Liposomal Bupivacaine Intercostal Nerve Block vs Thoracic Epidural for Regional Analgesia in Multiple Rib Fractures

NCT ID: NCT03574376

Last Updated: 2020-03-09

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

UNKNOWN

Clinical Phase

PHASE4

Total Enrollment

258 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-08-29

Study Completion Date

2021-08-01

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Management of traumatic rib fractures continues to be a challenge for trauma surgeons. Currently, many analgesic options are available to patients suffering from rib fractures. Formulations currently used for conventional intercostal nerve blocks (CINB) are relatively safe, do not require additional equipment or specialized anesthesia personnel, do not require catheter repositioning, and provide improved analgesia immediately over the aforementioned systemic therapies. A goal of these authors to introduce an additional safe option for extended local analgesia in the setting of multiple rib fractures given the inconclusive evidence supporting or refuting the current standard of care

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

The objective of this study is to quantify and draw inferences on the efficacy of a multiple level liposomal bupivacaine intercostal nerve blockade (LBINB) in patients with multiple traumatic rib fractures.

The primary objective is to assess the quality and duration of analgesia based on numeric grading pain scale, improvement in pulmonary function parameters, reduction pulmonary complications, and duration of hospitalization in patients receiving LBINBs relative to those receiving the current standard of care, CEA, in patients recovering from multiple traumatic rib fractures.

The secondary objective of this study is to assess cost and rate of complications associated with LBINB relative to CEA.

This is a two arm, randomized trial. Patients suffering multiple traumatic rib fractures will be offered CEA or LBINB. As the current standard of care, CEA will serve as the control, and outcomes measured in patients receiving LBINB will be statistically evaluated relative to the CEA control group.

All patients will receive standardized NSAID and opioid analgesia protocol for break through pain, as well as standardized routines for pulmonary hygiene and physiotherapy.

Indications for CEA and LBINB in this study include patients suffering from traumatic thoracic injury with greater than or equal to 3 fractured ribs

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Trauma Trauma Injury Pain, Acute

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

This is a two arm, randomized trial. Patients suffering multiple traumatic rib fractures will be offered CEA or LBINB. As the current standard of care, CEA will serve as the control, and outcomes measured in patients receiving LBINB will be statistically evaluated relative to the CEA control group.

All patients will receive standardized NSAID and opioid analgesia protocol for break through pain, as well as standardized routines for pulmonary hygiene and physiotherapy.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

No participants are blinded to treatment arms. Patients and investigators are aware of which patients are assigned to each treatment group.

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Bupivacaine Liposome Injection [Exparel]

Patients will receive a nerve block with a medication called liposomal bupivacaine, also called Exparel. Once assigned, a University of Illinois surgeon, or resident surgeon, will administer the nerve block. The nerve block is expected to provide pain relief from 72 to 96 hours. During this time, patients may request oral or intravenous pain medication for breakthrough pain. Patients will remain in the hospital until discharged by the attending physician.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Bupivacaine Liposome Injection

Intervention Type DRUG

Under ultrasound guidance, corresponding ribs will be identified. 3-5 ml of a 1.3% (13.3 mg/mL) of liposomal bupivacaine will be drawn into a syringe with a 1.5-in, 22-gauge needle. The needle will then be advanced 20° cephalad to the skin 3-4 cm lateral to midline at the level of each fractured rib, and 1-2 ribs levels above and below injury. The needle will be advanced 3 mm below the inferior margin of the rib, placing the tip in the space containing the neurovascular bundle. Following negative aspiration for blood or air, 3-5 mL of local anesthetic will be infused and the needle withdrawn. No more than 266 mg, or 20 ml, of the 1.3% (13.3 mg/mL) liposomal bupivacaine solution will be injected

Epidural 0.125% bupivicaine

Patients will receive pain relief through a 0.125% bupivacaine epidural in the upper back by an assigned anesthesiologist. This epidural will remain in place for an uncertain amount of time. The decision to remove the epidural will be determined by the physicians and will be based on level of pain and injury.

However, pain data will only be recorded by the research team for no longer than 96 hours after the epidural is placed. Patients are able to request intravenous and oral pain medications for breakthrough pain. After the epidural is removed, they will remain in the hospital until discharged by the attending physician.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Bupivacaine

Intervention Type DRUG

The anesthesia department will manage CEA. If possible, the patient will be in the sitting position. The skin will be prepped with chlorhexidine and sterilely draped. 3 mL of lidocaine 1% will be infiltrated the closest interspace to the rib fractures between T4 -T12. A Touhy needle will be inserted, the epidural space identified by loss of resistance technique. An epidural catheter will then be inserted to a depth of 12cm. 3 mL of test solution with lidocaine 1.5% with epinephrine, 1:200,000 will be injected with continuous EKG and SpO2 monitoring. Delivery of a 0.125% bupivacaine solution be continuously infused and titrated based on the patient's clinical status

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Bupivacaine Liposome Injection

