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The Effect of Intravenous Dexamethasone on Rebound Pain After Interscalene Brachial Plexus Block for Shoulder Surgery

The Effect of Intravenous Dexamethasone on Rebound Pain After Interscalene Brachial Plexus Block for Shoulder Surgery: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05141461
Enrollment
60
Registered
2021-12-02
Start date
2022-01-06
Completion date
2022-05-28
Last updated
2022-06-01

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

Conditions

Rebound Pain

Keywords

interscalene brachial plexus block, shoulder surgery, dexamethasone

Brief summary

The rebound pain after nerve block could interfere with the patient's recovery and rehabilitation. It is not known how intravenous dexamethasone affects rebound pain. This study aims to evaluate the effect of intravenous dexamethasone on rebound pain after interscalene block for shoulder surgery.

Detailed description

Shoulder rotator cuff repair and acromioplasty are associated with severe postoperative pain. The interscalene block (ISB) is commonly used for this type of surgery, providing analgesia by anesthetizing the nerves that supply the shoulder. Although the nerve block provides extremely effective analgesia for the first 6-8 hours, patients experience severe pain once its effect has been wearing off. Rebound pain is a severe pain that occurs when the effect of a nerve block disappears in a patient during the postoperative period. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the use of intravenous dexamethasone reduces rebound pain in patients recruiting for shoulder surgery with interscalene brachial plexus blockade. This study will be conducted as a single-center, prospective, randomized, double-blinded trial in a university hospital. Patients scheduled for elective shoulder surgery will be screened for enrollment in the study. All subjects will undergo ultrasound-guided interscalene nerve block before induction of general anesthesia. They will be randomly assigned into the two groups which use intravenous dexamethasone or not. An anesthesiologist who will perform blocks will not involve in the data collection. Other health care workers who will involve in the evaluation of postoperative pain scores, nausea and vomiting, opioid consumption, quality of Sleep, and Quality of Recovery score will be blinded to the group assignment.

Interventions

PROCEDUREGroup C

Patients will receive 2 mg midazolam and 50 ug fentanyl for sedation before the block procedure. Each patient will be positioned appropriately, then a high-frequency linear array transducer (13-6 MHz) will be placed in the interscalene region to define the brachial plexus on the short axis. Under sterile conditions, a 50 mm block needle will be advanced into the interscalen area using the in-plane method. After localization and negative aspiration, 15 ML of 5% bupivacaine drug will be injected into the interscalene area. 100 ml of NACI will be given intravenously within 15 minutes. General anesthesia will be performed using 2 mg/kg of propofol and 1-2 µg/kg of fentanyl. Tracheal intubation will be facilitated with 0.6mg/kg rocuronium. Anesthesia will be maintained using 50% oxygen and 2% sevoflurane. Patients will be extubated into the operating room after reversing residual muscle relaxation. A multimodal analgesia regimen will be applied postoperatively.

PROCEDUREGroup Dex

Patients will receive 2 mg midazolam and 50 ug fentanyl for sedation before the block procedure. Each patient will be positioned appropriately, then a high-frequency linear array transducer (13-6 MHz) will be placed in the interscalene region to define the brachial plexus on the short axis. Under sterile conditions, a 50 mm block needle will be advanced into the interscalene area using the in-plane method. After localization and negative aspiration, 15 ML of 5% bupivacaine drug will be injected into the interscalene area. 5 mg dexamethasone intravenously will be given in 100 ml NACI within 15 minutes. General anesthesia will be performed using 2 mg/kg of propofol and 1-2 µg/kg of fentanyl. Tracheal intubation will be facilitated with 0.6mg/kg rocuronium. Anesthesia will be maintained using 50% oxygen and 2% sevoflurane. Patients will be extubated into the operating room after reversing residual muscle relaxation. A multimodal analgesia regimen will be applied postoperatively.

Sponsors

Karaman Training and Research Hospital
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

Study investigators will not be aware of what group the participant belongs to when assessing the patient at post-operative period

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Undergoing shoulder surgery * Having signed a written informed consent form, * ASAI-III

Exclusion criteria

* Inadequate indication for interscalene block (Coagulation disorder, local infection of block site, Diaphragmatic paralysis, Allergy to local anesthetics) * Neuropathic disorder * Severe cardiopulmonary disease * Systemic steroid use * Chronic opioids use * Stomach ulcer * Ucontrolled Diabetes * Psychiatric disorders, * Pregnancy, * Severe obesity (body mass index \> 35 kg/m2)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
The difference of pain score before and after interscalene block resolutionFirst 12 hours after interscalene block effect disappearsThe difference in the pain score between when the block is working and when it has resolved. Pain scores (0 = no pain; 10 = worst pain imaginable) using a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) ranging from 0 to 10.
Incidence of rebound painOne week after surgeryRebound pain is described as severe pain (NRS ≥ 7)

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Numeric Rating Scale pain score ( NRS)Postoperative 48 hoursPain scores (0 = no pain; 10 = worst pain imaginable) using a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) ranging from 0 to 10. It will be recorded at the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 12th, 16th, 18th, and 24th hours in the postoperative period
Interscalene block resolution timePostoperative 24 hoursThe time of the first analgesic request. If the patient will not need analgesic, the block will be accepted as resolved when numbness or heaviness will not be felt by the patient.
Analgesic consumptionPostoperative 48 hoursRescue analgesic consumption in the first 48 hours postoperatively will be recorded.
Number of Participants with Surgical infectionPostoperative 14 daysNumber of Participants diagnosed with surgical infection
Sleep Quality measured with Likert ScaleOne week after surgeryPatients' perceived sleep quality will be assessed with a Likert scale. Likert scale is scored from Likert scale where 1 = very dissatisfied, 2 = dissatisfied, 3 = neutral, 4 = satisfied and 5 = very satisfied.
Glucose measurementPostoperative 24th hourGlucose measurement
Quality of Recovery 15 ScorePostoperative day 1 and day 7Quality of Recovery (QoR)-15 survey.Minimum value: 0, Maximum value: 150, higher scores mean better.

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Outcome results

None listed

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