Labor PainNCT02762149
The Response Patterns to the Electrical Stimulation of Epidural Catheters With Varying Pulse Widths in Term Pregnant Women
A study testing Nerve stimulator in people with Labor Pain, run by Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
Epidural analgesia is commonly used for labor pain relief due to its safety and effectiveness. Despite a very high success rate, the epidural technique remains a somewhat blind technique and failures continue to occur. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 16 to 55 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Labor Pain
- What is being tested?
- Nerve stimulator
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- May 2016to Aug 2016
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 16 to 55 years
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- Women 16 years of age and older requesting an epidural for labour analgesia
- Ability to communicate in English
- Informed consent
Who cannot join
- Refusal to provide written informed consent
- Inability to communicate in English
- Abnormal vertebral anatomy, including but not limited to previous spine surgery and scoliosis
- Allergy or hypersensitivity to lidocaine, bupivacaine or fentanyl
- Coexisting neurological disorders
- Implanted electronic devices
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Epidural analgesia is commonly used for labor pain relief due to its safety and effectiveness. Despite a very high success rate, the epidural technique remains a somewhat blind technique and failures continue to occur. Unfortunately, there are no imaging techniques that can be used at the bedside to determine the proper positioning of the epidural catheter. The trans-catheter electric stimulation test (TCEST) has been successfully used for this purpose. This test is occasionally performed in situations where the immediate confirmation of the proper epidural catheter location is deemed necessary. The test helps to predict which epidurals might fail so that appropriate measures could be immediately implemented.
There has been one duration of electrical stimulus (0.2 milliseconds) that has been used in the majority of studies and in clinical practice. With this duration of stimulation, the vast majority of cases show a unilateral motor response of the lower limbs during the TCEST. Studies on the stimulation of peripheral nerves (nerves in the arms and legs) have shown that an electrical stimulus with a longer duration is able to stimulate nerves which are farther away. Since nerves in the epidural space are similar in composition to peripheral nerves, the investigators expect to see a higher rate of bilateral response with the longer duration of stimulus. The investigators also hope to show that this bilateral response is predictive of a better functioning epidural.
The investigators hypothesize that the incidence of a bilateral response to the TCEST will be higher with the 1.0 ms pulse width compared to 0.1 ms pulse width. Furthermore, the investigators hypothesize that a bilateral motor response associated with the 1.0 ms pulse width will be predictive of symmetry of sensory and motor block and of lower consumption of local anesthetic.
Read the detailed description
This will be a randomized double-blind controlled study. After recruitment of the patient, epidural anesthesia will be performed in the standard fashion employed in the investigators' institution by a fellow or staff. Spinal ultrasound will be used prior to performing the epidural catheter insertion. The trans-catheter electric stimulation test (TCEST) will be performed at both a 0.1ms pulse width and a 1ms pulse width. The order in which the two pulse widths are applied will be randomly decided by computer. The test dose of local anesthetic will then be administered, and the TCEST will be repeated 5 minutes later. Again, both pulse widths (0.1ms, 1ms) will be used, and the order in which they are applied will be decided randomly.
Following the second testing, a loading dose of the standard anesthetic solution will be administered. The sensory level to ice will be tested at 20 minutes following injection of the loading dose of bupivacaine and fentanyl. The sensory level will be assessed from the sacral to the thoracic levels, bilaterally. The motor response pattern will be recorded for all TCESTs performed, and any relationship between pulse width and response pattern will be determined.
- Conditions
- Labor Pain
- Being tested
- Nerve stimulator
- Keywords
- Tsui Test, Labour, Epidural catheter
- Medical subject headings
- Labor Pain
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Nerve stimulatorDevice
Also called Stimpod NMS 450
The nerve stimulator (Stimpod NMS 450: Xavant technology (PTY) Ltd; Pretoria, South Africa or similar nerve stimulator) will be connected to the epidural catheter through an adapter (Johans ECG Adapter, Arrow International Inc., Reading). The epidural catheter and the adapter will be primed with a standard volume of 3 ml of sterile normal saline to allow for effective electrical conduction. Secured connections and avoidance of any air within in the system must be ensured to avoid high impedance in the circuit, which could result in false negatives. The cathode terminal of the stimulator will then be attached to the metal hub of the adapter and the anode terminal will be connected to the electrode placed over the deltoid muscle.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1ms pulse width | Active comparator | The nerve stimulator will be connected to the epidural catheter through an adapter, which will be primed with a standard volume of 3 ml of sterile normal saline to allow for effective electrical conduction. The cathode terminal of the stimulator will then be attached to the metal hub of the adapter and the anode terminal will be connected to the electrode placed over the deltoid muscle. All patients will have the trans-catheter electric stimulation test (TCEST) performed with both a 1 ms pulse width and 0.1 ms pulse width and the order of administration will be randomized. Receives: Device: Nerve stimulator |
| 1ms pulse width | Active comparator | The nerve stimulator will be connected to the epidural catheter through an adapter, which will be primed with a standard volume of 3 ml of sterile normal saline to allow for effective electrical conduction. The cathode terminal of the stimulator will then be attached to the metal hub of the adapter and the anode terminal will be connected to the electrode placed over the deltoid muscle. All patients will have the trans-catheter electric stimulation test (TCEST) performed with both a 1 ms pulse width and 0.1 ms pulse width and the order of administration will be randomized. Receives: Device: Nerve stimulator |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Motor response pattern
Motor response pattern to the electrical stimulation of the epidural catheter, either unilateral or bilateral.
