ClinicalTrials.gg
TerminatedNCT03624985Updated Jan 31, 2023

The Effect of Perioperative Intravenous Lidocaine Infusion on Opioid Consumption After Lumbar Spine Surgery

A Phase 4 interventional study of Intravenous Lidocaine Infusion and Placebo Infusion in Pain, Postoperative and Opioid Use, sponsored by University of Vermont Medical Center. Terminated at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-01-31.

Sponsored by University of Vermont Medical Center · Phase 4, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was terminated
Subjects had a high dropout rate. Of 61 consented, 24 did not participate. Reasons: Surgical cancellations; changing procedure type after consent; and staffing issues. The dropout rate of 39% was considered a barrier to publication.

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was Oct 2019, 7 years ago, and no results have been posted to the registry.
Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
61
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether an infusion of lidocaine during surgery can reduce the need for postoperative opioid pain medication use in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery.

Participants will be recruited by spine surgeons from their pool of patients who are presenting for surgery at University of Vermont Medical Center. If they agree to participate, patients will be assigned at random to receive either an infusion of lidocaine during surgery, or an infusion of saline with 5% dextrose. Subjects will also be asked to complete a 15-item questionnaire that asks about health, quality of life, and level of pain, at three timepoints. Patients will also be asked to rate their level of pain at multiple timepoints after surgery, and we will collect the additionally data from patients' medical records.

Read the detailed description

Lidocaine has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. It has been shown to reduce early postoperative pain and nausea. Additionally, lidocaine has been shown to have positive effects in the recovery of bowel function, with a reduction in time to first flatus, first bowel sounds, first bowel movement, and is associated with a reduction of ileus. Because of these facts, lidocaine infusion has become part of enhanced recovery pathways after bowel surgery at our institution and others.

There are few trials examining the use of lidocaine for orthopedic procedures and many of these studies have contradictory adults. An article by Martin et al. found no benefit in pain or recovery after total hip arthroplasty. By contrast, Farag and colleagues found that lidocaine significantly improves postoperative pain after major spine surgery. Additionally, quality of life scores at one and three months after surgery were significantly higher in the lidocaine group. When our Spine Surgery Analgesic Protocol for major spine surgery at University of Vermont Medical Center was revised in 2015, a lidocaine infusion was added to the protocol.

Studies for lidocaine use in minor lumbar surgery are scant. In one study of 50 patients in Korea, patient pain scores and fentanyl consumption were significantly lower in the lidocaine infusion group (1.5 mg/kg bolus plus 2 mg/kg/hr infusion) at 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours after surgery. Of note, the Cleveland Clinic Outcomes group is currently enrolling 440 patients in a study in which half will receive lidocaine and ketamine infusions.

A reduction in opioid use may lead to the potential reduction of opioid-related side effects, such as nausea, constipation, and hyperalgesia, as well as more serious consequences such as respiratory depression and abuse. There is also the possibility of a length of stay reduction which has potential financial benefits.

This is a randomized, controlled, double-blind study involving patients undergoing one- or two-level posterior lumbar instrumented spinal fusion with or without decompression.

The University of Vermont Medical Center operating rooms will be utilized for this investigation. For the study group, we plan to prospectively recruit 140 patients 18-75 years of age. Recruitment will be done by the participating orthopedists and neurosurgeons, from their own patients. After an informed consent discussion, patients will be randomly assigned to receive 1 mg/kg lidocaine bolus and intraoperative infusion of 2 mg/min (intervention arm) or no lidocaine (control arm). All patients will receive adequate pain control medication according to their needs. Subjects will complete the 15-question Quality of Recovery assessment at baseline and at 36 and 60 hours after surgery. Using the electronic medical system, the following information with extracted: Total morphine equivalent used in house at 36 hours, total morphine equivalents used at 60 hours, visual analog scale pain scores at 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, and 60 hours, length of stay, incidence of nausea requiring medication, time to first flatus, and time to first bowel movement. Subjects will receive a patient-controlled analgesia pump for the first 36 hours after surgery.

