Comparison of Low-dose Epidural With Intravenous Narcotic Versus Intravenous Narcotic Alone

Pain Clinical Trial

Official title: Comparison of Epidural Bupivacaine-Clonidine With Intravenous Morphine Versus Intravenous Morphine Alone for Post-Operative Pain Relief in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Lower Extremity or Pelvic Osteotomy.

Status Terminated

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of the study is to determine if a low-dose epidural drug mixture without narcotic will result in lower parenteral narcotic usage, and improved side-effect profile for post-operative pain in the pediatric population undergoing lower extremity or pelvic osteotomy.

Clinical Trial Description

Post-operative pain in patients undergoing osteotomy can be severe. Current methods of treatment involve parenteral narcotics and regional anesthesia. Several studies have looked at the efficacy of regional anesthesia with various combinations of local anesthetic and additives in different populations. However, to our knowledge there have been none that directly compare bupivacaine/clonidine epidural with supplemental narcotics to parenteral narcotics alone. Many studies substantiate the efficacy of bupivacaine and clonidine as effective drugs for epidural analgesia (1,2,3). Parenteral narcotic alone is associated with the possibility of significant side effects, overdose, and inadequate analgesia. Epidural analgesia has been shown to reduce postoperative pain scores more than parenteral narcotics (4). We believe that this study is important since the protocol allows additional parenteral narcotic in the epidural group if needed, and also allows for narcotic dosing prior to discontinuation of the epidural to compensate for rebound pain. Further, the prolongation of pain control shown with epidural clonidine may be beneficial during the transition (5,6). ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double-Blind, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Pain

• NCT number: NCT00287326
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• Status: Terminated
• Phase: Phase 3
• Start date: January 2006
• Completion date: June 2006