Under ultrasound guidance, corresponding ribs will be identified. 3-5 ml of a 1.3% (13.3 mg/mL) of liposomal bupivacaine will be drawn into a syringe with a 1.5-in, 22-gauge needle. The needle will then be advanced 20° cephalad to the skin 3-4 cm lateral to midline at the level of each fractured rib, and 1-2 ribs levels above and below injury. The needle will be advanced 3 mm below the inferior margin of the rib, placing the tip in the space containing the neurovascular bundle. Following negative aspiration for blood or air, 3-5 mL of local anesthetic will be infused and the needle withdrawn. No more than 266 mg, or 20 ml, of the 1.3% (13.3 mg/mL) liposomal bupivacaine solution will be injected

Intervention Type DRUG

Bupivacaine

The anesthesia department will manage CEA. If possible, the patient will be in the sitting position. The skin will be prepped with chlorhexidine and sterilely draped. 3 mL of lidocaine 1% will be infiltrated the closest interspace to the rib fractures between T4 -T12. A Touhy needle will be inserted, the epidural space identified by loss of resistance technique. An epidural catheter will then be inserted to a depth of 12cm. 3 mL of test solution with lidocaine 1.5% with epinephrine, 1:200,000 will be injected with continuous EKG and SpO2 monitoring. Delivery of a 0.125% bupivacaine solution be continuously infused and titrated based on the patient's clinical status

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.

Exparel bupivacaine Hcl

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* All patients 18 years of age or older suffering 3 or more rib fractures treated by University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria (UICOMP) attending or resident physicians at OSF St. Francis Medical Center (OSFMC) are potentially eligible for enrollment in the trial.

Exclusion Criteria

* Patients with any of the following will not be eligible since they are contraindications to CEA, LBINB, or both:

1. Intracranial hemorrhage
2. Fever \>101 degrees Fahrenheit for ≥ 1 hour(s)
3. Rash at site of catheter insertion or administration of nerve block
4. Hemodynamic instability
5. Spinal cord injury
6. Vertebral fractures
7. Allergy to bupivacaine
8. Systemic therapeutic anticoagulation required for duration of hospital admission 20
9. Altered mental status without medical decision maker to provide consent
10. Patients without the capacity to consent or the lack of a medical decision maker to consent
11. Patients that are pregnant
12. Legally confined patients.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

OSF Healthcare System

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Chadrick Evans

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Chadrick Evans

Director of Surgical ICU and Trauma

Responsibility Role SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Chadrick R Evans, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

OSF Healthcare System

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Osf St Francis Medical Center

Peoria, Illinois, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Chadrick R Evans, MD

Role: CONTACT

309-655-2383

Jonathan Jou, MD

Role: CONTACT

312-835-0993

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Chadrick R Evans, MD

Role: primary

309-655-3971

Jonathan Jou, MD

Role: backup

312-835-0993

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Ahn Y, Gorlinger K, Alam HB, Eikermann M. Pain-associated respiratory failure in chest trauma. Anesthesiology. 2013 Mar;118(3):701-8. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e318283996b. No abstract available.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 23403516 (View on PubMed)

Battle CE, Hutchings H, Evans PA. Risk factors that predict mortality in patients with blunt chest wall trauma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Injury. 2012 Jan;43(1):8-17. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2011.01.004. Epub 2011 Jan 22.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 21256488 (View on PubMed)

Horlocker TT, Wedel DJ, Rowlingson JC, Enneking FK. Executive summary: regional anesthesia in the patient receiving antithrombotic or thrombolytic therapy: American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Evidence-Based Guidelines (Third Edition). Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2010 Jan-Feb;35(1):102-5. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0b013e3181c15dd0. No abstract available.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 20048659 (View on PubMed)

Galvagno SM Jr, Smith CE, Varon AJ, Hasenboehler EA, Sultan S, Shaefer G, To KB, Fox AD, Alley DE, Ditillo M, Joseph BA, Robinson BR, Haut ER. Pain management for blunt thoracic trauma: A joint practice management guideline from the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma and Trauma Anesthesiology Society. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2016 Nov;81(5):936-951. doi: 10.1097/TA.0000000000001209.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 27533913 (View on PubMed)

Rice DC, Cata JP, Mena GE, Rodriguez-Restrepo A, Correa AM, Mehran RJ. Posterior Intercostal Nerve Block With Liposomal Bupivacaine: An Alternative to Thoracic Epidural Analgesia. Ann Thorac Surg. 2015 Jun;99(6):1953-60. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2015.02.074. Epub 2015 Apr 23.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 25912739 (View on PubMed)

Nosotti M, Rosso L, Tosi D, Palleschi A, Mendogni P, Righi I, Marenghi C, Santambrogio L. Preventive analgesia in thoracic surgery: controlled, randomized, double-blinded study. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2015 Sep;48(3):428-33; discussion 434. doi: 10.1093/ejcts/ezu467. Epub 2014 Dec 18.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 25527168 (View on PubMed)

