REDUCE Trial: Perineural Dexamethasone on Scalp Nerve Blocks

Postoperative Pain Clinical Trial

Official title: REDUCE Trial: The Effects of Perineural Dexamethasone on Scalp Nerve Blocks for Relief of Postcraniotomy Pain

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Pain is common in the first 2 days after major craniotomy. Inadequate analgesia may lead to an increased risk of postoperative complications. Most pain following craniotomy arises from the pericranial muscles and soft tissues of the scalp. Scalp nerve blocks with local anesthesia seem to provide effective, safe, however transient postoperative analgesia which does not seem to meet the requirements of craniotomy. Currently, peripheral dexamethasone has been observed to significantly prolong the duration of analgesia of nerve blocks (e.g., saphenous nerve block, adductor canal block, thoracic paravertebral block, brachial plexus nerve block). On the contrary, a study reported that perineural dexamethasone did not appear to prolong the analgesic time after supratentorial craniotomy. However, all patients in this study were given 24 mg of oral or intravenous dexamethasone regularly at least 7 days during the perioperative period, which possibly masked the role of single local low doses of perineural dexamethasone. Therefore, the analgesic effect of single dexamethasone for scalp nerve blocks without the backdrop of perioperative glucocorticoid deserves further clarification.

Clinical Trial Description

n/a

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Craniotomy
• Dexamethasone
• Pain, Postoperative
• Postoperative Pain
• Scalp Nerve Blocks

• NCT number: NCT04648358
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Beijing Tiantan Hospital
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: December 13, 2020
• Completion date: January 2, 2023