CClinicalTrials.gg
WithdrawnNCT07462390Updated Mar 24, 2026

Effect of Intrarectal Ice Application on Pain, Anxiety, Cortisol Levels, Development of Complications, and Hospital Readmission in Transrectal Ultrasound-Guided Prostate Biopsy

An interventional study of Intrarectal ıce in TRANSRECTAL ULTRASOUND-GUIDED PROSTATE BIOPSY, sponsored by Tarsus University. Withdrawn at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to male participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-03-24.

Sponsored by Tarsus University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other

Why this study was withdrawn
The clinical trial number for this study was previously assigned. This was done in error.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
0
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
Male
01

Study summary

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of intrarectal ice application on pain, anxiety, cortisol levels, development of complications (rectal bleeding, hematuria, urinary retention, anemia, infection, etc.), and hospital readmission in patients undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy. This randomized controlled clinical trial will include patients who apply to the Urology Outpatient Clinic of Mersin University Hospital and are scheduled to undergo transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy. Since the necessary data for sample size calculation (mean values were provided but standard deviation values were not reported) could not be obtained from the reference study by Çalışkan and Mutlu (2015), the sample size was calculated based on an effect size of 0.8. With an effect size of d = 0.8 and 95% power (1-α, two-tailed), the minimum sample size was calculated as 84 patients (42 in the intervention group and 42 in the control group) using the G*Power (3.1) program. The primary outcomes of the study are the effects of intrarectal ice application on pain, anxiety, and cortisol levels. The secondary outcomes are the development of complications and hospital readmission. Research data will be collected between June and December 2025 using the "Descriptive Information Form," the "State Anxiety Scale," the "Visual Analog Scale," and the "Patient Follow-up Form." In addition to the routine treatment and care practices of the outpatient clinic, patients in the intervention group will receive intrarectal ice application performed by the researchers (E.K.D. and M.B.). For each patient, a new size 8 glove will be used; the middle finger of the glove will be filled with water and frozen to obtain the cold application material. Immediately before the procedure, the ice-lubricated with gel-will be inserted into the patient's rectum and kept in place for 5 minutes . All patients' pain and anxiety levels will be evaluated during and after the procedure. At the end of the prostate biopsy, an additional 2 ml blood sample will be collected to measure serum cortisol levels. The development of complications will be assessed during the procedure and one week later via telephone follow-up conducted by the researchers (E.K.D. and G.B.). During the telephone call one week later, patients will also be asked whether they have been readmitted to the hospital within that period. All information will be recorded in the relevant forms. In the control group, routine treatment and care procedures of the outpatient clinic will be applied. In the clinic where the study is conducted, oral antibiotic therapy (Iesef 1 g, twice daily) is initiated 24 hours before the prostate biopsy and continued until the prescribed course is completed. B.T. enema is administered the night before the procedure and at 06:00 on the morning of the procedure. During the procedure, biopsy samples are taken from 12 different regions using a fine needle under transrectal ultrasound guidance. After the procedure, patients experiencing pain are advised that they may take oral analgesics (paracetamol). In addition, patients are informed about post-procedure precautions (e.g., to seek medical attention in cases of fever ≥38.5°C or severe hematuria, to avoid spicy foods for two weeks, etc.). No specific intervention is performed in the outpatient clinic to control patients' pain or anxiety during prostate biopsy. Patients in the control group will receive only these routine treatments and care practices.