Randomization will be performed by the University of Vermont Medical Center Investigational Pharmacy Drug Service (IDS). IDS will generate a table of random numbers and assign those numbers in a 1:1 ratio of active drug to placebo, in blocks of 4. Following informed consent, a member of the study team will notify IDS, which will prepare syringes for the bolus dose and a bag for the infusion, both containing either active drug or placebo. The syringes and bag will be labeled with the subject's name, medical record number, and randomization number.

02

Conditions studied

  • Pain, Postoperative
  • Opioid Use

Browse trials for

Keywords

  • lidocaine
  • lumbar spine surgery
  • postoperative pain
  • opioid reduction
03

In context

Pain, Postoperative

5,224 studies on the registry are indexed under Pain, Postoperative; 1,154 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 61 is below the median of 75 across 4,457 interventional studies indexed under Pain, Postoperative.

Browse Pain, Postoperative studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Vermont Medical Center is the lead sponsor of 43 studies on the registry; 19 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patient undergoing one- or two-level posterior lumbar fusion with or without decompression at University of Vermont Medical Center
  • 18-75 years of age
  • Signed consent form

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Allergy to lidocaine
  • Contraindication to lidocaine, such as substantial hepatic impairment (alanine aminotransferase or aspartate transaminase more than twice normal), renal impairment (serum creatinine >2 mg/dl)
  • Seizures or a history of seizure disorder
  • Congestive heart failure
  • Arrythmias
  • Chronic opioid use >45 mg morphine equivalent per day
  • Trauma patients
  • Inter-body fusions
  • Severe psychiatric comorbidities
  • Planned epidural anesthesia or analgesia
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
61 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Intravenous Lidocaine Infusion

    Patients will be randomly assigned to receive 1 mg/kg lidocaine bolus and intraoperative infusion of 2 mg/min.

    Drug: Intravenous Lidocaine Infusion

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo Infusion

    Patients will be randomly assigned to receive a 1mg/kg bolus of water with 5% dextrose and an intraoperative infusion of 2mg/min. of water with 5% dextrose.

    Drug: Placebo Infusion

Interventions

  • Patients will be randomly assigned to receive 1 mg/kg lidocaine bolus and intraoperative infusion of 2 mg/min.

    Also known as: IV Lidocaine Infusion

  • DrugPlacebo Infusion

    Patients will be randomly assigned to receive a 1mg/kg bolus of water with 5% dextrose and an intraoperative infusion of 2mg/min. of water with 5% dextrose

    Also known as: Placebo, Control, Comparator

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Total morphine equivalent consumed at 24 hours after surgery

    Subjects will receive a patient-controlled analgesia pump for the first 24 hours after surgery. Total morphine equivalent will be calculated according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conversion factor for calculating morphine milligram equivalents.

    Time frame: 24 hours postoperatively

Secondary outcomes

  1. Total morphine equivalent consumed at 48 hours after surgery

    Electronic medical records will be reviewed to total opioids received after the patient-controlled analgesia pump is discontinued. Total morphine equivalent will be calculated according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conversion factor for calculating morphine milligram equivalents.

    Time frame: 48 hours postoperatively

  2. Pain score 4 hours post-operation

    Visual analog scale pain scores 4 hours after the end of the operation. The visual analog scale is presented as a 100-mm horizontal line on which the patient's pain intensity is represented by a point between the extremes of "no pain at all" and "worst pain imaginable." The patient marks a point on the line that matches the amount of pain they feel. 0 = no pain 100 = worst pain imaginable

    Time frame: 4 hours postoperatively

  3. Pain score 10 hours post-operation

    Visual analog scale pain scores 10 hours after the end of the operation. The visual analog scale is presented as a 100-mm horizontal line on which the patient's pain intensity is represented by a point between the extremes of "no pain at all" and "worst pain imaginable." The patient marks a point on the line that matches the amount of pain they feel. 0 = no pain 100 = worst pain imaginable

    Time frame: 10 hours postoperatively

  4. Pain score 24 hours post-operation

    Visual analog scale pain scores 24 hours after the end of the operation. The visual analog scale is presented as a 100-mm horizontal line on which the patient's pain intensity is represented by a point between the extremes of "no pain at all" and "worst pain imaginable." The patient marks a point on the line that matches the amount of pain they feel. 0 = no pain 100 = worst pain imaginable