Mohta M, Verma P, Saxena AK, Sethi AK, Tyagi A, Girotra G. Prospective, randomized comparison of continuous thoracic epidural and thoracic paravertebral infusion in patients with unilateral multiple fractured ribs--a pilot study. J Trauma. 2009 Apr;66(4):1096-101. doi: 10.1097/TA.0b013e318166d76d.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 19359920 (View on PubMed)

Khalil KG, Boutrous ML, Irani AD, Miller CC 3rd, Pawelek TR, Estrera AL, Safi HJ. Operative Intercostal Nerve Blocks With Long-Acting Bupivacaine Liposome for Pain Control After Thoracotomy. Ann Thorac Surg. 2015 Dec;100(6):2013-8. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2015.08.017. Epub 2015 Oct 24.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 26507422 (View on PubMed)

Karmakar MK, Critchley LA, Ho AM, Gin T, Lee TW, Yim AP. Continuous thoracic paravertebral infusion of bupivacaine for pain management in patients with multiple fractured ribs. Chest. 2003 Feb;123(2):424-31. doi: 10.1378/chest.123.2.424.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 12576361 (View on PubMed)

Battle CE, Hutchings H, James K, Evans PA. The risk factors for the development of complications during the recovery phase following blunt chest wall trauma: a retrospective study. Injury. 2013 Sep;44(9):1171-6. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2012.05.019. Epub 2012 Jun 12.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 22695321 (View on PubMed)

Brasel KJ, Guse CE, Layde P, Weigelt JA. Rib fractures: relationship with pneumonia and mortality. Crit Care Med. 2006 Jun;34(6):1642-6. doi: 10.1097/01.CCM.0000217926.40975.4B.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 16625122 (View on PubMed)

Britt T, Sturm R, Ricardi R, Labond V. Comparative evaluation of continuous intercostal nerve block or epidural analgesia on the rate of respiratory complications, intensive care unit, and hospital stay following traumatic rib fractures: a retrospective review. Local Reg Anesth. 2015 Oct 27;8:79-84. doi: 10.2147/LRA.S80498. eCollection 2015.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 26604819 (View on PubMed)

Byun JH, Kim HY. Factors affecting pneumonia occurring to patients with multiple rib fractures. Korean J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2013 Apr;46(2):130-4. doi: 10.5090/kjtcs.2013.46.2.130. Epub 2013 Apr 9.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 23614099 (View on PubMed)

Carrier FM, Turgeon AF, Nicole PC, Trepanier CA, Fergusson DA, Thauvette D, Lessard MR. Effect of epidural analgesia in patients with traumatic rib fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Can J Anaesth. 2009 Mar;56(3):230-42. doi: 10.1007/s12630-009-9052-7. Epub 2009 Feb 11.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 19247744 (View on PubMed)

Dehghan N, de Mestral C, McKee MD, Schemitsch EH, Nathens A. Flail chest injuries: a review of outcomes and treatment practices from the National Trauma Data Bank. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2014 Feb;76(2):462-8. doi: 10.1097/TA.0000000000000086.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 24458051 (View on PubMed)

Duch P, Moller MH. Epidural analgesia in patients with traumatic rib fractures: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2015 Jul;59(6):698-709. doi: 10.1111/aas.12475. Epub 2015 Feb 13.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 25683770 (View on PubMed)

Ho AM, Karmakar MK, Critchley LA. Acute pain management of patients with multiple fractured ribs: a focus on regional techniques. Curr Opin Crit Care. 2011 Aug;17(4):323-7. doi: 10.1097/MCC.0b013e328348bf6f.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 21716105 (View on PubMed)

Hwang EG, Lee Y. Effectiveness of intercostal nerve block for management of pain in rib fracture patients. J Exerc Rehabil. 2014 Aug 31;10(4):241-4. doi: 10.12965/jer.140137. eCollection 2014 Aug.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 25210700 (View on PubMed)

Ilfeld BM, Malhotra N, Furnish TJ, Donohue MC, Madison SJ. Liposomal bupivacaine as a single-injection peripheral nerve block: a dose-response study. Anesth Analg. 2013 Nov;117(5):1248-56. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0b013e31829cc6ae.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 24108252 (View on PubMed)

Ilfeld BM, Viscusi ER, Hadzic A, Minkowitz HS, Morren MD, Lookabaugh J, Joshi GP. Safety and Side Effect Profile of Liposome Bupivacaine (Exparel) in Peripheral Nerve Blocks. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2015 Sep-Oct;40(5):572-82. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0000000000000283.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 26204387 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

Download supplemental materials such as informed consent forms, study protocols, or participant manuals.

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Related Links

Access external resources that provide additional context or updates about the study.

https://depts.washington.edu/anticoag/home/content/neuraxial-guidelines

Management of Antithrombotic Therapy for Neuraxial and Peripheral Nerve Procedures

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

1146837-2

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Analgesic Techniques for Rib Fractures
NCT06519929 ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING PHASE4
Evaluation of LB in THA
NCT03341104 COMPLETED