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Cardiac SurgeryPhase 2/3NCT05054179

Pecto-Intercostal Fascial Plane Block Catheter Trial for Reduction of Sternal Pain

A Phase 2/3 study testing Ropivacaine 0.2% Injectable Solution Bolus, Normal Saline Infusion and Ropivacaine 0.2% Injectable Solution Infusion in people with Cardiac Surgery and Sternotomy, run by University of British Columbia at 1 site in Canada.

Unknown status

Status not confirmed. The sponsor has not verified this record for over two years, so it may be out of date.

Official record
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Trial summary

One of the most painful aspects of open heart surgery is the incision made through the skin and the sternum to access the heart (a "sternotomy"). Post-sternotomy pain is a potentially debilitating complication of surgery that slows recovery immediately after surgery and can lead to issues with chronic pain. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 19 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Cardiac Surgery, Sternotomy, Acute Pain
What is being tested?
Ropivacaine 0.2% Injectable Solution Bolus, Normal Saline Infusion and Ropivacaine 0.2% Injectable Solution Infusion
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
80 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
7 Sep 2022to Jul 2024
Phase
Phase 2/3
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 19 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Scheduled cardiac surgery patients
  • Complete median sternotomy
  • Adult (19 years old or older)
  • English-speaking

Who cannot join

  • Preoperative Exclusion Criteria:
  • Patient refusal
  • Emergent surgery
  • Inability to provide consent
  • Expected inability to follow up via telephone
  • Known preoperative coagulopathy
Show all 23Show fewer
  • Congenital coagulopathy ii) Congenital platelet disorders iii) Platelet count < 50 x 10^9 iv) International normalized ratio (INR) or activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) exceeding the upper range of normal in the absence of anticoagulant use v) Does not include active anticoagulant or antiplatelet use
  • Known predicted post-operative therapeutic anticoagulation within 48 hours.
  • Known skin disease over block insertion site that would prevent catheter securement
  • Known Immunodeficiency including uncontrolled diabetes, as defined by HbA1C of 7.8% or more
  • Known preoperative advanced liver failure (as defined by Child-Pugh B or C)
  • Known preoperative advanced renal failure (as defined by Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2)
  • Known opioid tolerance (as defined by morphine oral equivalent >60mg for a period of 7 days or longer pre-operatively)
  • Known allergy to local anesthetic, acetaminophen, or hydromorphone
  • Known weight less than 60 kg
  • Any known technical or physical barrier to block catheter placement (i.e., deep brain stimulation pulse generator or other devices, breast or other implants)
  • Postoperative Exclusion Criteria:
  • Postoperative bleeding at time of randomization as defined by:
  • initial chest tube loss of >350 mL ii) >200 mL per hour loss iii) > 2 mL/kg/hour loss for 2 consecutive hours iv) or requiring return to the operating room for surgical management
  • Hemodynamic instability, as determined by Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit (CSICU) attending anesthesiologist
  • Anticipated mechanical ventilation of more than 24 hours
  • Anesthesiologist unavailable to insert Pecto-Intercostal Fascial Plane Block (PIFB) catheter within 4 hours of CSICU arrival
  • Any known technical or physical barrier to block catheter placement (i.e., deep brain stimulation pulse generator or other devices, breast or other implants)

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Tim TH Jen, MD contact

tim.jen@ubc.ca

Canada1 site, 1 recruiting
  • St. Paul's Hospital

    Vancouver, British Columbia, V6Z 1Y6

    Nicola Edwards, MHA, 778-870-5520, nedwards@providencehealth.bc.ca

    Recruiting

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: The Efficacy of Pecto-intercostal Fascial Plane Catheters for Reduction of Sternal Pain in Cardiac Surgery Patients With Complete Median Sternotomy: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial

One of the most painful aspects of open heart surgery is the incision made through the skin and the sternum to access the heart (a "sternotomy"). Post-sternotomy pain is a potentially debilitating complication of surgery that slows recovery immediately after surgery and can lead to issues with chronic pain. Previous research has shown that by injecting local anesthesia in the pecto inter-fascial plane, the space between the pectoralis major and the intercostal muscles, pain relief can be provided. The investigators aim to assess if repeated injections of local anesthesia via catheters is a useful adjunct compared to routine care.

Read the detailed description

Justification:

Post-sternotomy pain after cardiac surgery can be debilitating, with associated risks of decreased respiratory function and chronic pain. Severe acute sternal pain after cardiac surgery occurs in 49% of patients at rest and 78% of patients during coughing. Post-sternotomy pain is worst during the first two days and improves thereafter.

