Improving Labour Induction Analgesia: Epidural Fentanyl Bolus at Epidural Initiation for Induction of Labour

NCT ID: NCT04011098

Last Updated: 2020-11-04

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

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Recruitment Status

TERMINATED

Clinical Phase

PHASE1

Total Enrollment

5 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2019-07-01

Study Completion Date

2020-11-02

Brief Summary

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Labour pain can be intensified for labour inductions and women undergoing inductions often have earlier and more frequent requests for analgesia. Current evidence suggests that epidural analgesia effectively manages pain in labour, but may give rise to adverse effects for both the mother and neonate. Opioids are often added to epidurals to improve the quality of analgesia. Despite reassuring findings regarding epidural opioids, other investigators have found an association between epidural opioids and neonatal respiratory distress, lower Neurological and Adaptive Capacity scores, and reduced rates of breastfeeding. Given the heightened implications for the mother and neonate in situations requiring induction of labour, the desire for a positive outcome whilst still providing adequate maternal analgesia is paramount.

This study thus aims to investigate whether a preliminary epidural Fentanyl bolus at the initiation of the epidural may help to improve analgesia for women undergoing labour inductions for post-term pregnancy in a safe manner. Importantly, the main rationale of this proposed practice being that by achieving adequate epidural analgesia earlier in the labour induction, this may lead to better pain control overall and less overall requirements for epidural PCEA boluses and epidural "top-ups" as the induction progresses.

Detailed Description

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The pain felt during labour is influenced by many physiological and psychosocial factors and often requires some form of relief. Pain can be intensified for labour inductions as the body's natural pain-relieving endorphins are not readily released in response to the increasingly strong and painful uterine contractions- leading to earlier and more frequent requests for analgesia. Induced labour has also been reported as being significantly longer than spontaneous labour. Current evidence suggests that epidural, combined spinal epidural and inhaled analgesia effectively manage pain in labour, but may give rise to adverse effects for both the mother and neonate. Despite this, epidural analgesia is considered the gold standard in the treatment of labor pain and has a role in labour inductions. Opioids are often added to epidurals to improve the quality of analgesia because of their faster onset and superior pain relief. When combined with opioids, lower concentrations of local anesthetic are needed. Such combinations provide adequate analgesic effect while allowing the parturient to maintain maximal motor function.

In studies assessing the safety and efficacy of labour analgesia, neonatal outcome is a primary concern and the use of opioids for labour analgesia is controversial because of the potentially negative effects on neonates. Common indicators of poor neonatal outcomes include a lower Apgar score, a lower Neurological and Adaptive Capacity Score (NACS), and a lower umbilical artery or vein pH value.

Fentanyl is the most widely investigated adjuncts to epidural local anesthetics. Various RCTs comparing epidural local anesthetics with and without fentanyl have found no significant differences in neonatal Apgar scores at one and five minutes between the groups. A recent meta-analysis of twenty-one RCTs involving epidural Fentanyl and Sufentanil concluded that there was no difference in the incidence of Apgar scores \< 7 at one and five minutes, no significant differences in the NACS at two hours and at 24 hours, and no significant differences were found in umbilical cord artery pH between the epidural opioid and control groups. This meta-analysis concluded that the common doses of Fentanyl (total dose of 100-500 mcg) and Sufentanil (total dose of 7.5-30 mcg) used with an epidural/spinal technique are safe for neonates up to 24 hours after delivery. Despite reassuring findings regarding epidural opioids, other investigators have found an association between epidural opioids and neonatal respiratory distress and the use of epidural fentanyl has been associated with a NACS that failed to improve by 24 hours in one study. Furthermore, the use of epidural opioids was associated with reduced rates of breastfeeding in some observational studies, but evidence is unclear and debated.

Given the heightened implications for the mother and neonate in situations requiring induction of labour, the desire for a positive outcome whilst still providing adequate maternal analgesia is paramount. This study thus aims to investigate whether a preliminary epidural Fentanyl bolus at the initiation of the epidural may help to improve analgesia for women undergoing labour inductions for post-term pregnancy in a safe manner. Importantly, the main rationale of this proposed practice being that by achieving adequate epidural analgesia earlier in the labour induction, this may lead to better pain control overall and less overall requirements for epidural PCEA boluses and epidural "top-ups" as the induction progresses.

