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Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

NCT number NCT01142830
Other study ID # AR-HSG 01-2009
Secondary ID
Status Completed
Phase N/A
First received June 9, 2010
Last updated February 22, 2013
Start date March 2009
Est. completion date December 2012

Study information

Verified date February 2013
Source San Gerardo Hospital
Contact n/a
Is FDA regulated No
Health authority Australia: Prof. Andrew Davidson. Murdoch Children's Research Institute; Melbourne
Study type Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

The primary objective is to assess the incidence and severity of pain after major craniotomy in paediatric patients (from 1 month to 10 years of age).

The secondary objective is to determine factors associated with significant pain following paediatric neurosurgery .


Description:

Research in the adult population has evaluated incidence and severity of post-neurosurgical pain, and effectiveness of different post-neurosurgical analgesic regimens. Several small studies report the prevalence of some period of moderate to severe pain in the first 24 postoperative hours to be from 41 to 84 % of patients. In a prospective single academic medical institution study, adult patients treated with only acetaminophen and modest amounts of opioids on an as needed basis reported moderate to severe pain for the first 2 days after surgery. These findings have supported a growing consensus that perioperative pain associated with intracranial surgery may be more significant than initially appreciated. Factors that have been associated with increased pain after intracranial surgery include sex, younger age, surgical site, and surgical approach to the site. Pain may also be a significant factor in the quality of recovery from intracranial surgery. In contrast there are few studies describing the incidence or management of pain after neurosurgery in children.


Recruitment information / eligibility

Status Completed
Enrollment 218
Est. completion date December 2012
Est. primary completion date October 2011
Accepts healthy volunteers No
Gender Both
Age group 1 Month to 10 Years
Eligibility Inclusion Criteria:

- Male and Female children from 1 month to 10 years Of age

- American Society of Anaesthesiologists Classification (ASA) I-III

- Scheduled for supratentorial or infratentorial craniotomy

- Admission to an Intensive Care Unit, Neurosurgery ward or paediatric ward of one of the hospitals included

- Children whose parents (or legal tutors) have given their informed written consent

Exclusion Criteria:

- Emergency surgery for multiple trauma.

- Children requiring muscular relaxants during the postoperative period

- Children whose parents (or legal tutors) denied their own consensus

Study Design

Observational Model: Cohort, Time Perspective: Prospective


Related Conditions & MeSH terms

  • Disruption or Dehiscence of Closure of Skull or Craniotomy

Locations

Country Name City State
Italy Ospedale Riuniti Bergamo
Italy Policlinico Universitario Catania
Italy Meyer Hospital Firenze
Italy Ospedale pediatrico Gaslini Genova
Italy Istituto Nazionale Neurologico "Carlo Besta" Milano
Italy Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova Padova
Italy Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli Rome
Italy Ospedale Infantile Regina Margherita Torino

Sponsors (10)

Lead Sponsor Collaborator
San Gerardo Hospital A.O. Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Azienda Ospedaliera Ospedale Infantile Regina Margherita Sant'Anna, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Ospedale Civile, Padova. Italy, Ospedale Meyer, Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Policlinico Universitario, Catania. Italy, Royal Children's Hospital, University of Milano Bicocca

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Italy, 

References & Publications (9)

De Benedittis G, Lorenzetti A, Migliore M, Spagnoli D, Tiberio F, Villani RM. Postoperative pain in neurosurgery: a pilot study in brain surgery. Neurosurgery. 1996 Mar;38(3):466-9; discussion 469-70. — View Citation

de Gray LC, Matta BF. Acute and chronic pain following craniotomy: a review. Anaesthesia. 2005 Jul;60(7):693-704. Review. — View Citation

Gottschalk A, Berkow LC, Stevens RD, Mirski M, Thompson RE, White ED, Weingart JD, Long DM, Yaster M. Prospective evaluation of pain and analgesic use following major elective intracranial surgery. J Neurosurg. 2007 Feb;106(2):210-6. — View Citation

Irefin SA, Schubert A, Bloomfield EL, DeBoer GE, Mascha EJ, Ebrahim ZY. The effect of craniotomy location on postoperative pain and nausea. J Anesth. 2003;17(4):227-31. — View Citation

Jensen MP, Smith DG, Ehde DM, Robinsin LR. Pain site and the effects of amputation pain: further clarification of the meaning of mild, moderate, and severe pain. Pain. 2001 Apr;91(3):317-22. — View Citation

Klimek M, Ubben JF, Ammann J, Borner U, Klein J, Verbrugge SJ. Pain in neurosurgically treated patients: a prospective observational study. J Neurosurg. 2006 Mar;104(3):350-9. — View Citation

Koperer H, Deinsberger W, Jödicke A, Böker DK. Postoperative headache after the lateral suboccipital approach: craniotomy versus craniectomy. Minim Invasive Neurosurg. 1999 Dec;42(4):175-8. — View Citation

Leslie K, Troedel S, Irwin K, Pearce F, Ugoni A, Gillies R, Pemberton E, Dharmage S. Quality of recovery from anesthesia in neurosurgical patients. Anesthesiology. 2003 Nov;99(5):1158-65. — View Citation

Quiney N, Cooper R, Stoneham M, Walters F. Pain after craniotomy. A time for reappraisal? Br J Neurosurg. 1996 Jun;10(3):295-9. — View Citation

Outcome

Type Measure Description Time frame Safety issue
Primary Postoperative Pain Pain at rest and in activity will be evaluated using one or more of the following instruments:
FLACC scale for non ventilated children from 1month to 6 years of age or non ventilated children of all ages not could not be evaluated with the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) (a =4 score is considered pain)
Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for non ventilated children from 7 to 10 years of age (a = 4 score is considered pain)
COMFORT scale for ventilated children from 1month to 10 years of age (a = 27 score is considered distress)
48 hs after surgery No
Secondary Analgesic Drugs 1. Type and dose of analgesic therapy used including intra operative administration
Local anesthetic infiltration (dose and time related to surgery)
Scalp block (dose and time related to surgery)
Paracetamol
NSAID
Weak opioids (i.e. codeine, tramadol)
Strong opioids (i.e. morphine, fentanyl)
Other drugs including ketamine, clonidine
48 hs after surgery No
Secondary Complication of analgesic therapy Complications that might be associated with analgesic therapy and could conceivably affect recovery from intracranial surgery, such as postoperative nausea and vomiting, excessive sedation, and respiratory depression will be considered and registered in the collecting data form 48 hs after surgery No
Secondary Methods of administration of analgesic drugs Continuous infusion
PCA: Patients Controlled Analgesia
Nurse controlled analgesia
IV intermittent bolus
Enteral intermittent: Oral, rectal
Other (transdermal, etc.)
48 hs after surgery No