The sternum is innervated by the medial division of the anterior cutaneous branches of the T2-6 intercostal nerves, which may be targeted by several regional anesthetic techniques. Concerns of rare epidural hematoma and possible case cancellations with a bloody tap, in the context of systemic heparinization for cardiac surgery, deters many from utilizing neuraxial analgesia for post-sternotomy pain. Contrarily, parasternal regional blocks such as pecto-intercostal fascial plane block (PIFB) provide a low-risk alternative that targets the anterior cutaneous branches of intercostal nerves, and PIFB has been shown to be effective in improving acute post-sternotomy pain.

Nevertheless, single-shot PIFB is limited by its short duration of action, whereas sternotomy pain can remain severe for two postoperative days. Hence, continuous local anesthetic infusion via bilateral PIFB catheters for 48 hours may improve patient pain experience and related outcomes over single shot PIFB.

Objective:

This study aims to evaluate whether, in addition to single shot PIFB, continuous local anesthetic infusion (compared with placebo infusion) through bilateral PIFB catheters reduces acute sternal pain at 24 hours after cardiac surgery with complete median sternotomy. The 24-hour time point was chosen as it represents a time where both the post-sternotomy pain is rated as severe, especially with movement and coughing, and the patient is required to start actively participating in the postoperative rehabilitative process.

Hypotheses:

This study hypothesize that, in addition to single shot PIFB, continuous ropivacaine infusion through bilateral PIFB catheters will be more effective than placebo infusion in reducing sternal pain score on standardized coughing at 24 hours after cardiac surgery with complete median sternotomy.

Study Design:

This will be a prospective, randomized, triple-blinded, placebo-controlled trial in which patients will be randomly allocated to two study groups on a 1:1 basis into:

  1. Treatment Group: 20 mL of ropivacaine 0.2% will be deposited via parasternal multi-orifice catheters on each side, followed by infusion of 3 mL/h for 48 hours.
  2. Control Group: 20 mL of ropivacaine 0.2% will be deposited via parasternal multi-orifice catheters on each side, followed by a saline infusion of 3 mL/h for 48 hours.
Being tested
Ropivacaine 0.2% Injectable Solution Bolus, Normal Saline Infusion, Ropivacaine 0.2% Injectable Solution Infusion
Keywords
Pecto-intercostal fascial plane catheters, Cardiac surgery, Heart surgery, Sternotomy, Acute pain, Post-sternotomy pain, Chronic Pain
Medical subject headings
Acute Pain, Chronic Pain

What participants receive

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

  • Ropivacaine 0.2% Injectable Solution BolusDrug

    20 mL of ropivacaine 0.2% will be injected via parasternal multi-orifice catheters on each side

  • Normal Saline InfusionOther

    3 mL/hour infusion of normal saline for 48 hours via parasternal multi-orifice catheters on each side of the sternum

  • Ropivacaine 0.2% Injectable Solution InfusionDrug

    3 mL/h infusion of Ropivacaine 0.2% for 48 hours via parasternal multi-orifice catheters on each side of the sternum

Study groups in NCT05054179
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Intervention GroupExperimentalThe participants of this group will receive 20 mL of 0.2% Ropivacaine via parasternal multi-orifice catheters on each side of the sternum, followed by infusion of 3 mL/h for 48 hours.
Receives: Drug: Ropivacaine 0.2% Injectable Solution Bolus; Drug: Ropivacaine 0.2% Injectable Solution Infusion
Placebo groupPlacebo comparatorThe participants of this group will receive 20 mL of 0.2% Ropivacaine via parasternal multi-orifice catheters on each side of the sternum, followed by infusion of 3 mL/h of normal saline for 48 hours.
Receives: Drug: Ropivacaine 0.2% Injectable Solution Bolus; Other: Normal Saline Infusion

What is being measured

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

  1. Post-operative Sternal Pain on coughing at 24 hours.

    Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit nurses or recovery ward nurses will assess and record Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) sternal pain scores on coughing. Coughing will be elicited with a standardized script for a sitting patient:

    "Please use both hands to hold on to the pillow in front of you to hold your chest in. Take a deep breath in, and give me three coughs in a row"

    The scale is from 0 to 10, with 0 being no pain at all and 10 being the worst pain possible.

    Measured: Post-surgery 24 hours after intervention

Secondary outcomes (7)
  1. Cumulative opioid consumption (in IV morphine equivalents)

    After patient's discharge from hospital, medical record will be reviewed for opioid (in IV morphine equivalents) consumption history.

