Comparison of Post-Craniotomy Blood Pressure Targets (COMPETE)

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Status: Begins enrollment this month

Conditions: Intracranial Hemorrhage, Hypertensive; Craniotomy Tumor Removal Surgery

Treatments: Other: Target SBP <140 mmHg; Other: Target SBP <160mmHg

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07093151

250498

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this pragmatic clinical trial is to learn if a more intensive or more liberal blood pressure target after surgery is more effective in improving patient outcomes for adults undergoing craniotomy for removal of a brain tumor. There is little evidence to help doctors decide the best post-operative blood pressure target for their patients. The main question this study aims to answer is if patients with a post-operative systolic blood pressure target of <160 mmHg will have a shorter hospital length of stay than those with a blood pressure target of <140 mmHg, without increasing the rate of post-operative bleeding in the brain.

Full description

Over 160,000 craniotomies, a type of brain surgery, are performed annually in the United States. High blood pressure is believed to increase the risk of post-operative bleeding in the brain, known as intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). This perceived risk has led many doctors to impose post-operative systolic blood pressure (SBP) limits, with aggressive treatment when SBP rises above the target thresholds. The use of intensive SBP goals often requires antihypertensive medication treatment, occasionally including intravenous (IV) drips. These medical therapies could have several adverse effects related to end-organ function. Additionally, close SBP monitoring with an arterial line and/or treatment with IV antihypertensives often requires intensive care unit (ICU) level of care. 40% of academic medical programs use a goal of SBP<160mmHg as supported by this limited evidence, while 45% of programs use an even more stringent SBP goal of <140mmHg.

This study is a single-center, pragmatic, randomized trial comparing the effectiveness of these two standard-of-care post-craniotomy SBP goals in reducing patient hospital length of stay, risk of ICH, and adverse side effects of antihypertensive use. Eligible patients will be randomized to receive an order for a target SBP <140 mmHg or SBP <160 mmHg during this period. We hypothesize that a target SBP <160 mmHg will decrease patient hospital length of stay without increasing the risk of ICH.

Enrollment: 500 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age ≥ 18 years old
• Undergoes craniotomy for resection of an intradural brain tumor scheduled using any of the following Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes: 61304, 61305, 61330, 61333, 61510, 61512, 61516, 61518, 61519, 61520, 61521, 61524, 61526, 61530, 61545, 61580, 61581, 61582, 61583, 61584, 61585, 61586, 61590, 61591, 61592, 61595, 61596, 61597, 61598, 61600, 61601, 61605, 61606, 61607, 61608, 61615, 61616

Exclusion criteria

• Declines to consent
• Attending decisions based on intraoperative findings (i.e. attending physician does not have equipoise that either blood pressure threshold would be acceptable for the post-operative care of the patient).
• Patient is a prisoner
• Patient is known to be pregnant

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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500 participants in 2 patient groups

Comparator Arm 1: SBP target <160 mmHg

Active Comparator group

Description:

The neuro-intensive care team will monitor the patient's SBP and treat with antihypertensive medications to achieve an SBP\<160mHg. Selection of the appropriate oral or IV medication is at the discretion of the neuro-ICU team; most frequently used agents clinically include nicardipine, labetalol, and hydralazine. Selection of the appropriate agent is based on other clinical elements including severity of hypertension, heart rate, patients' home medication regimens, and any medication interactions or allergies. The blood pressure goal will be continued throughout the hospitalization. The arterial line will be removed at the discretion of the neurosurgery team, typically on the morning of the first day after surgery.

Treatment:

Other: Target SBP <160mmHg

Comparator Arm 2: SBP Target <140 mmHg

Active Comparator group

Description:

The neuro-intensive care team will monitor the patient's SBP and treat with antihypertensive medications to achieve an SBP\<140mHg. Selection of the appropriate oral or IV medication is at the discretion of the neuro-ICU team, as described above for Comparator Arm 1. The blood pressure goal will be maintained until the neurosurgery team chooses to 'liberalize' the blood pressure goal to higher SBP levels. The arterial line will be removed when the blood pressure goal is liberalized, typically on the morning of the first day after surgery.

Treatment:

Other: Target SBP <140 mmHg