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Dual-dose Aprepitant to Reduce Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting After Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery.

Dual-dose Aprepitant to Reduce Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting After Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery: a Prospective, Randomised, Placebo-controlled, Triple-blind, Single Centre Trial.

Status
Terminated
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05189756
Acronym
DDA-PONV
Enrollment
71
Registered
2022-01-12
Start date
2022-03-17
Completion date
2025-02-20
Last updated
2025-02-27

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

Conditions

Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting, Bariatric Surgery

Brief summary

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is unpleasant and increases health care costs. Despite modern techniques and prophylaxis, PONV rates remain high after laparoscopic bariatric surgery. We aim to reduce PONV after laparoscopic bariatric surgery using aprepitant with a similar scheme used for emetogenic chemotherapy.

Detailed description

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is not only a disturbing and unpleasant experience for the patient, it also increases length of post anaesthesia care unit (PACU) and hospital stay. In addition, PONV increases the risk for unplanned admission, risk for complications and in the end, health care costs. Risk factors have been identified more than 20 years ago by Apfel et. al., whose screening score has been widely implemented to augment perioperative prophylaxis. But despite modern anaesthetic techniques and combined antiemetic prophylaxis, PONV rates remain high in patients at high risk for PONV: in a recent retrospective study in female patients after laparoscopic bariatric surgery, up to 68% suffered from PONV during the first 48 hours after surgery despite triple antiemetic prophylaxis. While aprepitant is prescribed for three consecutive days after chemotherapy, there is no study so far evaluating the effect of a second dose of aprepitant 24 hours after surgery to prevent the increase in PONV after PACU discharge. We hypothesise, that adding two scheduled doses of aprepitant (2 hours before and 24 hours after surgery) to a twofold antiemetic regimen will significantly reduce cumulative PONV in the first 48 hours after laparoscopic bariatric surgery in patients with moderate to high risk for PONV.

Interventions

Encapsulated capsule of aprepitant 80mg to make it look alike to the placebo.

DRUGPlacebo

Encapsulated placebo capsules for optical, acoustical and haptic blinding.

Sponsors

Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

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

Masking description

Verum, placebo and block-randomisation will be provided by hospital pharmacy. Therefore, patients, treating team and researcher will be blinded.

Intervention model description

This is a prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled, triple-blind, single centre, two-arm parallel groups superiority trial assessing incidence of PONV 48 hours after laparoscopic bariatric surgery.

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

* Aged 18 and more * Scheduled for an elective, laparoscopic bariatric surgery (either laparoscopic gastric sleeve resection or laparoscopic gastric bypass) * BMI \> 30 kg/m2 * moderate to high risk for PONV (defined as APFEL score of 2 or higher) * Informed Consent as documented by signature (see appendix 2).

Exclusion criteria

* emergency or open abdominal surgery; * contraindication to aprepitant: * known allergy/hypersensitivity * on pimozide, terfenadine, astemizole or cisapride * on regular medication with known interaction with the study drug: * benzodiazepines * ketoconazole, itraconazole * rifampicin, clarithromycin * paroxetine * diltiazem * carbamazepine, phenytoin * tolbutamid * ritonavir * St. John's wort * patients with history of chronic nausea/vomiting or taking medication with known antiemetic properties (dexamethasone, metoclopramide, meclozine) * severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh score \>9); * chronic substance abuse (except smoking); * significant psychiatric disease precluding interrogation; * Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e. g. due to language barrier; * Women who are pregnant or breast feeding; * Intention to become pregnant during the course of the study and 2 months after surgery; * Lack of safe contraception, defined as: Female participants of childbearing potential, not using and not willing to continue using a condom in addition to a medically reliable method of contraception for the entire study duration and 2 months after surgery, such as oral, injectable, or implantable contraceptives, or intrauterine contraceptive devices, or who are not using any other method considered sufficiently reliable by the investigator in individual cases. Female participants who are surgically sterilised / hysterectomised or post-menopausal for longer than 2 years are not considered as being of child bearing potential. * male participants need to use a condom for the whole study period and 2 months after surgery; * unable to consent, e. g. patients incapable of judgment needing next-of-kin consent or under tutelage; * participation in another study with an investigational drug within the 30 days preceding and during the present study; * previous enrolment into the current study; * enrolment of the investigator, his/her family members, employees and other dependent persons.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Cumulative rate of PONV 48 hours after surgery48 hoursPrimary outcome is cumulative rate of PONV (defined as emesis including vomiting and retching, severe nausea \[\>6/10 on a numeric rating scale (NRS)\] and use of rescue medication) at 48 hours after surgery.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Severity of nausea3, 24 and 48 hours after surgerymild \[NRS 1-3\], moderate \[NRS 4-6\] and severe \[NRS 7-10\]
Incidence of emesis3, 24 and 48 hours after surgerynumber
Use of rescue medication for PONV3, 24 and 48 hours after surgerymedication, cumulative dose, route
Use of opioid analgesics3, 24 and 48 hours after surgerymg of oral morphine equivalents
Use of non-opioid analgesics3, 24 and 48 hours after surgerymedication, cumulative dose, route
Rate of delayed PACU discharge because of PONV24 hours after surgerynumber
Length of PACU stay24 hours after surgeryhours
Length of hospital stay48 hours after surgeryhours
Surgical complications at 30 days after surgery30 daysusing Clavien-Dindo classification (number and grade)
Use of co-analgesics3, 24 and 48 hours after surgerymedication, cumulative dose, route

Other

MeasureTime frameDescription
Adverse Events3, 24 and 48 hours after surgery, 30 days after surgerypre-defined events, safety outcome

Countries

Switzerland

Outcome results

None listed

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