Conditions

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Epidural Labor Pain Induction of Labor Affected Fetus / Newborn Obstetric Anesthesia Problems Obstetric Pain Opioid

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Prospective randomized control trial (RCT) utilizing parallel groups
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators
Participants will be randomized to one of two groups according to a 1:1 allocation with blinding of the intervention accomplished by providing the Anesthesia practitioner with either a 3 ml syringe filled with 2 ml of standard epidural mix (control) or 2 ml of Fentanyl (50 mcg/ml)(intervention):

1. Control group: will receive a 2 ml bolus of standard epidural mix solution after epidural placement followed by standard care infusion of epidural local anesthetic/opioids, with a PCEA pump for subsequent analgesia.
2. Fentanyl bolus group: will receive a 2 ml bolus of epidural Fentanyl (50 mcg/ml; therefore a total dose of 100 mcg) after epidural placement, followed by a standard care infusion of epidural local anesthetic/opioids, with a PCEA pump for subsequent analgesia.

Study Groups

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Control Group (No Additional Epidural Fentanyl Bolus)

The Control group will receive a 2 ml bolus of standard epidural mix solution after epidural placement followed by standard care infusion of epidural local anesthetic/opioids, with a PCEA pump for subsequent analgesia.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Standard Epidural Group

Intervention Type DRUG

The Control group will receive a 2 ml bolus of standard epidural mix solution (0.08% Bupivicaine with 2 mcg/ml Fentanyl) after epidural placement followed by standard care infusion of the same solution, with a PCEA pump for subsequent analgesia.

Fentanyl bolus group

The Fentanyl bolus group will receive a 2 ml bolus of epidural Fentanyl (50 mcg/ml; therefore a total dose of 100 mcg) after epidural placement, followed by a standard care infusion of epidural local anesthetic/opioids, with a PCEA pump for subsequent analgesia.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Epidural Fentanyl Bolus

Intervention Type DRUG

Fentanyl bolus refers to the provision of a 2 ml bolus of epidural Fentanyl (50 mcg/ml; therefore a total dose of 100 mcg) after epidural placement, followed by a standard care infusion of epidural local anesthetic/opioids, with a PCEA pump for subsequent analgesia (0.08% Bupivicaine with 2 mcg/ml Fentanyl Solution).

Interventions

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Epidural Fentanyl Bolus

Fentanyl bolus refers to the provision of a 2 ml bolus of epidural Fentanyl (50 mcg/ml; therefore a total dose of 100 mcg) after epidural placement, followed by a standard care infusion of epidural local anesthetic/opioids, with a PCEA pump for subsequent analgesia (0.08% Bupivicaine with 2 mcg/ml Fentanyl Solution).

Intervention Type DRUG

Standard Epidural Group

The Control group will receive a 2 ml bolus of standard epidural mix solution (0.08% Bupivicaine with 2 mcg/ml Fentanyl) after epidural placement followed by standard care infusion of the same solution, with a PCEA pump for subsequent analgesia.

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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Experimental Intervention Control Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Healthy parturients
* Parturients presenting for labour induction for post-term pregnancy (i.e. pregnancy beyond 42 weeks gestational age)
* Parturients who have had an uncomplicated pregnancy

Exclusion Criteria

* Parturients presenting for induction of labour for pre-labour (premature) rupture of membranes
* Parturients presenting for induction of labour for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy \[including preeclampsia, eclampsia, HELLP syndrome (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, Low Platelets)\]
* Parturients with maternal diabetes
* Fetal growth restriction
* Multiple gestation pregnancy
* Known or suspected Chorioamnionitis
* Known or suspected Abruptio placentae
* Oligohydramnios
* Parturients with cholestasis of pregnancy
* Known alloimmunization with fetal effects.
* Parturients with other chronic medical conditions or any complications related to pregnancy
* Participants who lack capacity to consent on their own behalf
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

40 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Saskatchewan

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Harry Neveling

MD

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Harry Neveling, MD, FRCPC

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

U of S Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine and Pain Management

Locations

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Royal University Hospital

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Site Status

Countries

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Canada

References

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Other Identifiers

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Bio 18-73

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id