Dexmedetomidine-Esketamine Combination and Sleep Disturbances After Major Noncardiac Surgery

NCT ID: NCT06859892

Last Updated: 2025-03-19

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

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

PHASE4

Total Enrollment

476 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-03-18

Study Completion Date

2026-12-31

Brief Summary

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Sleep disturbances are common early after major surgery, and are associated with delayed recovery. A previous study showed that dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination as a supplement to patient-controlled intravenous analgesia improved postoperative analgesia and subjective sleep quality in patients after scoliosis correction surgery. The purpose of this trial is to test the hypothesis that dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination used as a supplement during general anesthesia and postoperative intravenous analgesia may reduce sleep disturbances in adult after major noncardiac surgery.

Detailed Description

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Sleep disturbances after surgery is usually manifested as sleep deprivation, altered circadian rhythm, and disturbed sleep structure. The reported incidence of sleep disturbances was 31.4% after gynecologic surgery, 31.9% after urologic surgery, and 35.9% after spine surgery. The occurrence of sleep disturbances is associated with worse perioperative outcomes, including aggravated pain intensity, increased delirium, higher risk of cardiovascular events, and delayed hospital discharge.

Dexmedetomidine is a high-specific alpha 2-adrenergic agonist with anxiolytic, sedative, and analgesic effects. When used during general anesthesia and for postoperative analgesia, dexmedetomidine is associated with improved analgesia and sleep quality. The effect of dexmedetomidine is dose-dependent. However, even commonly used dosage increases bradycardia and hypotension.

Ketamine is a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist. Esketamine is the S-enantiomer of racemic ketamine with a higher affinity for NMDA receptors and is approximately twice as potent as racemic ketamine in analgesia. When used during general anesthesia and for postoperative analgesia, esketamine improves analgesia and reduces opioid consumption, but psychiatric symptoms may occur.

The sedative effect of dexmedetomidine is helpful to relieve psychiatric side effects of ketamine/esketamine. A previous study showed that dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination as a supplement to patient-controlled intravenous analgesia improved postoperative analgesia and subjective sleep quality in patients after scoliosis correction surgery.

This trial is designed to test the hypothesis that dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination used as a supplement during general anesthesia and postoperative intravenous analgesia may reduce sleep disturbances in adult after major noncardiac surgery.

Conditions

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Adults Major Noncardiac Surgery Dexmedetomidine Esketamine Postoperative Sleep Disturbances

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Dexmedetomidine-esketamine group

Dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination is infused during general anesthesia and used as a supplement for patient-controlled intravenous analgesia after surgery.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination

Intervention Type DRUG

Dexmedetomidine 0.4 μg/kg and esketamine 0.2 mg/kg is infused over 10 minutes before anesthesia induction. Dexmedetomidine 0.20 μg/kg/h and esketamine 0.10 mg/kg/h is then infused until 60 minutes before the expected end of surgery. Patient-controlled intravenous analgesia is established with 100 μg dexmedetomidine, 50 mg esketamine, and 100 μg sufentanil, diluted to 100 mL with normal saline, and programmed to deliver 2-mL boluses with a lock-out interval of 8 minutes and background infusion rate at 1 mL/h for up to 72 hours after surgery.

Placebo group

Placebo (normal saline) is infused during general anesthesia and used as a supplement for patient-controlled intravenous analgesia after surgery.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo (normal saline) is administered in the same rate and volume as that in the dexmedetomidine-esketamine group. Patient-controlled intravenous analgesia is established with 100 μg sufentanil, diluted to 100 mL with normal saline, and programmed to deliver 2-mL boluses with a lock-out interval of 8 minutes and background infusion rate at 1 mL/h for up to 72 hours after surgery.

Interventions

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Dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination

Dexmedetomidine 0.4 μg/kg and esketamine 0.2 mg/kg is infused over 10 minutes before anesthesia induction. Dexmedetomidine 0.20 μg/kg/h and esketamine 0.10 mg/kg/h is then infused until 60 minutes before the expected end of surgery. Patient-controlled intravenous analgesia is established with 100 μg dexmedetomidine, 50 mg esketamine, and 100 μg sufentanil, diluted to 100 mL with normal saline, and programmed to deliver 2-mL boluses with a lock-out interval of 8 minutes and background infusion rate at 1 mL/h for up to 72 hours after surgery.

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo

Placebo (normal saline) is administered in the same rate and volume as that in the dexmedetomidine-esketamine group. Patient-controlled intravenous analgesia is established with 100 μg sufentanil, diluted to 100 mL with normal saline, and programmed to deliver 2-mL boluses with a lock-out interval of 8 minutes and background infusion rate at 1 mL/h for up to 72 hours after surgery.