    Time frame: 24 hours postoperatively

  5. Pain score 48 hours post-operation

    Visual analog scale pain scores 48 hours after the end of the operation. The visual analog scale is presented as a 100-mm horizontal line on which the patient's pain intensity is represented by a point between the extremes of "no pain at all" and "worst pain imaginable." The patient marks a point on the line that matches the amount of pain they feel. 0 = no pain 100 = worst pain imaginable

    Time frame: 48 hours postoperatively

  6. Quality of Recovery Score 36 hours post-operation

    Subjects will complete the 15-question Quality of Recovery 36 hours after the end of surgery. Scores will be compared to the baseline taken in the pre-operative hold area.

    Time frame: 36 hours postoperatively

  7. Quality of Recovery Score 48 hours post-operation

    Subjects will complete the 15-question Quality of Recovery 48 hours after the end of surgery. Scores will be compared to the baseline taken in the pre-operative hold area.

    Time frame: 48 hours postoperatively

  8. Length of Stay

    Length of stay in the hospital, defined as time between admission and discharge. Unit of measure: Days.

    Time frame: During hospitalization, approximately 5 days

  9. Incidence of nausea

    A count of the incidences of treatment of nausea with medication.

    Time frame: During hospitalization, approximately 5 days

  10. Time to first flatus

    Time of first flatus will be recorded by floor nurses and extracted from the electronic medical record. Unit of measure: Hours.

    Time frame: 96 hours postoperatively

  11. Time to first bowel movement

    Time of first bowel movement will be recorded by floor nurses and extracted from the electronic medical record. Unit of measure: Hours.

    Time frame: 96 hours postoperatively

07

Study locations

1 site
  • University of Vermont Medical Center
    Burlington, Vermont 05401, United States
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Hollmann MW, Durieux ME. Local anesthetics and the inflammatory response: a new therapeutic indication? Anesthesiology. 2000 Sep;93(3):858-75. doi: 10.1097/00000542-200009000-00038. No abstract available. PubMed 10969322 ↗
  • Marret E, Rolin M, Beaussier M, Bonnet F. Meta-analysis of intravenous lidocaine and postoperative recovery after abdominal surgery. Br J Surg. 2008 Nov;95(11):1331-8. doi: 10.1002/bjs.6375. PubMed 18844267 ↗
  • Martin F, Cherif K, Gentili ME, Enel D, Abe E, Alvarez JC, Mazoit JX, Chauvin M, Bouhassira D, Fletcher D. Lack of impact of intravenous lidocaine on analgesia, functional recovery, and nociceptive pain threshold after total hip arthroplasty. Anesthesiology. 2008 Jul;109(1):118-23. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e31817b5a9b. PubMed 18580181 ↗
  • Farag E, Ghobrial M, Sessler DI, Dalton JE, Liu J, Lee JH, Zaky S, Benzel E, Bingaman W, Kurz A. Effect of perioperative intravenous lidocaine administration on pain, opioid consumption, and quality of life after complex spine surgery. Anesthesiology. 2013 Oct;119(4):932-40. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e318297d4a5. PubMed 23681143 ↗
  • Kim KT, Cho DC, Sung JK, Kim YB, Kang H, Song KS, Choi GJ. Intraoperative systemic infusion of lidocaine reduces postoperative pain after lumbar surgery: a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Spine J. 2014 Aug 1;14(8):1559-66. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2013.09.031. Epub 2013 Nov 8. PubMed 24216403 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jan 31, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03624985
Lead sponsor
University of Vermont Medical Center
Responsible party
Tim Dominick (Anesthesiologist, University of Vermont Medical Center) — Principal investigator
First posted
Aug 10, 2018
Start date
Jun 4, 2018
Primary completion
Oct 14, 2019
Completion
Oct 14, 2019
Last update
Jan 31, 2023

Study contacts

Timothy Dominick, MD
principal investigator · Anesthesiologist
David Lunardini, MD
principal investigator · Orthopedic Surgeon

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

This study is terminated, as verified in Jan 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Studies of the drug tested here: Lidocaine

Start the discussion