Postoperative AgitationNCT07635004
Minimal- Versus High-Flow Sevoflurane and Emergence Agitation in Pediatric Surgery
A study testing caudal block in people with Postoperative Agitation and Emergence Agitation, run by Ankara City Hospital Bilkent at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
This study aims to evaluate the effects of minimal-flow sevoflurane compared with high-flow sevoflurane during maintenance of general anesthesia on postoperative emergence agitation in opioid-free pediatric infraumbilical surgeries. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 2 to 10 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Postoperative Agitation, Emergence Agitation
- What is being tested?
- caudal block
- Type of treatment
- Surgery or procedure
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 80 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 22 Apr 2026to 30 Jun 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 2 to 10 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Pediatric patients aged 2-10 years
- ASA physical status I-II
- Scheduled for elective infraumbilical surgery
- Planned to receive general anesthesia with caudal block
- Written informed consent obtained from parents or legal guardians
Who cannot join
- - Refusal of parental consent
- Known allergy to study drugs
- Neurological or developmental disorders
- Psychiatric disorders or use of psychoactive medications
- Chronic pain or regular analgesic use
- Contraindication to caudal block (infection at site, coagulopathy, anatomical abnormality)
Show all 9Show fewer
- Significant cardiovascular, respiratory, hepatic, or renal disease
- Emergency surgery
- Signs of failed caudal epidural block, defined as a greater than 20% increase in heart rate or blood pressure in response to surgical stimulation, an increase in bispectral index (BIS) values, or the requirement for additional intravenous anesthetic agents.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Comparison of the Effects of Minimal-Flow and High-Flow Sevoflurane on Emergence Agitation in Opioid-Free Pediatric Surgeries During General Anesthesia Maintenance
This study aims to evaluate the effects of minimal-flow sevoflurane compared with high-flow sevoflurane during maintenance of general anesthesia on postoperative emergence agitation in opioid-free pediatric infraumbilical surgeries. Patients will be randomly assigned to receive either opioid-free minimal-flow anesthesia combined with caudal block or opioid-free high-flow anesthesia combined with caudal block.
The primary outcome is emergence agitation assessed using the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) scale and the Watcha scale. Secondary outcomes include the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting and recovery characteristics. In addition, all patients will be followed up via telephone at 3 months postoperatively to assess the presence of persistent chronic or neuropathic pain at the surgical site.
The findings of this study may contribute to optimizing anesthesia strategies and improving postoperative outcomes in pediatric patients.
Read the detailed description
Emergence agitation (EA) is a common and clinically significant complication in pediatric patients following general anesthesia, particularly after the use of volatile anesthetic agents such as sevoflurane. The etiology of EA is multifactorial and may be associated with rapid emergence, postoperative pain, preoperative anxiety, and the use of opioids. Strategies aimed at reducing opioid consumption and optimizing anesthetic techniques may help improve postoperative recovery profiles in children.
Opioid-free anesthesia (OFA) has gained increasing attention as a multimodal approach that minimizes or eliminates intraoperative opioid use while maintaining adequate analgesia and hemodynamic stability. In addition, low-flow anesthesia techniques may contribute to improved respiratory conditions, better humidification, and more stable anesthetic depth, which could potentially influence emergence characteristics. However, the combined effect of opioid-free and low-flow anesthesia on emergence agitation in pediatric populations has not been sufficiently investigated.
In this prospective, randomized, single-blind study, pediatric patients undergoing infraumbilical surgery will be allocated to receive either opioid-free minimal-flow anesthesia combined with caudal epidural block or conventional anesthesia management. Emergence agitation will be assessed using the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) scale as the primary outcome, and the Watcha scale as a secondary assessment tool. Additional outcomes include postoperative pain scores, incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and recovery parameters. This study aims to provide evidence on whether opioid-free minimal-flow anesthesia can improve postoperative behavioral outcomes and enhance recovery quality in pediatric patients.
- Conditions
- Postoperative Agitation, Emergence Agitation
- Being tested
- caudal block
- Keywords
- Minimal flow anesthesia, Sevoflurane, Emergence agitation, Pediatric anesthesia
- Medical subject headings
- Emergence Delirium
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
caudal blockProcedure or surgery
In all patients, a caudal epidural block is performed after induction of general anesthesia and tracheal intubation, prior to the surgical procedure, to provide perioperative analgesia.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| opioid-free minimal-flow anesthesia | Experimental | In this arm, pediatric patients undergoing infraumbilical surgery under opioid-free general anesthesia receive a caudal epidural block after tracheal intubation. Anesthesia is then maintained with minimal-flow sevoflurane. Receives: Procedure: caudal block |
| Opioid-Free High-Flow anesthesia | Experimental | Patients receive opioid-free high-flow sevoflurane anesthesia during maintenance of general anesthesia combined with caudal block. Receives: Procedure: caudal block |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Emergence agitation assessed by Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium scale
Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) Scale score ranging from 0 to 20 points. Higher scores indicate more severe emergence delirium. Emergence delirium will be defined as a PAED score ≥10.