    Measured: Post-surgery at 24 and 48 hours after intervention

  2. Post-operative sternal pain severity

    Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit nurses or recovery ward nurses will assess and record Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) sternal pain scores at rest and on coughing up to 48 hours after the intervention.

    Coughing will be elicited with a standardized script for a sitting patient:

    "Please use both hands to hold on to the pillow in front of you to hold your chest in. Take a deep breath in, and give me three coughs in a row".

    The scale is from 0 to 10, with 0 being no pain at all and 10 being the worst pain possible.

    These scores will be recorded every 8 hours.

    Measured: Post surgery, every 8 hours after intervention up to 48 hours

  3. Nausea or vomiting

    After patient's discharge from hospital, medical record will be reviewed for nausea or vomiting and reported as yes or no.

    Measured: Post-surgery within 48 hours of intervention

  4. Quality of Recovery-15 score (QoR-15)

    The research assistant/research coordinator will administer Quality of Recovery-15 score (QoR-15). The QoR-15 includes Part A and Part B. Part A consists of 10 questions regarding how the patient has been feeling in the last 24 hours on a 11-point likert scale from 0 to 10, with 0 being "None of the time" and 10 being "All of the time". Part B consists of 5 questions regarding if the patient has had any of the following in the last 24 hours on the same scale as Part A.

    Measured: Pre-surgery (at enrolment) and Post-surgery at 48 hours

  5. Chronic sternal pain

    After patient's discharge from hospital, they will be called at 3 months and 6 months post-surgery and asked about their sternal pain severity on a numeric rating scale of 0-10.

    Measured: Post-surgery at 3 months and 6 months

  6. Quality of Life Questionnaire

    Participants will complete a quality of life questionnaire, the EQ-5D-5L, preoperatively, at 48 hours, 3 months and 6 months. The first two assessments will be done in person, the 3 and 6 month follow-ups will be done over the phone. The questionnaire consists of 5 dimensions of life (Mobility, Self-Care, Usual Activities, Pain and Discomfort, and Anxiety/Depression). Each dimension has 5 levels: no problems, slight problems, moderate problems, severe problems and extreme problems. The patient is asked to indicate his/her health state by ticking the box next to the most appropriate statement in each of the five dimensions. This decision results in a 1-digit number that expresses the level selected for that dimension. The digits for the five dimensions can be combined into a 5-digit number that describes the patient's health state.

    Measured: Pre-operatively (at enrolment), 48 hours after intervention and 3 and 6 months after discharge from hospital

  7. Overall Health (EQ-5D VAS)

    Participants will report their overall health rating using the EQ-5D Visual Analog Scale (0-100, with 0 being the worst health you can imagine and 100 being the best health you can imagine). This is done preoperatively, at 48 hours, 3 months and 6 months. The first two assessments will be done in person, the 3 and 6 month follow-ups will be done over the phone.

    Measured: Pre-operatively (at enrolment), 48 hours after intervention and 3 and 6 months after discharge from hospital

Timeline

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

  1. First posted23 Sep 2021
  2. Study start7 Sep 2022
  3. Primary completionJan 2024 (estimated)
  4. Study completionJul 2024 (estimated)

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 2/3
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
This will be a prospective, randomized, triple-blinded, placebo-controlled trial in which patients will be randomly allocated to two study groups on a 1:1 basis into: 1\) Intervention Group: 20 mL of ropivacaine 0.2% will be bolused through PIFB catheters on each side, followed by 3 mL/hour infusion of ropivacaine 0.2% for 48 hours each side. 2\) Control Group: 20 mL of ropivacaine 0.2% will be bolused through PIFB catheters on each side, followed by 3 mL/hour infusion of normal saline for 48 hours each side.
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
80 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05054179
Sponsor's protocol ID
PIFB Catheter RCT
Status last verified
Nov 2022
First submitted
19 Aug 2021
Last updated
4 Nov 2022
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared with other researchers.

Publications

  • Liu V, Mariano ER, Prabhakar C. Pecto-intercostal Fascial Block for Acute Poststernotomy Pain: A Case Report. A A Pract. 2018 Jun 15;10(12):319-322. doi: 10.1213/XAA.0000000000000697.

    PubMed 29293481
  • Lee W, Yan YY, Jensen MP, Shun SC, Lin YK, Tsai TP, Lai YH. Predictors and patterns of chronic pain three months after cardiac surgery in Taiwan. Pain Med. 2010 Dec;11(12):1849-58. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2010.00976.x. Epub 2010 Oct 28.

