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Paravertebral Block to Reduce the Incidence of New Onset Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery

Paravertebral Block to Reduce the Incidence of New Onset Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04472299
Enrollment
32
Registered
2020-07-15
Start date
2021-04-09
Completion date
2025-07-08
Last updated
2025-08-05

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

Conditions

Anesthesia, Local, Cardiac Disease, New Onset Atrial Fibrillation

Brief summary

The purpose if this pilot study is to determine if a perioperative infusion of 0.2% ropivacaine via bilateral T3 paravertebral catheters can decrease the incidence of new onset atrial fibrillation following primary CABG and/or valve surgery and compare a number of secondary outcomes.

Detailed description

Patients in the intervention group will have ultrasound guided bilateral T3 paravertebral catheters placed prior to surgery. Prior to surgery, these patients will have 5ml of 1.5% lidocaine with 1:200,000 epinephrine injected in each catheter. Ropivacaine 0.2% will be administered via programmed intermittent bolus of 7ml every 60 minutes through each catheter during and after surgery. Patients in the control group will receive no block and undergo surgery with routine anesthetic care guided by their cardiac anesthesiologist.

Interventions

DRUGRopivacaine 0.2% Injectable Solution

Patients in the intervention group will have ultrasound guided bilateral T3 paravertebral catheters placed prior to surgery. Prior to surgery, these patients will have 5ml of 1.5% lidocaine with 1:200,000 epinephrine injected in each catheter. Ropivacaine 0.2% will be administered via programmed intermittent bolus of 7ml every 60 minutes through each catheter during and after surgery.

Sponsors

University of Minnesota
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

\- Participants must be undergoing one of the following elective or urgent (but not emergent) surgeries: A) Primary Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) B) Primary Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement (sAVR) C) Primary Surgical Mitral Valve Replacement (sMVR) D) Combined CABG & surgical valve replacement

Exclusion criteria

* History of atrial fibrillation or flutter * Infective endocarditis * Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) \< 30% * Emergency surgery * Redo surgery * Contraindication to block placement including local anesthetic allergy, bleeding diathesis (physiologic or iatrogenic) * Body mass index \> 35kg/m2 * Pregnancy

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Incidence of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation (NOAF)5 daysThe primary outcome for this trial is the incidence of new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) in the first 5 days following cardiac surgery, defined as atrial fibrillation and/or flutter as recorded on a 12-lead ECG or rhythm strip for greater than 30 seconds in patients with no prior history of atrial fibrillation and/or flutter. Outcome is reported as the percent of participants with NOAF in each arm.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Cumulative Opioid Use - Morphine Equivalents24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours post-operativelyOutcome reported as the cumulative opioid use in morphine milligram equivalents at 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours post-operatively.
Time to Extubationapproximately 5 daysOutcome reported as the amount of time (in hours) participants remain intubated post-operatively.
Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Length of Stayapproximately 5 daysOutcome reported as the length of time (in days) that participants are admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) post-operatively.
Hospital Length of Stayapproximately 7 daysOutcome reported as the length of time (in days) that participants remain admitted to the hospital post-operatively.
30-Day Mortality30 daysOutcome reported as the percent of participants in each arm who expire in the 30 days following surgery.
Cumulative ICU sedation doses24 and 72 hours post-operativelyOutcome reported as the cumulative doses of sedatives (Midazolam, Fentanyl, Propofol, Dexmedetomidine, Haloperidol, Olanzapine) at 24 hours and 72 hours post-operatively.
Cumulative Opioid Use - Average Dosages24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours post-operativelyOutcome reported as the average opioid dosage at 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours post-operatively.
Quality of Recovery 15 (QOR-15) Scores24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours post-operativelyThe Quality of Recovery 15 is a 15-item survey evaluating recovery after surgery and anaesthesia. Items are rated on a scale 0-10. Total scores are a sum of item scores and range 0-150, with higher scores representing a higher quality of recovery.
Average pain score24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours post-operativelyParticipants will be asked to rate their pain on a scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (maximum pain imaginable).
Block-associated complicationsapproximately 5 daysOutcome reported as the number of block-associated complications including catheter infection, vascular puncture, bleeding that results in neurologic compromise, pneumothorax.
Block performance timeapproximately 1 hourOutcome reported as the length of time (in minutes) for placement of catheters.
Duration of vasopressor requirementapproximately 24 hoursOutcome reported as the length of time (in hours) that participants require vasopressor therapy.
Diagnosis of delirium during index hospitalizationapproximately 7 daysOutcome reported as the percent of participants in each arm who are diagnosed with delirium during hospital admission.

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026