AzTrials
AzTrials

Airway Complication of AnesthesiaNCT04546087

Impact of Labor and Delivery on Ultrasound Measured Cricothyroid Membrane Depth and Height

A study testing Ultrasound in people with Airway Complication of Anesthesia, run by Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital at 1 site in Canada.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

The cricothyroid membrane acts as a route through which the upper airway can be accessed to provide oxygen and ventilation to patients. Anesthesiologists need to deliver oxygen and ventilation to patients under general anesthesia, where patients may lose the ability to breath for themselves. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 50 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Airway Complication of Anesthesia
What is being tested?
Ultrasound
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
50 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
1 Sep 2020to 2 Nov 2022
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 18 to 50 years
  • Women only
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age >=18 years old
  • Pregnant patients in third trimester (>28/40 weeks)
  • Ability to understand the rationale of the study assessments and to provide signed consent.

Who cannot join

  • Neck arthritis
  • Cervical stenosis
  • Known cervical degenerative disc disease
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Any restriction of neck movement
  • Upper limb neurology
Show all 10Show fewer
  • Patient refusal
  • Patients not in established labour.
  • Patients undergoing cesarean section
  • Known distorted airway anatomy

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site
  • Mount Sinai Hospital

    Toronto, Ontario, M5G1X5

Other trials in Canada

About this study

The cricothyroid membrane acts as a route through which the upper airway can be accessed to provide oxygen and ventilation to patients. Anesthesiologists need to deliver oxygen and ventilation to patients under general anesthesia, where patients may lose the ability to breath for themselves. Access through this membrane to provide oxygen and ventilation is critical in emergency situations where other traditional means to access the airway (e.g. through endotracheal ventilation, supraglottic airway devices or face mask ventilation) have failed. It is known, from previous studies, that due to the physiological changes that occur in labour, the upper airway of the body undergoes changes that can make accessing the airway through traditional means more difficult, specifically during the period of labor, delivery, and just after delivery. Ultrasound is becoming increasingly popular due to its ability both to identify the cricothyroid membrane and to improve success in accessing the airway through the cricothyroid membrane. What is not known, and has not been studied to date, is specifically how the anatomy (i.e. its height and its depth) specifically changes during the period of labour, delivery and just after delivery.

The aim of this study would be to scan (using ultrasound) pregnant women's necks once at the very start of their labour, and once within 4 hours of delivery of their baby, to identify how the size and depth of the cricothyroid membrane changes. This information would improve the understanding of how to best approach accessing this membrane in laboring pregnant women.

The investigators hypothesize that in labouring third trimester patient, that the depth to the cricothyroid membrane will increase, and there will be no change in the cricothyroid membrane height.

Being tested
Ultrasound
Keywords
cricothyroid membrane, pregnancy, ultrasound

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • UltrasoundDevice

    Ultrasound scan of the cricothyroid membrane

Study groups in NCT04546087
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
UltrasoundExperimentalUltrasound measurements of the cricothyroid membrane.
Receives: Device: Ultrasound

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Cricothyroid membrane position change

    Difference between the depth from the skin to the cricothyroid membrane- tracheal interface change ultrasound between the onset of established labor and following delivery of the baby and placenta.

    Measured: 24 hours

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Cricothyroid membrane size change

    Difference between the height of the cricothyroid membrane (CTM) at the onset of established labor and the height of CTM following delivery of the baby.

    Measured: 24 hours

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted11 Sep 2020
  2. Study start1 Sep 2020
  3. Primary completion2 Nov 2022
  4. Study completion2 Nov 2022

Resources

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
Prevention
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
50 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04546087
Sponsor's protocol ID
20-01
Status last verified
Mar 2024
First submitted
28 Aug 2020
Last updated
19 Mar 2024
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Casellato JF, Zasso FB, Wild E, Ye XY, Downey K, You-Ten E, Siddiqui N. Ultrasound assessment of cricothyroid membrane anatomy before and after labor: a prospective observational study. Int J Obstet Anesth. 2026 Feb;65:104802. doi: 10.1016/j.ijoa.2025.104802. Epub 2025 Oct 19.

    PubMed 41138706

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Ultrasound in people with Airway Complication of Anesthesia, 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 10 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 19 Mar 2024. 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 is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

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?

Cricothyroid membrane position change (time frame: 24 hours). 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 NCT04546087, 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 19 Mar 2024.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in