Measured: 5 minutes
Secondary outcomes (5)
Sensory level
The sensory level to ice at 20 minutes and 2 hours following injection of the standard epidural loading dose. The sensory level will be assessed from the sacral to the thoracic levels, bilaterally.
Measured: 2 hours
Motor block
Lower extremity motor block as assessed by the Bromage score (Range: 0-3) bilaterally at 20 minutes and 2 hours following the loading dose.
0 = No motor block (full flexion of knees and feet)
- = Partial motor block (just able to move knees and feet)
- = Almost complete motor block (able to move feet only)
- = Complete motor block (unable to move feet or knees)
Measured: 2 hours
Current (mA)
The current required to elicit a motor response on the initial TCEST and at 5 minutes after the test dose
Measured: 5 minutes
Consumption of local anesthetic
Amount of local anesthetic consumed as measured on the pump in the first 2 hours.
Measured: 2 hours
Epidural block failure
Failure of the epidural analgesia, defined as no evidence of a sensory block to ice and absent pain relief in the first 20 minutes, OR the need for epidural catheter replacement within 2 hours of the loading dose.
Measured: 2 hours
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 May 2016 (estimated)
- Study startMay 2016
- Primary completionAug 2016
- Study completionAug 2016
Why it stopped: Analysis after 20 patients was convincing for a negative result for the primary outcome, so the study was stopped.
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Labor PainStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Jose Carvalho, MD, Principal investigator, MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02762149
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 16-04
- Status last verified
- Jul 2017
- First submitted
- 2 May 2016
- Last updated
- 1 Aug 2017
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Zakus P, Bittencourt R, Downey K, Tsui BCH, Carvalho JCA. The effect of an increased pulse width on the pattern of motor response (unilateral versus bilateral) during the Tsui test in labouring parturients: a randomized crossover trial. Can J Anaesth. 2017 Dec;64(12):1211-1217. doi: 10.1007/s12630-017-0977-y. Epub 2017 Sep 21.
PubMed 28936608
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 Aug 2017. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Response Patterns to the Electrical Stimulation of Epidural Catheters With Varying Pulse Widths in Term Pregnant Women
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02762149
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 16-04
- Conditions
- Labor Pain
- Keywords
- Tsui Test, Labour, Epidural catheter
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- TerminatedReason stopped: Analysis after 20 patients was convincing for a negative result for the primary outcome, so the study was stopped.
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- May 2016 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Aug 2016 (actual)
- Study completion
- Aug 2016 (actual)
- First posted
- 4 May 2016 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Epidural analgesia is commonly used for labor pain relief due to its safety and effectiveness. Despite a very high success rate, the epidural technique remains a somewhat blind technique and failures continue to occur. Unfortunately, there are no imaging techniques that can be used at the bedside to determine the proper positioning of the epidural catheter. The trans-catheter electric stimulation test (TCEST) has been successfully used for this purpose. This test is occasionally performed in situations where the immediate confirmation of the proper epidural catheter location is deemed necessary. The test helps to predict which epidurals might fail so that appropriate measures could be immediately implemented.
There has been one duration of electrical stimulus (0.2 milliseconds) that has been used in the majority of studies and in clinical practice. With this duration of stimulation, the vast majority of cases show a unilateral motor response of the lower limbs during the TCEST. Studies on the stimulation of peripheral nerves (nerves in the arms and legs) have shown that an electrical stimulus with a longer duration is able to stimulate nerves which are farther away. Since nerves in the epidural space are similar in composition to peripheral nerves, the investigators expect to see a higher rate of bilateral response with the longer duration of stimulus. The investigators also hope to show that this bilateral response is predictive of a better functioning epidural.
The investigators hypothesize that the incidence of a bilateral response to the TCEST will be higher with the 1.0 ms pulse width compared to 0.1 ms pulse width. Furthermore, the investigators hypothesize that a bilateral motor response associated with the 1.0 ms pulse width will be predictive of symmetry of sensory and motor block and of lower consumption of local anesthetic.
