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Impact of Frailty on Nalbuphine Dose for Postoperative Analgesia in Elderly Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic GI Surgery

Impact of Frailty on the Median Effective Dose of Nalbuphine in Patient-Controlled Intravenous Analgesia for Postoperative Pain in Elderly Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery: A Prospective, Double-Blind, Cohort Study

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06953570
Enrollment
120
Registered
2025-05-01
Start date
2025-10-01
Completion date
2026-10-10
Last updated
2025-05-01

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

Conditions

Frailty, Laparoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery, PCIA

Keywords

nalbuphine, ED50, PCIA, laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery, frailty

Brief summary

This study aims to investigate the ED50 and ED95 of nalbuphine combined with dexmedetomidine in patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) for elderly patients with different degrees of frailty, as well as their analgesic effects and complications. The results of this study can provide safe and effective dosage guidance for postoperative analgesia in frail patients, help optimize analgesic regimens, reduce the risk of complications, and improve the quality of postoperative recovery.

Detailed description

With the increasing aging of the population in China, the proportion of elderly patients in the surgical population is continuously rising, with elderly frail patients accounting for as high as 25-50%. Previous studies have shown that postoperative pain management in elderly frail patients is associated with four major issues: 1. Enhanced pain perception. 2. Decreased pain tolerance. 3. Changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. 4. Iatrogenic titration patterns. Patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) is one of the most commonly used analgesic methods, which can shorten hospital stays, reduce the incidence of perioperative complications, and improve quality of life. However, elderly patients are more prone to hypotension, nausea, and vomiting, necessitating additional antiemetics and rescue analgesics. Nalbuphine, a dual-acting drug as a κ-receptor agonist and μ-receptor antagonist, has analgesic potency comparable to morphine and a longer duration of action (3-6 hours). However, studies have shown that due to reduced liver and kidney function, the metabolism of Nalbuphine is prolonged in elderly frail patients. Dexmedetomidine, a highly selective α2-receptor agonist with sedative, analgesic, anxiolytic, and sympatholytic properties, can reduce postoperative cardiovascular complications, enhance opioid analgesia, and lower the incidence of postoperative delirium, making it an ideal choice for multimodal analgesia. However, no studies have yet explored the dose-response relationship of dexmedetomidine combined with Nalbuphine in elderly frail patients, especially the impact of different degrees of frailty (such as mFI classification) on the median effective dose (ED50) of Nalbuphine. This study, for the first time, employs the modified Dixon up-and-down sequential method to systematically evaluate the influence of different degrees of frailty on the ED50 of Nalbuphine-dexmedetomidine combination analgesia in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery, and to analyze its analgesic effects and complication risks. The results of this study will provide evidence-based guidance for precise pain management in frail patients and promote the application of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) principles in the elderly frail population.

Interventions

None listed

Sponsors

Yongtao Sun
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

1. Patients who plan to undergo elective gastrointestinal surgery and are expected to stay in hospital for ≥3 days after surgery \[except abdominal perineal combined with radical resection of rectal cancer (MILES)\]; 2. ASA grade I-Ⅳ; 3. Age ≥65 years (2); 4. 18.5 kg/m²≤BMI\<30 kg/m²; 5. Sign the informed consent form.

