Patient Scheduled for SurgeryPUPREANCT07648342
Evaluation of Pupillometry as a Predictor of Pain Intensity Upon Withdrawal of Sedation in the Postoperative Period Following Cardiac Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study
An observational study of Patient Scheduled for Surgery, run by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon at 1 site in France.
Trial summary
Postoperative pain is a significant issue following surgery, and pain that is either inadequately treated or, conversely, overtreated can increase morbidity. For example, severe chest pain following cardiac or pulmonary surgery impairs the patient's respiratory rehabilitation, which can lead to fluid retention and… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Patient Scheduled for Surgery
- What is being tested?
- Pupilometry and VAS
- How many people
- 100 participants
- Where
- 1 siteFrance
- Study dates
- 3 Aug 2026to Aug 2028
- Phase
- Observational
- 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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Patient scheduled for heart surgery
Who may be able to join
- A person who has given verbal consent
- An adult patient
- A patient scheduled for heart surgery
Who cannot join
- A person who is not enrolled in or eligible for a social security program
- A person subject to a legal protective measure (guardianship, conservatorship)
- Person subject to a judicial safeguard measure
- Pregnant, laboring, or breastfeeding woman
- Adult who is legally incapacitated or unable to give consent
- Minor
- Patient with preoperative cognitive impairment (MMS)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
France1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Chu Dijon Bourogne
Dijon, 21000
Vivien BERTHOUD, 06.72.76.00.74 ext. +33, vivien.berthoud@gmail.com
About this study
Postoperative pain is a significant issue following surgery, and pain that is either inadequately treated or, conversely, overtreated can increase morbidity. For example, severe chest pain following cardiac or pulmonary surgery impairs the patient's respiratory rehabilitation, which can lead to fluid retention and, consequently, pneumonia. Conversely, overtreatment through excessive use of opioids can cause drowsiness and respiratory depression. Currently, planning postoperative pain management for intubated, ventilated, and sedated patients relies on indirect signs of pain assessed using scales, and on the clinician's subjective judgment. It is only after sedation is discontinued that the actual level of pain can be assessed, once the patient becomes communicative, which then allows analgesic treatment to be adjusted to the pain. This approach inevitably results in a period of discomfort and pain for the patient. In addition to semi-quantitative and subjective scales, a number of analgesia monitoring tools have been developed.
Among these, the use of pupillometry and the Pupillary Pain Index (PPI) during surgeries (gynecological, pediatric, cardiac) has been associated with a reduction in intraoperative opioid doses and a decrease in postoperative pain. In our department, pupillometry is routinely used to assess analgesia in intubated, ventilated, and sedated patients undergoing painful procedures. This method is integrated into standard care in the operating room in accordance with the PUCCAR study algorithm, as well as in the intensive care unit according to a specific departmental protocol, in addition to standard assessment scores. We hypothesize that performing pupillometry with a PPI score is predictive of pain intensity at extubation. If our hypothesis is confirmed, this would allow us to tailor analgesic management for each patient prior to discontinuing sedation.
- Conditions
- Patient Scheduled for Surgery
- Being tested
- Pupilometry, VAS
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
PupilometryOther
Conducting pupillometry with a PPI score upon discontinuation of sedation in the intensive care unit
VASOther
Measurement of pain intensity using the visual analog scale (VAS ou EVA)
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Patients scheduled for heart surgery | Not described Receives: Other: Pupilometry; Other: VAS |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Pain assessment using a visual analog scale
First VAS (Visual Analog Scale, 0-10) measurement taken 5 to 15 minutes after extubation, as soon as the patient is able to communicate reliably. Dichotomous variable: VAS >3 (severe pain) versus VAS ≤3 (tolerable pain).
Measured: Immediately after surgery
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted15 Jun 2026
- Study start3 Aug 2026
- Primary completionAug 2028 (estimated)
- Study completionAug 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Patient Scheduled for SurgeryStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire DijonThe 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
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07648342
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- BERTHOUD 2026
- Acronym
- PUPREA
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 10 Jun 2026
- Last updated
- 3 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Evaluation of Pupillometry as a Predictor of Pain Intensity Upon Withdrawal of Sedation in the Postoperative Period Following Cardiac Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07648342
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PUPREA / BERTHOUD 2026
- Conditions
- Patient Scheduled for Surgery
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire DijonUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 3 Aug 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Aug 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Aug 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 15 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.
Postoperative pain is a significant issue following surgery, and pain that is either inadequately treated or, conversely, overtreated can increase morbidity. For example, severe chest pain following cardiac or pulmonary surgery impairs the patient's respiratory rehabilitation, which can lead to fluid retention and, consequently, pneumonia. Conversely, overtreatment through excessive use of opioids can cause drowsiness and respiratory depression. Currently, planning postoperative pain management for intubated, ventilated, and sedated patients relies on indirect signs of pain assessed using scales, and on the clinician's subjective judgment. It is only after sedation is discontinued that the actual level of pain can be assessed, once the patient becomes communicative, which then allows analgesic treatment to be adjusted to the pain. This approach inevitably results in a period of discomfort and pain for the patient. In addition to semi-quantitative and subjective scales, a number of analgesia monitoring tools have been developed.
Among these, the use of pupillometry and the Pupillary Pain Index (PPI) during surgeries (gynecological, pediatric, cardiac) has been associated with a reduction in intraoperative opioid doses and a decrease in postoperative pain. In our department, pupillometry is routinely used to assess analgesia in intubated, ventilated, and sedated patients undergoing painful procedures. This method is integrated into standard care in the operating room in accordance with the PUCCAR study algorithm, as well as in the intensive care unit according to a specific departmental protocol, in addition to standard assessment scores. We hypothesize that performing pupillometry with a PPI score is predictive of pain intensity at extubation. If our hypothesis is confirmed, this would allow us to tailor analgesic management for each patient prior to discontinuing sedation.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Patients scheduled for heart surgery | – | Other: Pupilometry, Other: VAS |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Patient scheduled for heart surgery
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- A person who has given verbal consent
- An adult patient
- A patient scheduled for heart surgery
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- A person who is not enrolled in or eligible for a social security program
- A person subject to a legal protective measure (guardianship, conservatorship)
- Person subject to a judicial safeguard measure
- Pregnant, laboring, or breastfeeding woman
- Adult who is legally incapacitated or unable to give consent
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 |
|---|---|---|
| PupilometryConducting pupillometry with a PPI score upon discontinuation of sedation in the intensive care unit | Other | Patients scheduled for heart surgery |
| VASMeasurement of pain intensity using the visual analog scale (VAS ou EVA) | Other | Patients scheduled for heart surgery |
Primary outcome
Pain assessment using a visual analog scale
Time frame: Immediately after surgery
First VAS (Visual Analog Scale, 0-10) measurement taken 5 to 15 minutes after extubation, as soon as the patient is able to communicate reliably. Dichotomous variable: VAS >3 (severe pain) versus VAS ≤3 (tolerable pain).
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 3 Sep 2026.
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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.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Patient Scheduled for Surgery, run by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon at 1 site in France.
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 7 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Sep 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 France. 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?
Contact Vivien BERTHOUD (06.72.76.00.74 ext. +33, vivien.berthoud@gmail.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Pain assessment using a visual analog scale (time frame: Immediately after surgery). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 3 Sep 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.