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Ultrasound-Guided Erectro Spinae Plane Block Versus Stellate Ganglion Block for Patients With Upper Limb Acute Herpes Zoster Pain.

Ultrasound-Guided Erectro Spinae Plane Block Versus Stellate Ganglion Block for Patients With Upper Limb Acute Herpes Zoster Pain: Randomized Controlled Study

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06307444
Enrollment
93
Registered
2024-03-12
Start date
2024-03-20
Completion date
2025-02-01
Last updated
2025-04-29

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

Conditions

Acute Herpes Zoster Pain Managment

Brief summary

Herpes zoster (HZ) is a painful, eruptive, viral condition results from reactivation of the latent varicella zoster virus after the primary infection. The selection of an effective analgesic method in the acute phase of herpes zoster can decrease the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia by reducing neural sensitization. The stellate ganglion is present in 80% of the general population and is composed of the inferior cervical ganglion and the first thoracic ganglion fusion. It lies anterior to the neck of the first rib and extends to the inferior aspect of the transverse process of C7. The erector spinae plane (ESP) block has been reported to provide diffuse and effective analgesia in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions.

Detailed description

Especially for elderly patients, when cell-mediated immunity wanes, common symptoms of HZ appear, primarily as pain in a dermatomal distribution with a burning, sharp pain sensation (paresthesia) and itching, in addition to development of a vesicular rash. The selection of an effective analgesic method in the acute phase of herpes zoster can decrease the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia by reducing neural sensitization. The sympathetic fibers for the head, neck, heart, and upper limbs arise from the first thoracic segments, ascend through the sympathetic chain, and synapse in the superior, middle, and inferior cervical ganglions. The stellate ganglion is present in 80% of the general population and is composed of the inferior cervical ganglion and the first thoracic ganglion fusion. It lies anterior to the neck of the first rib and extends to the inferior aspect of the transverse process of C7. The erector spinae plane (ESP) block has been reported to provide diffuse and effective analgesia in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions.

Interventions

high frequency (6 to 13 MHz) linear transducer will be placed perpendicular to the tracheal axis at the cricoid cartilage and will be moved inferiorly until the superior aspect of the thyroid gland is visualized. Later, the transducer should be relocated laterally to visualize the anterior aspect of the Chassaignac's tubercle on \[\]the C6 transverse process. The carotid artery, internal jugular vein, thyroid gland, trachea, Longus colli, and Longus capitis muscle, prevertebral fascia, the root of C6 spinal nerve, and transverse process of C6 can be identified. Color Doppler will be used to detect the position of the vessels. With an in-plane approach, 22 to 25 gauge echo-enhanced needle is placed beside the trachea with a lateral to medial direction.

PROCEDURET2 T3 (High Thorathic) ESP Block

We will count the laminae in the cephaled-to-caudal direction, starting from the C7 using the US to determine the exact vertebral level where the needle will be inserted. A linear high-frequency ultrasound probe will be used to perform the blocks. After the determination of the needle insertion site, the US probe was placed over the spinous processes of the vertebrae at the midline in the longitudinal plane. The US probe will then slid laterally from the spinous processes to visualize the transverse process. The needle will be advanced posterior-to-anteriorly, in the caudal to cephalic direction using the in-plane orientation within paraspinal muscles, targeting the transverse process. When the tip of the needle reaches and contact the transverse process, the local anesthetic drugs(0.2-0.3ml/kg(11) of bupivacaine 0.25% 8mg Dexamethazone) will be administered

Sponsors

Tanta University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

* patients over the age of 21 with upper limb herpetic eruption lasting shorter than a week along with moderate to severe pain who got adequate antiviral medications

Exclusion criteria

* We will exclude patients who refuse to participate, those who are taking anticoagulant medications, have secondary bacterial infections of the dermatome, those who have an allergy to local anesthetics or serious disease of the heart ( e.g. heart block), lung, kidneys and those who had a history of neck surgery, such as thyroid cancer.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
reduction of a numeric rating scale (NRS) pain scoreafter the porcedure till 12 weak1. Pain intensity before block by NRS score (0-10) 2. Pain intensity after block by NRS score (0-10) Pain intensity at 1,2,3,4, ,6,8,12 and24 weeks

Countries

Egypt

Outcome results

None listed

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