Exclusion criteria

1. Severe cardiopulmonary, liver, kidney and coagulation dysfunction 2. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy were administered 1 month before surgery, and sedatives, antiemetic or antipruritic drugs were administered 24 hours before surgery 3. History of drug abuse, chronic pain, mental illness, or allergy to the drugs used in this study 4. Plan postoperative intubation or transfer to ICU; 5. Participated in other clinical studies within the past 3 months.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Median Effective Dose (ED50) of Nalbuphine Based on Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for Resting Pain at 24 Hours After SurgeryWithin 24 hours after the end of surgeryThe median effective dose (ED50) of nalbuphine is defined as the dose at which 50% of patients report a resting Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score of ≤3 within 24 hours postoperatively. The VAS is a 10-cm line scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain), evaluated at rest.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Resting/Moving VAS (VASR/ VASM)At PACU discharge (immediately after anesthesia recovery), and at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 hours after the end of surgeryThe VAS is assessed at rest and during moving (coughing or changing position from back to side in bed). The pain degree was assessed with a 10cm scale (0-10 points) : 0 was no pain; A score below 3 indicates mild pain, which the patient can tolerate; 4-6 patients pain and affect sleep, can still tolerate; 7-10 points patients have gradually intense pain, the pain is unbearable.
Ramsay Sedation Score (RASS)At PACU discharge (immediately after anesthesia recovery), and at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 hours after the end of surgery1 awake, patient anxious, restless or irritable; 2 points awake, patient cooperation, good orientation or quiet; At 3 points of wakefulness, the patient only responds to commands; 4 minutes sleep, patients respond quickly to tapping eyebrow or Johnson stimulation; 5 minutes sleep, the patient is slow to tap eyebrow or Johnson stimulation; 6 minutes of sleep, the person did not respond to tapping the eyebrow or Johnson stimulation.
Brinell comfort Scale (BCS)At PACU discharge (immediately after anesthesia recovery), and at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 hours after the end of surgery0 is persistent pain; 1 is painless at rest, severe pain when breathing deeply or coughing; 2 are painless at rest, mild pain when breathing deeply or coughing; There was no pain during 3 minutes of quiet and deep breathing. 4 points: No pain when coughing.
Nausea and vomiting (PONV)At PACU discharge (immediately after anesthesia recovery), and at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 hours after the end of surgeryNausea is an uncomfortable feeling of wanting to vomit, but there is no contractive movement of the abdominal muscles, diaphragm muscles, etc. Vomiting refers to the contraction of the diaphragm, chest muscles and abdominal wall muscles, which may be accompanied by vomiting of stomach contents, including dry heaving. If the vomiting events are more than 1 minute apart, they are considered separate episodes. 0 degree indicates no nausea or vomiting. Grade I is nausea and no vomiting; Grade Ⅱ was nausea with mild vomiting; Degree III is severe vomiting requiring further treatment; Grade IV is vomiting that is difficult to control.
the effective pressing number of PCIAAt PACU discharge (immediately after anesthesia recovery), and at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 hours after the end of surgeryThe effective number of PCIA compressions performed by the patient after surgery
the cumulative pressing number of PCIAAt PACU discharge (immediately after anesthesia recovery), and at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 hours after the end of surgeryThe total number of postoperatively applied PCIA
sufentanil doseExiting PACU immediatelyrescue sufentanil doses in PACU
Time to recoveryExiting PACU immediatelylength of stay in PACU
Dose of Nalbuphine Required to Achieve Resting VAS ≤3 in 95% of Patients Within 24 Hours After Surgery (ED95)Within 24 hours after the end of surgeryThe 95% effective dose (ED95) of nalbuphine is defined as the dose at which 95% of patients report a resting pain score of ≤3 on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) within 24 hours after laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery. The VAS is a 10-cm horizontal line scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable), evaluated in a supine resting state
Rescue Analgesic Requirements Within 48 Hours After SurgeryAt 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 hours after the end of surgeryNumber of additional doses of rescue analgesics administered to the patient within the first 48 hours postoperatively, recorded by nursing staff
Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) Within 48 Hours After SurgeryAt PACU discharge, and at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 hours after surgerySBP will be measured using automated patient monitors at predefined time points. The values will be recorded and analyzed as a continuous variable.
Number of Participants Experiencing Respiratory Depression (RR <8/min or SpO₂ ≤90%) After SurgeryAt PACU discharge (immediately after anesthesia recovery), and at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 hours after the end of surgeryRespiratory depression is defined as a respiratory rate \<8 breaths per minute or an oxygen saturation (SpO₂) ≤90% on room air. The incidence will be recorded at each predefined time point by nursing staff using bedside monitors
Number of Participants Requiring Antipruritic Medication for Persistent Itching After SurgeryAt PACU discharge (immediately after anesthesia recovery), and at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 hours after the end of surgeryPruritus is defined as persistent itching that leads to administration of antipruritic medication (e.g., antihistamines or corticosteroids). The number of participants requiring such medications at each time point will be recorded by medical staff.
Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) Within 48 Hours After SurgeryAt PACU discharge, and at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 hours after surgeryDBP will be measured using automated patient monitors at predefined time points. The values will be recorded and analyzed as a continuous variable.
Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) Within 48 Hours After SurgeryAt PACU discharge, and at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 hours after surgeryMAP will be measured using automated patient monitors at each specified time point. MAP is calculated using the formula: (SBP + 2 × DBP) / 3.
Heart Rate (HR) Within 48 Hours After SurgeryAt PACU discharge, and at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 hours after surgeryHeart rate will be measured using automated patient monitors. The values will be recorded in beats per minute (bpm) and analyzed continuously over time.
Peripheral Oxygen Saturation (SpO₂) Within 48 Hours After SurgeryAt PACU discharge, and at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 hours after surgerySpO₂ will be recorded using pulse oximetry. Oxygen saturation (%) will be continuously monitored and recorded at predefined intervals.
Postoperative Functional Recovery Milestones at Hospital DischargeAt hospital discharge, typically within 3 to 7 days after surgeryFunctional recovery is defined as the ability of the patient to (1) independently get out of bed, (2) walk at least 10 meters with or without assistance, (3) tolerate oral intake (clear fluids or diet), and (4) urinate spontaneously. Recovery is assessed using a standardized checklist by the attending physician or nurse prior to discharge.

Contacts

Primary ContactYongtao Sun, Ph.D.
sunyongtao1979@163.com18660795201
Backup Contactweiwei wang, M.A.
www18678653965@163.com18678653965

Outcome results

None listed

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