Read the detailed description

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of intrarectal ice application on pain, anxiety, cortisol levels, development of complications (rectal bleeding, hematuria, urinary retention, anemia, infection, etc.), and hospital readmission in patients undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy. This randomized controlled clinical trial will include patients who apply to the Urology Outpatient Clinic of Mersin University Hospital and are scheduled to undergo transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy. Since the necessary data for sample size calculation (mean values were provided but standard deviation values were not reported) could not be obtained from the reference study by Çalışkan and Mutlu (2015), the sample size was calculated based on an effect size of 0.8 . With an effect size of d = 0.8 and 95% power (1-α, two-tailed), the minimum sample size was calculated as 84 patients (42 in the intervention group and 42 in the control group) using the G*Power (3.1) program. The primary outcomes of the study are the effects of intrarectal ice application on pain, anxiety, and cortisol levels. The secondary outcomes are the development of complications and hospital readmission. Research data will be collected between June and December 2025 using the "Descriptive Information Form," the "State Anxiety Scale," the "Visual Analog Scale," and the "Patient Follow-up Form." In addition to the routine treatment and care practices of the outpatient clinic, patients in the intervention group will receive intrarectal ice application performed by the researchers (E.K.D. and M.B.). For each patient, a new size 8 glove will be used; the middle finger of the glove will be filled with water and frozen to obtain the cold application material. Immediately before the procedure, the ice-lubricated with gel-will be inserted into the patient's rectum and kept in place for 5 minutes . All patients' pain and anxiety levels will be evaluated during and after the procedure. At the end of the prostate biopsy, an additional 2 ml blood sample will be collected to measure serum cortisol levels. The development of complications will be assessed during the procedure and one week later via telephone follow-up conducted by the researchers (E.K.D. and G.B.). During the telephone call one week later, patients will also be asked whether they have been readmitted to the hospital within that period. All information will be recorded in the relevant forms. In the control group, routine treatment and care procedures of the outpatient clinic will be applied. In the clinic where the study is conducted, oral antibiotic therapy (Iesef 1 g, twice daily) is initiated 24 hours before the prostate biopsy and continued until the prescribed course is completed. B.T. enema is administered the night before the procedure and at 06:00 on the morning of the procedure. During the procedure, biopsy samples are taken from 12 different regions using a fine needle under transrectal ultrasound guidance. After the procedure, patients experiencing pain are advised that they may take oral analgesics (paracetamol). In addition, patients are informed about post-procedure precautions (e.g., to seek medical attention in cases of fever ≥38.5°C or severe hematuria, to avoid spicy foods for two weeks, etc.). No specific intervention is performed in the outpatient clinic to control patients' pain or anxiety during prostate biopsy. Patients in the control group will receive only these routine treatments and care practices.The data obtained from the study will be analyzed using computer-based statistical software. One month has been allocated for data analysis. Descriptive data will be expressed as percentages, means, and standard deviations. Categorical variables containing descriptive characteristics (such as educational status, marital status, presence of chronic disease, etc.) will be analyzed using the Chi-square test. The normality of the variables will be assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test. In data analysis, when parametric test assumptions are met, independent and dependent samples t-tests will be used. If the data are nonparametric, the Mann-Whitney U test will be applied. For repeated measurements, if parametric assumptions are satisfied, one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (Repeated Measures ANOVA) will be used; if not, the Friedman test will be applied. For further analysis, appropriate post-hoc tests will be conducted for multiple within-group comparisons. A p-value of \< .05 will be considered statistically significant.

02

Conditions studied

  • TRANSRECTAL ULTRASOUND-GUIDED PROSTATE BIOPSY

Keywords

  • pain
  • anxiety
  • cortisol levels
  • development of complications
  • hospital readmission
03

In context

Pain

2,219 studies on the registry are indexed under Pain; 917 are open to participants now.

Browse Pain studies →

Lead sponsor

Tarsus University is the lead sponsor of 78 studies on the registry; 29 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
Male
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients who agreed to participate in the study
  • Patients aged 18 years and older
  • Patients who were conscious, oriented, and cooperative
  • Patients without communication problems
  • Patients scheduled to undergo transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy for the first time
  • Patients without a mental disorder
  • Patients without a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder
  • Patients not using medication for anxiety control

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients who did not agree to participate in the study
  • Patients under 18 years of age
  • Patients who were not conscious, oriented, and cooperative
  • Patients with communication problems
  • Patients who did not undergo transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy
  • Patients who had previously undergone prostate biopsy
  • Patients with a mental disorder
  • Patients diagnosed with an anxiety disorder
  • Patients using medication for anxiety control
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
0 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Experimental group

    In addition to the routine treatment and care practices of the outpatient clinic, patients in the intervention group will receive intrarectal ice application performed by the researchers (E.K.D. and M.B.). For each patient, a new size 8 glove will be used; the middle finger of the glove will be filled with water and frozen to obtain the cold application material. Immediately before the procedure, the ice-lubricated with gel-will be inserted into the patient's rectum and kept in place for 5 minutes (Çalışkan \& Mutlu, 2015). All patients' pain and anxiety levels will be evaluated during and after the procedure. At the end of the prostate biopsy, an additional 2 ml blood sample will be collected to measure serum cortisol levels. The development of complications will be assessed during the procedure and one week later via telephone follow-up conducted by the researchers (E.K.D. and G.B.). During the telephone call one week later, patients will also be asked whether they have been readmit

