Dexmedetomidine and Propofol for Pediatric MRI Sedation

Medical College of Wisconsin

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 4

Conditions

Hydrocephalus

Abdominal Neoplasm

Spine Deformity

Neurofibromatoses

Seizure Disorder

Tumor

Headache

Treatments

Drug: propofol

Drug: Glycopyrrolate

Drug: Sevoflurane

Drug: Lidocaine 1% Injectable Solution

Drug: Dexmedetomidine

Drug: Nitrous Oxide

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT03513757

CHW 959242-5

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to compare the results of combining two anesthetic medications (dexmedetomidine and propofol) in low doses with a standard dose of a single drug that is commonly used to provide sedation/anesthesia for MRI studies in young children (propofol).

The drugs used for the MRI scan in this study will be chosen randomly. Half the patients will receive small doses of propofol and dexmedetomidine. The other half will receive propofol administered constantly throughout the scan. Other drugs that may be used include sevoflurane and nitrous oxide at the start of the sedation (for placing an intravenous), lidocaine (to reduce the pain of propofol injection) and glycopyrrolate (to prevent the heart rate from decreasing too low. The investigators will record 5 additional blood pressures and heart rates. If additional medications are required to complete the scan, the investigators will administer whatever is necessary. At the end of the study, the investigators will have an observer record the time it takes for participants to spontaneously open eyes , to be able to drink liquids and/or eat and to behave as before the study. Also, it is very important that the investigators find out from participants about changes in behavior, or if eating or sleeping habits were unusual following completion of the study. For that reason, the investigators will call participants in a day or so following the MRI scan.

The investigators expect to recruit 40 children between the ages of 12 and 72 months for the study and hope to have the study completed in December 2018.

Full description

Recent studies and the FDA have raised concerns that anesthesia for longer than three hours may have effects on behavior and learning. Although investigators do not know if these effects are caused by drugs or the medical condition a child is being treated for, in December 2016, the FDA published the information below regarding anesthesia for children:

General anesthetic and sedation drugs are used to put people into a deep sleep so they do not feel pain during surgery or procedures.

These drugs are usually injected into a vein or breathed in through a mask. General anesthetic and sedation drugs are widely used to ensure the health, safety, and comfort of children and adults undergoing surgery or other procedures.

Recent studies in children suggest that a single, relatively short exposure to general anesthetic and sedation drugs in infants or toddlers is unlikely to have negative effects on behavior or learning. More research is still needed to fully understand how anesthetics might affect brain development, especially longer or repeated exposures and in more vulnerable children. Anesthetic and sedation drugs are necessary for infants, children, and pregnant women who require surgery or other painful and stressful procedures. https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm532356.htm Research in neonatal and infant animals has demonstrated that sedative and anesthetic agents, like propofol, produce adverse effects on brain development, including loss of brain cells resulting in long-term, possibly permanent changes in learning and behavior. These adverse effects appear to occur mostly after prolonged periods of sedation or anesthesia (generally greater than 3 hours) and when brain development is occurring at a rapid rate (which roughly occurs in children under 3 years of age). It is not known if similar adverse effects occur in humans. Study participants should be advised that the drugs used to accomplish the procedure may have the potential to increase the loss of nerve cells in the developing brain of young child and that the clinical significance of any such changes is not known. There are some animal studies that suggests dexmedetomidine may be better for a growing infant's brain. However, the effects of dexmedetomidine alone or in combination with propofol on the developing brain have not been thoroughly tested to date." The drugs used for the MRI scan in this study will be chosen randomly. Half the patients will receive small doses of propofol and dexmedetomidine. The other half will receive propofol administered constantly throughout the scan. Other drugs that may be used include sevoflurane and nitrous oxide at the start of the sedation (for placing an intravenous), lidocaine (to reduce the pain of propofol injection) and glycopyrrolate (to prevent the heart rate from decreasing too low. Investigators will record 5 additional blood pressures and heart rates. If additional medications are required to complete the scan, investigators will administer whatever is necessary. At the end of the study, an observer will record the time it takes for spontaneous eye opening, to be able to drink liquids and/or eat and to behave as before the study. Also, it is very important that investigators learn in the following day or two how the participant behaved at home; whether eating, behavior and sleeping were unusual. For that reason, the investigator will call the participant a day or so following the MRI scan.

The investigators expect to recruit 70 children between the ages of 12 and 72 months for the study and hope to have the study completed in 2018.

Enrollment

40 patients

Sex

All

Ages

12 to 60 months old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

All children scheduled for outpatient MRI scans with expected duration of scan between 30 minutes and 75 minutes.

Exclusion criteria

Inpatient status, airway abnormalities, allergy to any study medications, eggs and soy, and mitochondrial disorders.
All subjects with any cardiac disease or history of cardiac arrhythmias will be excluded.

Trial design

Primary purpose

Treatment

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

Triple Blind

40 participants in 2 patient groups

propofol

Active Comparator group

Description:

Each patient will receive 1 mg/kg lidocaine followed by 2 mg/kg propofol IV once prior to continuous propofol infusion for MRI sedation at 200 mcg/kg/min. Dose will be increased by 50 mcg/kg/min up to 300 mcg/kg/min for movement and decreased to 150 mcg/kg/min if no movement after 30 minutes. Additional 1 mg/kg propofol bolus administered at time of each movement. Study to be terminated if movement persists despite above interventions.

Treatment:

Drug: Nitrous Oxide

Drug: Lidocaine 1% Injectable Solution

Drug: Sevoflurane

Drug: propofol

propofol dexmedetomidine

Experimental group

Description:

Each patient will receive: 1 mg/kg lidocaine, 2 mg/kg propofol, 4 mcg/kg glycopyrrolate and single dose dexmedetomidine administered prior to scan. Dexmedetomidine dose is dependent on expected duration of scan and will be equal to 1 mcg/kg/hour x duration of scan in hours. 1 mg/kg propofol will be administered for movement up to 2 times. For continued movement after that, begin propofol infusion at 150 mcg/kg/min. Study to be terminated if movement persists despite above interventions.

Treatment:

Drug: Nitrous Oxide

Drug: Dexmedetomidine

Drug: Lidocaine 1% Injectable Solution

Drug: Sevoflurane

Drug: Glycopyrrolate

Drug: propofol

Trial documents