Intervention Type DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Aged ≥18 years.
2. Scheduled for major noncardiac surgery (≥60 minutes) under general anesthesia with an expected end of surgery no later than 18:00 pm.
3. Required patient-controlled intravenous analgesia after surgery.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Emergency surgery, transurethral surgery, organ transplantation.
2. Pregnant or lactating women.
3. Patients who need hypnotics for sleep disturbance or antidepressants for depression prior to surgery.
4. History of schizophrenia, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, or myasthenia gravis.
5. Inability to communicate due to coma, severe dementia, or speech disorders, endured hypoxic encephalopathy or traumatic brain injury, or after neurosurgery.
6. Comorbid with hyperthyroidism and pheochromocytoma.
7. Preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction \<30%, sick sinus syndrome, severe sinus bradycardia (heart rate \<50 beats/min), atrioventricular block of degree II or higher without pacemaker implantation, or systolic blood pressure below 90 mmHg despite use of vasopressors.
8. Diagnosed as sleep apnea, or judged to be at high risk of moderate-to-severe sleep apnea as assessed by STOP-Bang.
9. Severe hepatic dysfunction (Child-Pugh class C), severe renal dysfunction (on dialysis), or ASA classification ≥IV.
10. Hypersensitive to dexmedetomidine and/or esketamine.
11. Other conditions that are deemed unsuitable for study participation.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Peking University First Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Mo Li

Anesthesiologist, Department of Anesthesiology

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Dong-Xin Wang

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Dong-Xin Wang, MD, PhD, Peking University First Hospital

Locations

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Peking University First Hospital

Beijing, , China

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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China

Central Contacts

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Mo Li, MD, PhD

Role: CONTACT

+86 19801260665

Facility Contacts

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Mo Li, MD, PhD

Role: primary

References

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Allen RW, Burney CP, Davis A, Henkin J, Kelly J, Judd BG, Ivatury SJ. Deep Sleep and Beeps: Sleep Quality Improvement Project in General Surgery Patients. J Am Coll Surg. 2021 Jun;232(6):882-888. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2021.02.010. Epub 2021 Mar 3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Myles PS, Shulman MA, Reilly J, Kasza J, Romero L. Measurement of quality of recovery after surgery using the 15-item quality of recovery scale: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Anaesth. 2022 Jun;128(6):1029-1039. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2022.03.009. Epub 2022 Apr 14.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Chouchou F, Khoury S, Chauny JM, Denis R, Lavigne GJ. Postoperative sleep disruptions: a potential catalyst of acute pain? Sleep Med Rev. 2014 Jun;18(3):273-82. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2013.07.002. Epub 2013 Sep 24.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24074687 (View on PubMed)

Fernandes NM, Nield LE, Popel N, Cantor WJ, Plante S, Goldman L, Prabhakar M, Manlhiot C, McCrindle BW, Miner SE. Symptoms of disturbed sleep predict major adverse cardiac events after percutaneous coronary intervention. Can J Cardiol. 2014 Jan;30(1):118-24. doi: 10.1016/j.cjca.2013.07.009. Epub 2013 Oct 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24140074 (View on PubMed)

Lu Y, Li YW, Wang L, Lydic R, Baghdoyan HA, Shi XY, Zhang H. Promoting sleep and circadian health may prevent postoperative delirium: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Sleep Med Rev. 2019 Dec;48:101207. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2019.08.001. Epub 2019 Aug 22.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31505369 (View on PubMed)

Wang X, Hua D, Tang X, Li S, Sun R, Xie Z, Zhou Z, Zhao Y, Wang J, Li S, Luo A. The Role of Perioperative Sleep Disturbance in Postoperative Neurocognitive Disorders. Nat Sci Sleep. 2021 Aug 6;13:1395-1410. doi: 10.2147/NSS.S320745. eCollection 2021.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34393534 (View on PubMed)

Meewisse AJG, Gribnau A, Thiessen SE, Stenvers DJ, Hermanides J, van Zuylen ML. Effect of time of day on outcomes in elective surgery: a systematic review. Anaesthesia. 2024 Dec;79(12):1325-1334. doi: 10.1111/anae.16395. Epub 2024 Aug 7.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 39108199 (View on PubMed)

Song B, Li Y, Teng X, Li X, Yang Y, Zhu J. Comparison of Morning and Evening Operation Under General Anesthesia on Intraoperative Anesthetic Requirement, Postoperative Sleep Quality, and Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nat Sci Sleep. 2020 Jul 16;12:467-475. doi: 10.2147/NSS.S257896. eCollection 2020.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32765143 (View on PubMed)

Luo M, Song B, Zhu J. Sleep Disturbances After General Anesthesia: Current Perspectives. Front Neurol. 2020 Jul 8;11:629. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00629. eCollection 2020.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32733363 (View on PubMed)

Chung F, Liao P, Elsaid H, Shapiro CM, Kang W. Factors associated with postoperative exacerbation of sleep-disordered breathing. Anesthesiology. 2014 Feb;120(2):299-311. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000000041.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24158050 (View on PubMed)

Duan G, Wang K, Peng T, Wu Z, Li H. The Effects of Intraoperative Dexmedetomidine Use and Its Different Dose on Postoperative Sleep Disturbance in Patients Who Have Undergone Non-Cardiac Major Surgery: A Real-World Cohort Study. Nat Sci Sleep. 2020 Mar 12;12:209-219. doi: 10.2147/NSS.S239706. eCollection 2020.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Su X, Wang DX. Improve postoperative sleep: what can we do? Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2018 Feb;31(1):83-88. doi: 10.1097/ACO.0000000000000538.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Krenk L, Jennum P, Kehlet H. Sleep disturbances after fast-track hip and knee arthroplasty. Br J Anaesth. 2012 Nov;109(5):769-75. doi: 10.1093/bja/aes252. Epub 2012 Jul 24.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Gogenur I, Wildschiotz G, Rosenberg J. Circadian distribution of sleep phases after major abdominal surgery. Br J Anaesth. 2008 Jan;100(1):45-9. doi: 10.1093/bja/aem340. Epub 2007 Nov 23.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18037670 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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2024-729

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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