    Other: Intrarectal ıce

  • No intervention
    Control group

    In the control group, routine treatment and care procedures of the outpatient clinic will be applied. In the clinic where the study is conducted, oral antibiotic therapy (Iesef 1 g, twice daily) is initiated 24 hours before the prostate biopsy and continued until the prescribed course is completed. B.T. enema is administered the night before the procedure and at 06:00 on the morning of the procedure. During the procedure, biopsy samples are taken from 12 different regions using a fine needle under transrectal ultrasound guidance. After the procedure, patients experiencing pain are advised that they may take oral analgesics (paracetamol). In addition, patients are informed about post-procedure precautions (e.g., to seek medical attention in cases of fever ≥38.5°C or severe hematuria, to avoid spicy foods for two weeks, etc.). No specific intervention is performed in the outpatient clinic to control patients' pain or anxiety during prostate biopsy. Patients in the control group will rec

Interventions

  • OtherIntrarectal ıce

    In addition to the routine treatment and care practices of the outpatient clinic, patients in the intervention group will receive intrarectal ice application performed by the researchers (E.K.D. and M.B.). For each patient, a new size 8 glove will be used; the middle finger of the glove will be filled with water and frozen to obtain the cold application material. Immediately before the procedure, the ice-lubricated with gel-will be inserted into the patient's rectum and kept in place for 5 minutes (Çalışkan \& Mutlu, 2015). All patients' pain and anxiety levels will be evaluated during and after the procedure. At the end of the prostate biopsy, an additional 2 ml blood sample will be collected to measure serum cortisol levels. The development of complications will be assessed during the procedure and one week later via telephone follow-up conducted by the researchers (E.K.D. and G.B.). During the telephone call one week later, patients will also be asked whether they have been readmitt

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain Level

    This scale allows patients to evaluate their level of pain on a line ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (extremely severe pain). It will be used to assess the intensity of pain experienced by the patients.

    Time frame: 6 months

  2. Anxiety level

    State Anxiety Scale: The scale developed by Spielberger et al. in 1970 consists of two components: the State Anxiety Scale (SAS), which determines how an individual feels at a particular moment and under specific conditions, and the Trait Anxiety Scale, which determines how an individual generally feels regardless of the current situation or conditions. In this study, the State Anxiety Scale (SAS), which is structured to measure momentary feelings, will be used. The Turkish validity and reliability study of the scale was conducted by Öner and Le Compte in 1983. The SAS consists of 20 items in a four-point Likert-type format. The items are rated as: not at all (1), somewhat (2), moderately (3), and completely (4). The total score ranges between 20 and 80, and higher scores indicate higher levels of anxiety. The reverse-scored items are items 1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11, 15, 16, 19, and 20. The SAS score is calculated by subtracting the total score of the reverse-scored items from the total

    Time frame: 6 months

  3. Cortisol level

    Patient Follow-up Form: Patients' serum cortisol levels before and after the biopsy procedure will be recorded on this form.

    Time frame: 6 months

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Tarsus University
    Mersin, Turkey 33400, Turkey (Türkiye)
08

References and documents

Publications

  • He J, Guo Z, Huang Y, Wang Z, Huang L, Li B, Bai Z, Wang S, Xiang S, Gu C, Pan J. Comparisons of efficacy and complications between transrectal and transperineal prostate biopsy with or without antibiotic prophylaxis. Urol Oncol. 2022 May;40(5):191.e9-191.e14. doi: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2022.01.004. Epub 2022 Feb 12. PubMed 35168882 ↗
  • Genc H, Korkmaz M, Akkurt A. The Effect of Virtual Reality Glasses and Stress Balls on Pain and Vital Findings During Transrectal Prostate Biopsy: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Perianesth Nurs. 2022 Jun;37(3):344-350. doi: 10.1016/j.jopan.2021.09.006. Epub 2022 Apr 7. PubMed 35397973 ↗
  • Forsvall A, Jonsson H, Wagenius M, Bratt O, Linder A. Rate and characteristics of infection after transrectal prostate biopsy: a retrospective observational study. Scand J Urol. 2021 Aug;55(4):317-323. doi: 10.1080/21681805.2021.1933169. Epub 2021 Jun 7. PubMed 34096449 ↗
  • Chiu LP, Tung HH, Lin KC, Lai YW, Chiu YC, Chen SS, Chiu AW. Effectiveness of stress management in patients undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy of the prostate. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2016 Feb 11;10:147-52. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S96991. eCollection 2016. PubMed 26929606 ↗

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 Mar 24, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07462390
Lead sponsor
Tarsus University
Responsible party
Gamze BOZKUL (Assistant Professor, Tarsus University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Mar 10, 2026
Start date
Mar 3, 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
Jun 15, 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Sep 15, 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Mar 24, 2026

Study contacts

Gamze Bozkul
principal investigator · Tarsus University

Oversight

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

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This study is withdrawn, as verified in Mar 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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