Does the stellate ganglion block improve postoperative analgesia following upper limb trauma?

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Phase 4

Study type

Interventional

Source

EU CTR

Registry ID

EUCTR2009-010708-28-IE

Enrollment

Registered

2009-04-15

Start date

2009-07-03

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2025-04-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

We propose that the sympathetic nervous system contributes to acute pain and that a sympathetic nerve block, the stellate ganglion block, will improve postoperative pain in patients presenting for surgery for upper limb trauma. MedDRA version: 14.1 Level: LLT Classification code 10054711 Term: Postoperative pain System Organ Class: 10022117 - Injury, poisoning and procedural complications

Interventions

Trade Name: Lidocaine Hydrochloride Product Name: Lidocaine Hydrochloride Product Code: PA179/37/4 Pharmaceutical Form: Solution for injection Pharmaceutical form of the placebo: Solution for injectio

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Adults 18-80 years Traumatic upper limb surgery involving forearm fracture requiring internal fixation ASA 1 to 3 Written informed consent Are the trial subjects under 18? no Number of subjects for this age range: F.1.2 Adults (18-64 years) yes F.1.2.1 Number of subjects for this age range F.1.3 Elderly (>=65 years) yes F.1.3.1 Number of subjects for this age range

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Patient refusal Local infection at the site of injection Allergy to amide local anaesthetics, fentanyl, propofol, volatile anaesthetics, morphine, diclofenac or paracetamol Concurrent use of MAOIs, or use within 2 weeks of anaesthesia Recent myocardial infarct Glaucoma Pathological bradycardia Sepsis Anatomic abnormalities of the neck and upper limb Difficult airway Systemic anticoagulation or coagulopathy Severe liver or cardiac disease Inability to comprehend or participate in pain scoring system Inability to use intravenous patient controlled analgesia

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Main Objective: We hypothesise that blockade of the stellate ganglion will provide effective analgesia in patients presenting for upper limb surgery compared to placebo block and propose to test this hypothesis in a randomized, controlled, double blinded, clinical trial. Primary Measures: Severity of postoperative pain via visual analogue pain scale Total opiate used in the first 48 hours after surgery ;Secondary Objective: Secondary measures: Nausea or vomiting Sedation Itch Duration of Horners syndrome or other nerve block Block complications Patient satisfaction ;Primary end point(s): THe primary endpoint is postoperative pain, assessed via the Visual Analogue Scale, score.	—

Measure

Time frame

Main Objective: We hypothesise that blockade of the stellate ganglion will provide effective analgesia in patients presenting for upper limb surgery compared to placebo block and propose to test this hypothesis in a randomized, controlled, double blinded, clinical trial. Primary Measures: Severity of postoperative pain via visual analogue pain scale Total opiate used in the first 48 hours after surgery ;Secondary Objective: Secondary measures: Nausea or vomiting Sedation Itch Duration of Horners syndrome or other nerve block Block complications Patient satisfaction ;Primary end point(s): THe primary endpoint is postoperative pain, assessed via the Visual Analogue Scale, score.

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Countries

Ireland

Outcome results

None listed

Source: EU CTR (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026