Detailed description
This will be a randomized double-blind controlled study. After recruitment of the patient, epidural anesthesia will be performed in the standard fashion employed in the investigators' institution by a fellow or staff. Spinal ultrasound will be used prior to performing the epidural catheter insertion. The trans-catheter electric stimulation test (TCEST) will be performed at both a 0.1ms pulse width and a 1ms pulse width. The order in which the two pulse widths are applied will be randomly decided by computer. The test dose of local anesthetic will then be administered, and the TCEST will be repeated 5 minutes later. Again, both pulse widths (0.1ms, 1ms) will be used, and the order in which they are applied will be decided randomly.
Following the second testing, a loading dose of the standard anesthetic solution will be administered. The sensory level to ice will be tested at 20 minutes following injection of the loading dose of bupivacaine and fentanyl. The sensory level will be assessed from the sacral to the thoracic levels, bilaterally. The motor response pattern will be recorded for all TCESTs performed, and any relationship between pulse width and response pattern will be determined.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1ms pulse width | Active comparator | Device: Nerve stimulatorThe nerve stimulator will be connected to the epidural catheter through an adapter, which will be primed with a standard volume of 3 ml of sterile normal saline to allow for effective electrical conduction. The cathode terminal of the stimulator will then be attached to the metal hub of the adapter and the anode terminal will be connected to the electrode placed over the deltoid muscle. All patients will have the trans-catheter electric stimulation test (TCEST) performed with both a 1 ms pulse width and 0.1 ms pulse width and the order of administration will be randomized. |
| 1ms pulse width | Active comparator | Device: Nerve stimulatorThe nerve stimulator will be connected to the epidural catheter through an adapter, which will be primed with a standard volume of 3 ml of sterile normal saline to allow for effective electrical conduction. The cathode terminal of the stimulator will then be attached to the metal hub of the adapter and the anode terminal will be connected to the electrode placed over the deltoid muscle. All patients will have the trans-catheter electric stimulation test (TCEST) performed with both a 1 ms pulse width and 0.1 ms pulse width and the order of administration will be randomized. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 16 to 55 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Women 16 years of age and older requesting an epidural for labour analgesia
- Ability to communicate in English
- Informed consent
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Refusal to provide written informed consent
- Inability to communicate in English
- Abnormal vertebral anatomy, including but not limited to previous spine surgery and scoliosis
- Allergy or hypersensitivity to lidocaine, bupivacaine or fentanyl
- Coexisting neurological disorders
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Nerve stimulatorAlso: Stimpod NMS 450The nerve stimulator (Stimpod NMS 450: Xavant technology (PTY) Ltd; Pretoria, South Africa or similar nerve stimulator) will be connected to the epidural catheter through an adapter (Johans ECG Adapter, Arrow International Inc., Reading). The epidural catheter and the adapter will be primed with a standard volume of 3 ml of sterile normal saline to allow for effective electrical conduction. Secured connections and avoidance of any air within in the system must be ensured to avoid high impedance in the circuit, which could result in false negatives. The cathode terminal of the stimulator will then be attached to the metal hub of the adapter and the anode terminal will be connected to the electrode placed over the deltoid muscle. | Device | 0.1ms pulse width, 1ms pulse width |
Primary outcome
Motor response pattern
Time frame: 5 minutes
Motor response pattern to the electrical stimulation of the epidural catheter, either unilateral or bilateral.
5 secondary outcomes
Sensory level
Time frame: 2 hours
Motor block
Time frame: 2 hours
Current (mA)
Time frame: 5 minutes
Consumption of local anesthetic
Time frame: 2 hours
Epidural block failure
Time frame: 2 hours
Results and safety
The study was stopped early (reason given: Analysis after 20 patients was convincing for a negative result for the primary outcome, so the study was stopped.). Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 Aug 2017.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 28936608Zakus P, Bittencourt R, Downey K, Tsui BCH, Carvalho JCA. The effect of an increased pulse width on the pattern of motor response (unilateral versus bilateral) during the Tsui test in labouring parturients: a randomized crossover trial. Can J Anaesth. 2017 Dec;64(12):1211-1217. doi: 10.1007/s12630-017-0977-y. Epub 2017 Sep 21.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Jose Carvalho, MD principal investigator
MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Nerve stimulator in people with Labor Pain, run by Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital at 1 site in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Aug 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study was stopped early (reason given: Analysis after 20 patients was convincing for a negative result for the primary outcome, so the study was stopped.). Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Motor response pattern (time frame: 5 minutes). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02762149, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Aug 2017.