Measured: First 30 minutes in PACU
Secondary outcomes (1)
Emergence agitation assessed by Watcha scale
Emergence agitation will be assessed using the Watcha scale (1-4 points), with higher scores indicating more severe agitation. Patients with a Watcha score ≥3 will be classified as having emergence agitation.
Measured: First 30 minutes in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Jun 2026
- Study start22 Apr 2026
- Primary completion22 Jun 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Jun 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (5)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Postoperative AgitationStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Ankara City Hospital BilkentThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Ankara City Hospital Bilkent
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Hülya Kaşıkara, Ankara City Hospital Bilkent
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07635004
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- E2-24-9001
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 21 Apr 2026
- Last updated
- 9 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Hendren WH. From an acorn to an oak. J Pediatr Surg. 1999 May;34(5 Suppl 1):46-58. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3468(99)90830-8. No abstract available.
PubMed 10360488Levy JH, Dutton RP, Hemphill JC 3rd, Shander A, Cooper D, Paidas MJ, Kessler CM, Holcomb JB, Lawson JH; Hemostasis Summit Participants. Multidisciplinary approach to the challenge of hemostasis. Anesth Analg. 2010 Feb 1;110(2):354-64. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0b013e3181c84ba5. Epub 2009 Dec 10.
PubMed 20007735Enooku K, Kato R, Ikeda H, Kurano M, Kume Y, Yoshida H, Ono T, Aizawa K, Suzuki T, Yamazaki T, Yatomi Y. Inverse correlations between serum ADAMTS13 levels and systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, and serum C-reactive protein levels observed at a general health examination in a Japanese population: a cross-sectional study. Clin Chim Acta. 2013 Jun 5;421:147-51. doi: 10.1016/j.cca.2013.03.012. Epub 2013 Mar 21.
PubMed 23523588Kopterides P, Kapetanakis T, Siempos II, Magkou C, Pelekanou A, Tsaganos T, Giamarellos-Bourboulis E, Roussos C, Armaganidis A. Short-term administration of a high oxygen concentration is not injurious in an ex-vivo rabbit model of ventilator-induced lung injury. Anesth Analg. 2009 Feb;108(2):556-64. doi: 10.1213/ane.0b013e31818f10f7.
PubMed 19151287Ryalino C, Senapathi TGD, Pradhana AP, Yudikusumo A. Low-flow anesthesia technique reduces emergence agitation in pediatric patients underwent general anesthesia. Asian J Pharm Clin Res. 2019;12(5):139-141. doi:10.22159/ajpcr.2019.v12i5.32508
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 9 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Comparison of the Effects of Minimal-Flow and High-Flow Sevoflurane on Emergence Agitation in Opioid-Free Pediatric Surgeries During General Anesthesia Maintenance
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07635004
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- E2-24-9001
- Conditions
- Postoperative Agitation, Emergence Agitation
- Keywords
- Minimal flow anesthesia, Sevoflurane, Emergence agitation, Pediatric anesthesia
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Ankara City Hospital BilkentUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 22 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 22 Jun 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 9 Jun 2026 (actual)
- 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.
This study aims to evaluate the effects of minimal-flow sevoflurane compared with high-flow sevoflurane during maintenance of general anesthesia on postoperative emergence agitation in opioid-free pediatric infraumbilical surgeries. Patients will be randomly assigned to receive either opioid-free minimal-flow anesthesia combined with caudal block or opioid-free high-flow anesthesia combined with caudal block.
The primary outcome is emergence agitation assessed using the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) scale and the Watcha scale. Secondary outcomes include the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting and recovery characteristics. In addition, all patients will be followed up via telephone at 3 months postoperatively to assess the presence of persistent chronic or neuropathic pain at the surgical site.
The findings of this study may contribute to optimizing anesthesia strategies and improving postoperative outcomes in pediatric patients.
Detailed description
Emergence agitation (EA) is a common and clinically significant complication in pediatric patients following general anesthesia, particularly after the use of volatile anesthetic agents such as sevoflurane. The etiology of EA is multifactorial and may be associated with rapid emergence, postoperative pain, preoperative anxiety, and the use of opioids. Strategies aimed at reducing opioid consumption and optimizing anesthetic techniques may help improve postoperative recovery profiles in children.
