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CompletedNCT03533426Updated Jul 17, 2018

Ultrasound-guided Serratus Block and the Emergence of Post-thoracotomy Pain Syndrome

An interventional study of Serratus anterior plane catheter block and Patient controlled analgesia in Thoracic Neuritis, sponsored by National Cancer Institute, Egypt. Completed at 1 site in Egypt. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2018-07-17.

Sponsored by National Cancer Institute, Egypt · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
90
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

The aim of this prospective, single blinded, comparative pilot study is to evaluate U/S guided serratus anterior plane catheter block (SAPB) versus patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) on the emergence of post - thoracotomy pain syndrome (PTPS). The investigator's assumed hypothesis is that; SAPB is an effective thoracic analgesic technique that may reduce the development of PTPS.

Read the detailed description

Lung cancer has the highest incidence of all malignancies worldwide \& represents about 13% of all cancer victims. Lung cancer still represents the first cause of cancer deaths and lung resection surgeries could be the main therapeutic procedure. Hence, the number of thoracotomies is progressively increasing with more \& more post- thoracotomy pain . Together with amputation, thoracotomy is considered the main etiology of severe \& long-term acute and chronic post-surgical pain syndromes (CPSP). The prevalence of post - thoracotomy pain syndrome (PTPS) is variable (30-50%). The international association for the study of pain (IASP) has defined PTPS as "pain that recurs or persists along the thoracotomy scar at least 2 months after the procedure".Besides, PTPS is mostly described with neuropathic manifestations along the thoracotomy scar, mammary \& submammary ipsilateral scapular \& interscapular areas. Pain is often aching, burning with tingling, numbness, pruritis plus sensory loss and/or hypoesthesia.Preemptive post-thoracotomy analgesia is mostly multimodal \& integrates both systemic \& regional techniques. Systemic drugs (either given parenterally or through patient controlled - analgesia "PCA") include, NSAIDs, Cox - II inhibitors, paracetamol, opioids, ketamine (as N-methyl-D- aspartate blocker), gabapentins \& pregabalin, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors and/or duloxetine .Regional analgesic techniques include thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) which, is considered by many as the gold standard analgesic mode for post-thoracotomy pain .Other regional analgesic techniques are paravertebral analgesia (PVB), intercostal nerve blocks and intrapleural analgesia.Recently SAPB has been practiced more widely as an U/S - guided, simple technique of effective post-thoracotomy analgesia which is comparable with standard techniques such as TEA and PVB.

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Conditions studied

  • Thoracic Neuritis

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03

In context

Neuritis

116 studies on the registry are indexed under Neuritis; 21 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 90 is above the median of 47 across 80 interventional studies indexed under Neuritis.

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Lead sponsor

National Cancer Institute, Egypt is the lead sponsor of 133 studies on the registry; 29 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • age > 18y
  • American Society of Anesthethiologists (ASA) physical status II or III .
  • Patient will undergo thoracotomy for lung resection procedures (metastatectomy, segmentectomy lobectomy, pneumonectomy or pleuropneumonectomy).

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with history of drugs (opioids, L.A., NSAIDs) allergy.
  • Morbid obese patients (BMI >40) .
  • Major cardiorespiratory, hepatic, renal, endocrinal or hematological disorders.
  • Patients on chronic analgesic therapy (daily morphine ≥ 30 mg or equivalent dose of other opioids).
  • History of drug abuse and neuropsychiatric diseases .
  • History of thoracic cancer surgery within the last five years or patients having chest recurrence within 6 months.
  • Patients having severe intra or post-operative bleeding or demanding postoperative ventilation will be also excluded from the study.
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Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
90 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Pump based patient controlled analgesia

    Analgesia is maintained using disposable silicon ballon pump "Accufuser" containing morphine 0.2 mg/ml, 8mg ondansetron plus and 180 mg ketorolac. The infusion rate is 5 ml / h and lockout interval of 15min. the hourly delivered morphine dose is 1-1.8 mg \& the pump is sufficient for about 60 hours according to patient response.

    Procedure: Patient controlled analgesia

  • Active comparator
    serratus anterior plane catheter block

    Linear ultrasound transducer (superficial) 6-12 MHz is utilized to count the ribs up to 4th or 5 th rib in the mid-axillary line. Musculature of thoracic wall is identified sonographically,an echogenic needle "14-16 G, 100 mm" is inserted in plane with the U/S probe towards the plane deep to the serratus anterior muscle. Under real - time U/S, single shot of 20ml contrast medium "iohexol = omnipaque" 150 mg I2 / ml is injected to check the plane and level (T3-T8/9) of SAPB.A reinforced radiopaque catheter is threaded through the needle and its final position underneath the plane of serratus anterior muscle is confirmed fluoroscopically. 20ml 0.25% levobupivacaine (Chirocaine).Analgesia is maintained using 0.125% levobupivacaine infusion at a rate of 7-12 ml/h according to patient response.

    Procedure: Serratus anterior plane catheter block

Interventions

  • ProcedureSerratus anterior plane catheter block

    Ultrasonographic guided placement of a catheter under the serratus anterior muscle in cases of open thoracotomies for chest malignancies in an attempt to reduce the emergence of postthoracotomy pain syndrome.

  • ProcedurePatient controlled analgesia

    The use of patient controlled analgesia through a pump aiming to reduce the development of postthoracotomy pain syndrome

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Assessment for the possible emergence of post - thoracotomy pain syndrome .

    The neuropathic PTPS cases are screened using the grading system for neuropathic pain (GSNP). Positive cases of PTPS having neuropathic component is grade 3 (probable) or 4 (definite) i.e GSNP ≥3 .

    Time frame: changes in 4 and 12 weeks .

Secondary outcomes

  1. Assessment of patient daily activity and functional capacity.

    Activity of daily living score (ADL score).It comprises 6 basic daily activities (feeding, toilet, bathing, dressing, grooming and walking) with each item is scored either 1= need no help, 2=need some help, 3=need complete help

    Time frame: changes in 4 and 12 weeks .

  2. Assessment of patient's quality of life.

    Flanagan quality of life scale.A 16 items (domains) questionnaire with each item weights 1 to 7 points.the total score ranges from 16 to 112 .Higher values indicate better quality of life .It will be explained to the patients by the pain physician and the total score will be calculated and recorded

    Time frame: changes in 4 and 12 weeks .

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Study locations

1 site
  • Department of Anesthesia and Pain medicine.National Cancer Institute
    Cairo, 11796, Egypt
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References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — the final results and conclusion can be shared after finishing and submitting the trial .

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 17, 2018, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03533426
Lead sponsor
National Cancer Institute, Egypt
Responsible party
Ehab Hanafy Shaker (Principal investigator, National Cancer Institute, Egypt) — Principal investigator
First posted
May 23, 2018
Start date
Mar 27, 2018
Primary completion
Jul 15, 2018
Completion
Jul 15, 2018
Last update
Jul 17, 2018

Study contacts

Ehab H Shaker, MD
principal investigator · National Cancer Institute- Cairo University

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2018. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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