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Early General Anesthesia to Limit Experiences of Trauma During Cesarean Section-Pilot Study

EAGLET-CS Pilot: Early General Anesthesia to Limit Experiences of Trauma During Cesarean Section-Pilot Study

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07334418
Acronym
EAGLET-CS
Enrollment
600
Registered
2026-01-12
Start date
2026-05-31
Completion date
2027-11-30
Last updated
2026-01-15

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

Conditions

Cesarean Section, Delivery; Trauma

Keywords

Cesarean Section, Delivery; Trauma, C-section, PTSD

Brief summary

Some patients who undergo cesarean section under spinal or epidural anesthesia can experience severe pain. Some patients who experience this kind of pain can experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after pregnancy. Currently, the two main options for treating this pain are general anesthesia (full medically induced unconsciousness) and using intravenous medications to reduce the pain and decrease anxiety. The EAGLET-CS Pilot is a pilot randomized trial that will test the feasibility of comparing the impact of these two options for preventing PTSD in a rigorous way for those patients who experience pain during their cesarean section after the baby is out.

Detailed description

The EAGLET-CS Pilot is a randomized trial that will assess the feasibility of comparing two commonly used approaches to care for women undergoing cesarean delivery under standard neuraxial anesthesia (epidural, spinal, or CSE) who experience intraoperative pain after delivery that is refractory to first line treatments. 12 patients recruited from the labor and delivery service at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania will be assigned to one of two standard-care comparators, namely early conversion to general anesthesia versus a time-limited trial of intravenous sedation, followed by conversion to general anesthesia if needed due to ongoing pain. Patients will be assessed during hospitalization and at up to 6 weeks after delivery to assess mental health, medical, and quality of recovery outcomes.

Interventions

DRUGGeneral anesthetic

standard of care general anesthesia

standard of care intravenous anesthesia

Sponsors

University of Pennsylvania
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

1:1

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

* Women aged 18 or older undergoing non-emergent cesarean delivery with primary neuraxial (epidural, spinal, or CSE) anesthesia. Eligible patients will be those who report severe pain during surgery, defined as pain that does not resolve with 2 trials of first-line pharmacologic therapies (e.g., epidural supplementation with local anesthetics; intravenous opioid analgesics).

Exclusion criteria

* We will exclude patients who require induction of general anesthesia prior to umbilical cord clamping and by clinician determination.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
ConsentFrom hospital admission through day of deliveryStudy consent rate, defined as the number of patients consenting to participation among those approached for enrollment.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
RandomizationFrom hospital admission through day of deliveryPercentage of consenting patients who undergo study randomization
Quality of postoperative recoveryPostoperative day 0, 1, 2, or 3Quality of postoperative recovery via 11-item Obstetric Quality of Recovery Scoring Tool minimum score 0 and maximum score 110. A higher score means better.
Satifaction with anesthesiaPostoperative day 0, 1, 2, or 3Satisfaction with anesthesia care via 11-item Obstetric Quality of Recovery Scoring Tool minimum score 0 and maximum score 110. A higher score means better.
Severity and duration of painPostoperative day 0, 1, 2, or 3Reported severity and duration of pain during surgery via 5-item SONAR (Snapshot Obstetric Anesthesia National Research Project) Maternal Comfort Scale. Minimum score 5 and Maximum score 35. A higher score means better.
Percentage of patients meeting all inclusion criteria out of all screenedFrom hospital admission through day of deliveryPercentage of patients meeting all inclusion criteria out of all screened
Length of stayRandomization through postoperative day 30Post-randomization hospital length of stay via chart review
Need for intensive careRandomization through postoperative day 30Need for maternal intensive care via chart review
New PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) symptomsPostoperative 6 weekNew PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) symptoms at 6 weeks after delivery via PCL-5 (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5) Minimum score 0 and maximum score 80. A higher score means worse.
Adverse eventsRandomization through postoperative day 30Postoperative serious adverse events via chart review

Contacts

Primary ContactMark Neuman, MD
eagletadmin@pennmedicine.upenn.edu215-746-7468

Outcome results

None listed

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