Dexamethasone for Reduction of Post Thoracotomy Pain Syndrome

Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Chronic Pain; Cytokines; Thoracic Surgery; Dexamethasone

Treatments: Drug: Normal Saline; Drug: Dexamethasone

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02112864

dexaPTPS

Details and patient eligibility

About

Post thoracotomy pain syndrome still affects 50% of patients after a thoracic surgery. Pathogenesis is unclear but there is growing evidence that neuro inflammation may play a significant role. Dexamethasone is a very potent anti-inflammatory drug. The hypothesis of this study is that dexamethasone, given pre operatively, would help reduce the incidence of post thoracotomy pain syndrome 3 months after surgery, by reducing the inflammatory response, in patients undergoing elective thoracic surgery that includes thoracic epidural analgesia.

Enrollment: 60 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 75 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• elective thoracic surgery using a thoracotomy incision and thoracic epidural analgesia
• ASA I-III
• age 18-75 yo

Exclusion criteria

• contra-indication to thoracic epidural analgesia
• patient refusal
• patients already taking cortisone or dexamethasone
• patients on chronic opioid medication

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Quadruple Blind

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60 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

dexamethasone 10 mg

Experimental group

Description:

Dexamethasone 10 mg will be given as a single-dose, pre incision, intravenously

Treatment:

Drug: Dexamethasone

normal saline

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Patients in this group will receive 2.5 mL of normal saline intravenously, pre-incision

Treatment:

Drug: Normal Saline