Comparison of Ropivacaine and Levobupivacaine in High Thoracic Epidural Anesthesia

NCT ID: NCT00552864

Last Updated: 2007-11-02

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE4
• Total Enrollment: 61 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2003-01-31
• Study Completion Date: 2005-06-30

Brief Summary

In High Thoracic Epidural Anesthesia (HTEA) the use of a local anesthetic (LA) with low cardiac toxicity is crucial as myocardial contractility is often already seriously impaired. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy, doses and side effects of ropivacaine and levobupivacaine in patients submitted to coronary artery bypass graft with HTEA and general anesthesia. The primary end point is the amount of LA drug required to maintain a VAS < 4 when coughing in the first 24 postoperative hours.

Detailed Description

The use of high thoracic epidural, combined with general anesthesia (HTEA) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery has become increasing popular in recent years. In fact, this technique is potentially beneficial because of the attenuation of the stress response to surgery, the sympathetic tone reduction and the excellent postoperative analgesia.Patients submitted to coronary artery bypass graft will be randomly allocated to receive high epidural block with ropivacaine (R) or levobupivacaine (L), supplemented with sufentanil, during and after surgery. Postoperatively, the rate of epidural infusion will be modified to maintain a VAS score less than 4 in the thoracic area when coughing. VAS, total amount and rate of epidural drug infusion, MAP, total amount and rate of norepinephrine infusion and motor block will be recorded on arrival in the ICU, on awakening and after 4, 8, 12, 24 hours. Additionally, the onset time of the epidural sensory block, the time of awakening and the time on ventilator will be recorded as well as episodes of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and pruritus.

Conditions

Coronary Artery Bypass; Epidural Anesthesia

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: TRIPLE

Study Groups

R

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Ropivacaine

Intervention Type: DRUG

0.5% epidural bolus injection (0.1 mL kg-1) with sufentanil 2.5 µg mL-1 before general anesthesia induction, followed by 0.2% infusion (0.1 mL kg-1 h-1) with sufentanil 1 µg mL-1 throughout surgery; in ICU, 0.1% epidural infusion with sufentanil 1µg mL-1 at 0.1 mL kg-1 h-1 and the rate is modified following this protocol: on awakening (Ramsay 2) VAS on coughing is evaluated: if it is 4 the infusion rate is not changed, if the VAS is ≥ 4 the rate is increased by 2 mL h-1 after giving a 2 mL bolus and VAS is checked again 30 minutes later, if it is ≤ 4 the infusion rate is decreased by 2 mL h-1.

L

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Levobupivacaine

Intervention Type: DRUG

0.5% epidural bolus injection (0.1 mL kg-1) with sufentanil 2.5 µg mL-1 before general anesthesia induction, followed by 0.2% infusion (0.1 mL kg-1 h-1) with sufentanil 1 µg mL-1 throughout surgery; in ICU, 0.1% epidural infusion with sufentanil 1µg mL-1 at 0.1 mL kg-1 h-1 and the rate is modified following this protocol: on awakening (Ramsay 2) VAS on coughing is evaluated: if it is 4 the infusion rate is not changed, if the VAS is ≥ 4 the rate is increased by 2 mL h-1 after giving a 2 mL bolus and VAS is checked again 30 minutes later, if it is ≤ 4 the infusion rate is decreased by 2 mL h-1.

Interventions

Ropivacaine

0.5% epidural bolus injection (0.1 mL kg-1) with sufentanil 2.5 µg mL-1 before general anesthesia induction, followed by 0.2% infusion (0.1 mL kg-1 h-1) with sufentanil 1 µg mL-1 throughout surgery; in ICU, 0.1% epidural infusion with sufentanil 1µg mL-1 at 0.1 mL kg-1 h-1 and the rate is modified following this protocol: on awakening (Ramsay 2) VAS on coughing is evaluated: if it is 4 the infusion rate is not changed, if the VAS is ≥ 4 the rate is increased by 2 mL h-1 after giving a 2 mL bolus and VAS is checked again 30 minutes later, if it is ≤ 4 the infusion rate is decreased by 2 mL h-1.

Intervention Type: DRUG

Levobupivacaine

0.5% epidural bolus injection (0.1 mL kg-1) with sufentanil 2.5 µg mL-1 before general anesthesia induction, followed by 0.2% infusion (0.1 mL kg-1 h-1) with sufentanil 1 µg mL-1 throughout surgery; in ICU, 0.1% epidural infusion with sufentanil 1µg mL-1 at 0.1 mL kg-1 h-1 and the rate is modified following this protocol: on awakening (Ramsay 2) VAS on coughing is evaluated: if it is 4 the infusion rate is not changed, if the VAS is ≥ 4 the rate is increased by 2 mL h-1 after giving a 2 mL bolus and VAS is checked again 30 minutes later, if it is ≤ 4 the infusion rate is decreased by 2 mL h-1.

Intervention Type: DRUG

Other Intervention Names

Naropina; Chirocaina

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass grafting
• with stable angina
• left ventricular ejection fraction > 30%
• age > 18 years
• having signed a written informed consent.
• Prothrombin Time (PT) > 80% and Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) within the normal range, and platelet counts (PLT) > 100.000 /mL

Exclusion Criteria

• emergency operation
• known coagulation disorders or recent thrombolytic therapy
• angina on arrival in the operating room
• acute myocardial infarction within the previous seven days
• clinically significant associated valvular disease
• known neuraxial pathology
• patients participating in other clinical research protocols.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 80 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Centro Cardiologico Monzino

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Principal Investigators

Luca Salvi, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Department of Anesthesia & ICU. IRCCS Centro Cardiologico Monzino.

Locations

Department of Anesthesia & ICU. IRCCS Centro Cardiologico Monzino

Milan, , Italy

Countries

Italy

References

Olivier JF, Le N, Choiniere JL, Prieto I, Basile F, Hemmerling T. Comparison of three different epidural solutions in off-pump cardiac surgery: pilot study. Br J Anaesth. 2005 Nov;95(5):685-91. doi: 10.1093/bja/aei238. Epub 2005 Sep 23.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 16183682 (View on PubMed)

Casati A, Putzu M. Bupivacaine, levobupivacaine and ropivacaine: are they clinically different? Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol. 2005 Jun;19(2):247-68. doi: 10.1016/j.bpa.2004.12.003.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 15966496 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

CCMAneste001

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id