Skip to content

Dexmedetomidine-esketamine-ropivacaine Versus Sufentanil-ropivacaine for Epidural Labor Analgesia

Dexmedetomidine-esketamine-ropivacaine Versus Sufentanil-ropivacaine Combination for Epidural Labor Analgesia and Neonatal Outcomes: a Pilot Randomized Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07145775
Enrollment
300
Registered
2025-08-28
Start date
2025-09-05
Completion date
2026-03-13
Last updated
2026-04-13

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

Conditions

Dexmedetomidine, Epidural Analgesia, Esketamine, Labor Pain, Ropivacaine, Sufentanil

Keywords

epidural anagelsia, labor pain, sufentanil, dexmedetomidine, esketamine, ropivacaine

Brief summary

Sufentanil-ropivacaine combination is commonly used for epidural labor anesthesia, but is associated with some adverse events. Dexmedetomidine and esketamine, each has been effectively used for neuraxial anesthesia in combination with local anesthetics. Plenty of evidences show that both dexmedetomidine and esketamine, combined with ropivacaine, are also effective as the sufentanil-ropivacaine combination when used for epidural labor analgesia. This pilot trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the dexmedetomidine-esketamine-ropivacaine versus sufentanil-ropivacaine combination for epidural labor analgesia, and to test the feasibility of a future large randomized trial.

Detailed description

Sufentanil-ropivacaine combination is commonly used for epidural labor anesthesia, but is associated with some adverse events. Dexmedetomidine and esketamine, each has been effectively used for neuraxial anesthesia in combination with local anesthetics. Plenty of evidences show that both dexmedetomidine and esketamine, combined with ropivacaine, are also effective as the sufentanil-ropivacaine combination when used for epidural labor analgesia. The investigators hypothesize that the dexmedetomidine-esketamine-ropivacaine combination, by avoiding sufentanil and decreasing ropivacaine concentration, may provide non-inferior analgesia with less harmful effect on neonatal outcomes when compared with the sufentanil-ropivacaine combination. This pilot trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the dexmedetomidine-esketamine-ropivacaine versus sufentanil-ropivacaine combination for epidural labor analgesia, and to test the feasibility of a future large randomized trial.

Interventions

DRUGsufentanil-ropivacaine combination

Epidural labor analgesia will be conducted using the sufentanil-ropivacaine combination (0.4 microgram/ml sufentanil + 0.072% ropivacaine).

DRUGdexmedetomidine-esketamine-ropivacaine combination 1

Epidural labor analgesia will be conducted using the dexmedetomidine-esketamine-ropivacaine combination 1 (0.4 microgram/ml dexmedetomidine + 0.15 mg/ml esketamine + 0.036% ropivacaine).

DRUGdexmedetomidine-esketamine-ropivacaine combination 2

Epidural labor analgesia will be conducted using the dexmedetomidine-esketamine-ropivacaine combination 2 (0.4 microgram/ml dexmedetomidine + 0.2 mg/ml esketamine + 0.036% ropivacaine).

Sponsors

Peking University First Hospital
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

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

Intervention model description

a randomized, double-blind, pilot trial with three parallel-arms

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

1. Aged 18 years or above; 2. Single term cephalic pregnancy preparing for vaginal delivery; 3. Agreed to receive epidural labor analgesia.

Exclusion criteria

1. History of schizophrenia or epilepsy; 2. Presence of contraindications for epidural analgesia, including: (1) history of infectious disease of the central nervous system (poliomyelitis, cerebrospinal meningitis, encephalitis, etc.); (2) history of spinal or intra-spinal disease (trauma or surgery of spinal column, intra-spinal canal mass, etc.); (3) systemic infection (sepsis); (4) skin or soft tissue infection at the site of epidural puncture; (5) coagulopathy. 3. Relative contraindications for the use of dexmedetomidine, including prenatal bradycardia (HR\<60 beats per minute) and second-degree or higher atrioventricular block; 4. Relative contraindications for the use of esketamine, including uncontrolled hypertension (systolic blood pressure \>180 mmHg) and hyperthyroidism; 5. Not well controlled systemic diseases, including heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, or an ASA classification \>III; 6. Other conditions that are considered unsuitable for study participation.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Time-weighted average score of pain intensity during laborFrom start of analgesia to 2 hours after childbirthPain intensity will be assessed with the numeric rating scale (an 11-point scale where 0=no pain and 10=the worst pain) at the fllowing timepoints: before analgesia, 10 and 30 minutes after loading dose, every hour during labor, full cervical dilation, immedlately after childbirth, and 2 hours after childbirth. Time-weighted average score will be calculated by summarizing the product of time interval between two adjacent pain scores multiplied by the average of corresponding pain scores, and then divided by the duration of epidural analgesia.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Incidence of a composite of neonatal morbilityFrom immediate childbirth to 24 hours after childbirthNeonatal morbidity includes occurrence of any of the following events: 1-minute Apgar score \<7, 5-minute Apgar score \<7, neonatal umbilical artery blood gas PH\<7.1, need for immediate assisted ventilation after birth, or admission to the neonatal ward or neonatal intensive care unit within 24 hours after birth.
Dosage of epidural labor analgesicsFrom start of analgesia to end of third stage or childbirthIncluding number of demanded boluses, number of delivered boluses, total volume, and hourly volume.
Incidence of persistent pain at 42 days postpartumAt 42 days postpartumDefined as a numeric rating scale of pain (an 11-point scale where 0=no pain and 10=the worst pain) at rest of 1 point or higher that persisted since childbirth.
Incidence of depression at 42 days postpartumAt 42 days postpartumDepression will be assessed with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS; score range 0-30, with higher score indicating more severe depression). An Edinburgh depression score of 10 points or higher indicates presence of depressive symptoms.

Countries

China

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORDong-Xin Wang, MD,PhD

Peking University First Hospital

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Apr 14, 2026