    PubMed 21040435
  • van Gulik L, Janssen LI, Ahlers SJ, Bruins P, Driessen AH, van Boven WJ, van Dongen EP, Knibbe CA. Risk factors for chronic thoracic pain after cardiac surgery via sternotomy. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2011 Dec;40(6):1309-13. doi: 10.1016/j.ejcts.2011.03.039. Epub 2011 May 10.

    PubMed 21561786
  • Gust R, Pecher S, Gust A, Hoffmann V, Bohrer H, Martin E. Effect of patient-controlled analgesia on pulmonary complications after coronary artery bypass grafting. Crit Care Med. 1999 Oct;27(10):2218-23. doi: 10.1097/00003246-199910000-00025.

    PubMed 10548210
  • Sasseron AB, Figueiredo LC, Trova K, Cardoso AL, Lima NM, Olmos SC, Petrucci O. Does the pain disturb the respiratory function after open heart surgery? Rev Bras Cir Cardiovasc. 2009 Oct-Dec;24(4):490-6. doi: 10.1590/s0102-76382009000500010. English, Portuguese.

    PubMed 20305922
  • Mueller XM, Tinguely F, Tevaearai HT, Revelly JP, Chiolero R, von Segesser LK. Pain location, distribution, and intensity after cardiac surgery. Chest. 2000 Aug;118(2):391-6. doi: 10.1378/chest.118.2.391.

    PubMed 10936130
  • Lahtinen P, Kokki H, Hynynen M. Pain after cardiac surgery: a prospective cohort study of 1-year incidence and intensity. Anesthesiology. 2006 Oct;105(4):794-800. doi: 10.1097/00000542-200610000-00026.

    PubMed 17006079
  • Milgrom LB, Brooks JA, Qi R, Bunnell K, Wuestfeld S, Beckman D. Pain levels experienced with activities after cardiac surgery. Am J Crit Care. 2004 Mar;13(2):116-25.

    PubMed 15043239
  • Mittnacht AJC, Shariat A, Weiner MM, Malhotra A, Miller MA, Mahajan A, Bhatt HV. Regional Techniques for Cardiac and Cardiac-Related Procedures. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2019 Feb;33(2):532-546. doi: 10.1053/j.jvca.2018.09.017. Epub 2018 Sep 13. No abstract available.

    PubMed 30529177
  • Hemmerling TM, Cyr S, Terrasini N. Epidural catheterization in cardiac surgery: the 2012 risk assessment. Ann Card Anaesth. 2013 Jul-Sep;16(3):169-77. doi: 10.4103/0971-9784.114237.

    PubMed 23816670
  • Fujii S, Bairagi R, Roche M, Zhou JR. Transversus Thoracis Muscle Plane Block. Biomed Res Int. 2019 Jul 7;2019:1716365. doi: 10.1155/2019/1716365. eCollection 2019.

    PubMed 31360703
  • Fujii S, Roche M, Jones PM, Vissa D, Bainbridge D, Zhou JR. Transversus thoracis muscle plane block in cardiac surgery: a pilot feasibility study. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2019 May;44(5):556-560. doi: 10.1136/rapm-2018-100178. Epub 2019 Mar 21.

    PubMed 30902911
  • Chin KJ. An Anatomical Basis for Naming Plane Blocks of the Anteromedial Chest Wall. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2017 May/Jun;42(3):414-415. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0000000000000575. No abstract available.

    PubMed 28419049
  • Murata H, Hida K, Hara T. Reply to Dr Del Buono et al. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2016 Nov/Dec;41(6):792. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0000000000000491. No abstract available.

    PubMed 27776104
  • Fujii S, Vissa D, Ganapathy S, Johnson M, Zhou J. Transversus Thoracic Muscle Plane Block on a Cadaver With History of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2017 Jul/Aug;42(4):535-537. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0000000000000607. No abstract available.

    PubMed 28632672

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2/3 study testing Ropivacaine 0.2% Injectable Solution Bolus, Normal Saline Infusion and Ropivacaine 0.2% Injectable Solution Infusion in people with Cardiac Surgery and Sternotomy, run by University of British Columbia 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 4 inclusion and 23 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: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Nov 2022. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this combined phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Results are not available in the source record.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Nicola Edwards, MHA (778-870-5520, nedwards@providencehealth.bc.ca), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Post-operative Sternal Pain on coughing at 24 hours. (time frame: Post-surgery 24 hours after intervention). 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 NCT05054179, which also lists 25 linked publications.

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 4 Nov 2022.

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