Surgery: Thoracotomy Surgery Thoracotomy
Conditions
Interventions
A total of 80 patients who have been listed for elective thoracotomy for whom epidural analgesia has been agreed will be invited to participate in the study on the day before their operation. The epid
Sponsors
Record Provided by the NHSTCT Register - 2006 Update - Department of Health
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: All adult patients having elective thoracotomy under general anaesthesia with epidural analgesia for post operative pain relief at the Cardiothoracic Centre, Liverpool. The statistical calculations were done based on a similar study looking at epidural analgesia in labor in an ambulatory patient (Anesth Analg 1993;77:919-24). This paper suggests a failure to ambulate in 10% of the patients in the fentanyl group. A difference of 25% between this and the fentanyl/bupivacaine group would be significant clinically. With an alpha error of 5% and a power of 89% then n=80, which is 40 patients in each group.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: 1. Patients unable to mobilize preoperatively due to pre existing neurological, cardiorespiratory or locomotor disease 2. Those with known autonomic nervous system dysfunction, those on beta blockers, those with moderate severe angina (Canadian Cardiovascular Society Class 3 or 4), those with diabetes, those with known allergy to bupivacaine/ fentanyl 3. Routine contraindications to epidural catheter placement will apply
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Demographic data will be recorded: age, height, weight, hand dominance, ASA classification, preoperative medication, surgical procedure, blood loss and level of surgical incision. Primary outcome: The ability to walk with a thoracic epidural. | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| The effect of thoracic epidural blockade on each of the following measurements-systolic, diastolic, mean blood pressure, heart rate change when moving from the sitting to the upright position, leg motor power, dominant side hand grip strength, proprioception, vibration sense, and co ordination. | — |
Countries
United Kingdom
Outcome results
None listed