Pain Palliation in Forearm Fractures in the Emergency Department

NCT ID: NCT06588907

Last Updated: 2024-12-27

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

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

85 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-06-01

Study Completion Date

2024-12-15

Brief Summary

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The aim is to evaluate the success of reduction procedures and pain palliation in patients with forearm fractures undergoing reduction under procedural sedation-analgesia (PSA) and ultrasound (US)-guided infraclavicular nerve block (ICB) in the emergency department.

Detailed Description

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Forearm fractures are among the most frequent reasons for adults to visit the emergency department. These fractures cause significant pain both due to the fracture itself and during the reduction process. Pain management in emergency departments (ED) is crucial. Therefore, multimodal approaches are available to reduce or eliminate pain during the reduction process. The aim of this study is to evaluate the success and pain palliation of the reduction process with procedural sedation-analgesia (PSA) and with reduction under ultrasound (US)-guided infraclavicular nerve block (ICB) in patients with forearm fractures. The secondary aim is to compare patient comfort, physician comfort, side effects, length of stay in the emergency department, and the need for painkillers after discharge between these two procedures, and to identify the most suitable method. This study aims to contribute to practical applications in order to provide optimal pain control in patients with forearm fractures in emergency departments.

Patients' pain levels at arrival, pre-reduction procedure, and post-reduction procedure will be recorded using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain).The success of the reduction procedure, whether further reduction attempts were necessary, and findings from post-reduction control X-rays (radial height, radial tilt, and volar tilt) will be noted and evaluated by orthopedic physicians.

Conditions

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Forearm Fracture Radius Fractures Ulnar Fracture

Keywords

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Procedural sedation-analgesia infraclavicular nerve block

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Group P

Reduction will be performed under procedural sedation analgesia (PSA)

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Ketamine

Intervention Type DRUG

Until the recovery period, patients will be closely monitored by an experienced doctor or nurse during sedation. Emergency equipment will be readily available in case of any complications. The following protocol will be used for procedural sedation-analgesia (PSA): Ketamine will be administered intravenously at a dose of 0.5-1 mg/kg. Patients with Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scores above 5 may receive additional doses of 0.25-1 mg/kg, repeated every 5 to 10 minutes as needed.

Group B

Reduction will be performed under ultrasound-guided infraclavicular nerve block (ICB).

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Bupivacaine Hydrochloride

Intervention Type DRUG

After preparing the infraclavicular block site, a 22-gauge needle, guided by ultrasound, will be placed in the 6-7 o'clock position in the same plane as the ultrasound probe. Subsequently, lateral, medial, and posterior cords described as hypoechoic nerve fascicles within hyperechoic structures will be identified. Initially, 2 mL of saline will be administered to confirm proper spread. Once confirmed, 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine (prepared by diluting 10 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine with 10 mL of normal saline) will be injected in fractional doses with intermittent negative aspiration. Fifteen minutes after this procedure, anesthesia depth will be assessed using a cold-hot test, followed by reduction and application of the cast.

Interventions

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Bupivacaine Hydrochloride

After preparing the infraclavicular block site, a 22-gauge needle, guided by ultrasound, will be placed in the 6-7 o'clock position in the same plane as the ultrasound probe. Subsequently, lateral, medial, and posterior cords described as hypoechoic nerve fascicles within hyperechoic structures will be identified. Initially, 2 mL of saline will be administered to confirm proper spread. Once confirmed, 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine (prepared by diluting 10 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine with 10 mL of normal saline) will be injected in fractional doses with intermittent negative aspiration. Fifteen minutes after this procedure, anesthesia depth will be assessed using a cold-hot test, followed by reduction and application of the cast.

Intervention Type DRUG

Ketamine

Until the recovery period, patients will be closely monitored by an experienced doctor or nurse during sedation. Emergency equipment will be readily available in case of any complications. The following protocol will be used for procedural sedation-analgesia (PSA): Ketamine will be administered intravenously at a dose of 0.5-1 mg/kg. Patients with Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scores above 5 may receive additional doses of 0.25-1 mg/kg, repeated every 5 to 10 minutes as needed.

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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Infraclavicular nerve block (ICB) procedural sedation-analgesia

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Aged 18 years and older,
* Diagnosed with forearm fracture using standard radiography,
* Hemodynamically stable individuals,
* Without vascular or nerve injury,
* Without infection in the skin or tissues where the needle will pass,
* Able to provide written and verbal consent and are capable of giving consent

Exclusion Criteria

* Those with allergies to drugs used for sedoanalgesia and peripheral nerve blockade,
* Those who are hemodynamically unstable,
* Patients with ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) classification 3-4 will not be included in the group for whom PSA will be applied,
* Patients with coagulopathy, liver, or kidney failure,
* Patients with opioid, alcohol, or substance dependency,
* Those with skin infections or open wounds in the area where local anesthetic will be administered,
* Pregnant or suspected pregnant individuals,
* Those who do not provide written and verbal consent.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Ankara Etlik City Hospital

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Emine Sarcan

Doctor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Ahmet Burak Erdem

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Ankara Etlik City Hospital

Locations

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Ankara Etlik City Hospital

Ankara, Yenimahalle, Turkey (Türkiye)

Site Status

Countries

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Turkey (Türkiye)

References

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Fauteux-Lamarre E, Burstein B, Cheng A, Bretholz A. Reduced Length of Stay and Adverse Events Using Bier Block for Forearm Fracture Reduction in the Pediatric Emergency Department. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2019 Jan;35(1):58-62. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000000963.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27918376 (View on PubMed)

Tekin E, Aydin ME, Turgut MC, Karagoz S, Ates I, Ahiskalioglu EO. Can ultrasound-guided infraclavicular block be an alternative option for forearm reduction in the emergency department? A prospective randomized study. Clin Exp Emerg Med. 2021 Dec;8(4):307-313. doi: 10.15441/ceem.20.136. Epub 2021 Dec 31.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 35000358 (View on PubMed)

Kukreja P, Kofskey AM, Ransom E, McKenzie C, Feinstein J, Hudson J, Kalagara H. Comparison of Supraclavicular Regional Nerve Block Versus Infraclavicular Regional Nerve Block in Distal Radial Open Reduction and Internal Fixation: A Retrospective Case Series. Cureus. 2022 Apr 12;14(4):e24079. doi: 10.7759/cureus.24079. eCollection 2022 Apr.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 35573547 (View on PubMed)

Sarcan E, Erdem AB, Uysal SB, Duman E, Cebeci Z, Arik E. Pain management with ketamine procedural sedation and infraclavicular block for forearm fracture in the emergency department. Am J Emerg Med. 2025 Jul 16;96:256-263. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2025.07.012. Online ahead of print.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 40694916 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol, Statistical Analysis Plan, and Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

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ESarcan

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id