Intrathecal Versus Epidural Morphine for Post-Cesarean Analgesia
Recruiting now · Phase 4
Conditions studied: Analgesia Obstetrical, Analgesia, Post Operative Pain, Patient Satisfaction, Cesarean Section Pain
In brief
Cesarean section is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures worldwide, making effective management of acute postoperative pain a key issue in obstetric anesthesiology. Post-cesarean analgesia should promote rapid maternal recovery, support newborn care, and consider the pharmacological implications for breastfeeding. According to recent PROSPECT® guidelines from ESRA, neuraxial opioids play a central role in post-cesarean analgesia and are at least as effective as other techniques, such as continuous local anesthetic infusion. However, the optimal route of opioid administration remains unclear. While earlier studies favored epidural morphine, more recent evidence suggests that intrathecal morphine may provide superior analgesia. Due to limited and conflicting data, no definitive conclusion can be drawn. Given that epidural morphine remains standard practice at Hospital Central do Funchal, a randomized clinical trial is proposed to compare the analgesic efficacy of intrathecal versus epidural morphine after elective cesarean section.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT07386353
- Run by
- Hospital Central do Funchal
- People needed
- 120
- Starts
- 2024-05-20
- Expected to finish
- 2026-07-31
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-02-04
Who can join
Age: 18 and older. Sex: female. Healthy volunteers: accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Pregnant women scheduled for elective cesarean section;
- Age > 18 years;
- Willingness to participate in the study, as demonstrated by signed informed consent.
You may not qualify if…
- American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification > III;
- Chronic kidney disease with a glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min;
- Relevant drug allergies (particularly to protocol medications);
- Opioid tolerance;
- Contraindication to neuraxial anesthetic techniques.
Where it is running
- Hospital Central do Funchal — Funchal, Madeira, Portugal (enrolling)
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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