Efficacy of Intravenous Dexamethasone for Acute Disc Herniation-Induced Sciatica

Ziv Hospital

Status: Unknown

Conditions: RADICULAR PAIN

Treatments: Drug: DEXAMETHASONE; Other: PLACEBO

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00516009

HP-7-247S

Details and patient eligibility

About

Acute low back pain is one of the most common reasons for all physician visits(1). Phospholipase A2 (PLA2), a potent inflammatory mediator, has demonstrated to be released by discs following injury(4). Clinical practice and animal research suggest that lumbar radicular pain is the result of inflammation of the nerve root in the epidural space(5). The study will evaluate the efficacy of intravenous Dexamethasone for acute disc herniation-induced sciatica. 40 patients aged 18 years or older, who will be transferred to the emergency room due to sciatic pain will be blindly randomized to receive Dexamethasone 30 mg IV for 3 days an tapering off, 10 mg daily, or normal saline. 20 patients will be in each group. The patients will continue their standard care during the study period. Follow up will last for 3 months. Mann-Whitney test will be used for parametric correlation, Wilcoxon for numeral and x² for categorial variables. Dexamethasone IV can help physicians in treating patients with acute sciatic pain.

Enrollment: 40 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 80 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients aged 18 years or older presented with acute radicular pain for less than 6 weeks.

Exclusion criteria

• Patient with acute infection,
• Psychiatric disorder,
• Uncontroled diabetes,
• Uncontrolede hypertension,
• Severe congestive heart failure,
• Cauda equina syndrome,
• Moderate or severe motor deficit,
• Primary spinal stenosis,
• Pregnancy.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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40 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

1 TREATMENT GROUP

Experimental group

Description:

20 PATIENTS WILL RECEIVE DEXAMETHASONE 30 MG IV 3 DAYS AND 20 AND 10 MG FOR THE OTHER TWO DAYS

Treatment:

Drug: DEXAMETHASONE

2

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

20 PATIENTS WILL RECEIVE PLACEBO FOR 5 DAYS

Treatment:

Other: PLACEBO