Opioid-free anesthesia (OFA) has gained increasing attention as a multimodal approach that minimizes or eliminates intraoperative opioid use while maintaining adequate analgesia and hemodynamic stability. In addition, low-flow anesthesia techniques may contribute to improved respiratory conditions, better humidification, and more stable anesthetic depth, which could potentially influence emergence characteristics. However, the combined effect of opioid-free and low-flow anesthesia on emergence agitation in pediatric populations has not been sufficiently investigated.
In this prospective, randomized, single-blind study, pediatric patients undergoing infraumbilical surgery will be allocated to receive either opioid-free minimal-flow anesthesia combined with caudal epidural block or conventional anesthesia management. Emergence agitation will be assessed using the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) scale as the primary outcome, and the Watcha scale as a secondary assessment tool. Additional outcomes include postoperative pain scores, incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and recovery parameters. This study aims to provide evidence on whether opioid-free minimal-flow anesthesia can improve postoperative behavioral outcomes and enhance recovery quality in pediatric patients.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| opioid-free minimal-flow anesthesia | Experimental | Procedure: caudal blockIn this arm, pediatric patients undergoing infraumbilical surgery under opioid-free general anesthesia receive a caudal epidural block after tracheal intubation. Anesthesia is then maintained with minimal-flow sevoflurane. |
| Opioid-Free High-Flow anesthesia | Experimental | Procedure: caudal blockPatients receive opioid-free high-flow sevoflurane anesthesia during maintenance of general anesthesia combined with caudal block. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 2 to 10 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Pediatric patients aged 2-10 years
- ASA physical status I-II
- Scheduled for elective infraumbilical surgery
- Planned to receive general anesthesia with caudal block
- Written informed consent obtained from parents or legal guardians
Key exclusion criteria (9 listed)
- - Refusal of parental consent
- Known allergy to study drugs
- Neurological or developmental disorders
- Psychiatric disorders or use of psychoactive medications
- Chronic pain or regular analgesic use
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 |
|---|---|---|
| caudal blockIn all patients, a caudal epidural block is performed after induction of general anesthesia and tracheal intubation, prior to the surgical procedure, to provide perioperative analgesia. | Procedure or surgery | Opioid-Free High-Flow anesthesia, opioid-free minimal-flow anesthesia |
Primary outcome
Emergence agitation assessed by Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium scale
Time frame: First 30 minutes in PACU
Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) Scale score ranging from 0 to 20 points. Higher scores indicate more severe emergence delirium. Emergence delirium will be defined as a PAED score ≥10.
1 secondary outcome
Emergence agitation assessed by Watcha scale
Time frame: First 30 minutes in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU)
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 9 Jun 2026.
- Background: PubMed 10360488Hendren WH. From an acorn to an oak. J Pediatr Surg. 1999 May;34(5 Suppl 1):46-58. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3468(99)90830-8. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 20007735Levy JH, Dutton RP, Hemphill JC 3rd, Shander A, Cooper D, Paidas MJ, Kessler CM, Holcomb JB, Lawson JH; Hemostasis Summit Participants. Multidisciplinary approach to the challenge of hemostasis. Anesth Analg. 2010 Feb 1;110(2):354-64. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0b013e3181c84ba5. Epub 2009 Dec 10.
- Background: PubMed 23523588Enooku K, Kato R, Ikeda H, Kurano M, Kume Y, Yoshida H, Ono T, Aizawa K, Suzuki T, Yamazaki T, Yatomi Y. Inverse correlations between serum ADAMTS13 levels and systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, and serum C-reactive protein levels observed at a general health examination in a Japanese population: a cross-sectional study. Clin Chim Acta. 2013 Jun 5;421:147-51. doi: 10.1016/j.cca.2013.03.012. Epub 2013 Mar 21.
- Background: PubMed 19151287Kopterides P, Kapetanakis T, Siempos II, Magkou C, Pelekanou A, Tsaganos T, Giamarellos-Bourboulis E, Roussos C, Armaganidis A. Short-term administration of a high oxygen concentration is not injurious in an ex-vivo rabbit model of ventilator-induced lung injury. Anesth Analg. 2009 Feb;108(2):556-64. doi: 10.1213/ane.0b013e31818f10f7.
- Results publicationRyalino C, Senapathi TGD, Pradhana AP, Yudikusumo A. Low-flow anesthesia technique reduces emergence agitation in pediatric patients underwent general anesthesia. Asian J Pharm Clin Res. 2019;12(5):139-141. doi:10.22159/ajpcr.2019.v12i5.32508
- 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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing caudal block in people with Postoperative Agitation and Emergence Agitation, run by Ankara City Hospital Bilkent at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
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 5 inclusion and 9 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 Jun 2026. 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 Turkey (Türkiye). 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
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?
Emergence agitation assessed by Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium scale (time frame: First 30 minutes in PACU). 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 NCT07635004, which also lists 5 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 9 Jun 2026.