Optimal Bupivacaine Dose for Initiation of Labor Epidural Techniques

Mass General Brigham

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 4

Conditions: Labor Pain; Analgesia

Treatments: Drug: Bupivacaine Hydrochloride

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04814537

2020P003241

Details and patient eligibility

About

To estimate the dose of bupivacaine required to achieve initial effective comfort in 90% of patients (ED90) via the epidural (DPE or EPL) technique in women undergoing labor.

Full description

The primary objective of our study is to use a biased coin up-down allocation methodology to estimate the dose of bupivacaine required to achieve initial effective comfort in 90% of patients (ED90) via the epidural (DPE or EPL) technique in women undergoing labor induction or augmentation; we hypothesize that we will be able to determine the ED90 of bupivacaine for each technique with adequate precision to inform the optimal doses.

Enrollment: 100 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18 to 50 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Parturient with no major co-morbidities
2. Singleton, vertex gestation at term (37-42 weeks)
3. Less than or equal to 5 cm dilation
4. Desire to receive epidural labor analgesia
5. Numerical Rating Scale greater or equal to 5 (NRS 0-10, where 0 = no pain, and 10 = worst pain imaginable), at time of epidural labor analgesia request.

Exclusion criteria

1. Current or historical evidence of clinically significant disease or condition, including diseases of pregnancy (i.e preeclampsia, gestational diabetes)
2. Any contraindication to the administration of an epidural technique
3. History of hypersensitivity or idiosyncratic reaction to an amide local anesthetic agent
4. Current or historical evidence of a disease which may result in the risk of a cesarean delivery (i.e. history of uterine rupture). NB: Exception-trial of labor after cesarean delivery (TOLAC) will be eligible.
5. Evidence of anticipated fetal anomalies

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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100 participants in 2 patient groups

Dural Puncture Epidural Technique

Experimental group

Description:

Laboring women receiving the Dural Puncture Epidural (DPE) Technique with dose of Bupivacaine 0.25% diluted to 20 mL with isotonic sterile 0.9% saline. The first subject in the DPE group will receive an initial dose of bupivacaine 25 mg, with an endpoint being the achievement of an NRS \< 3 at 30 min. Subsequent patients are administered bupivacaine doses determined by the response of the previous subject, as per the biased coin method. The subsequent up and down interval doses are bupivacaine 2.5 mg (1 mL) increments, with an anticipated dose range from 20 mg to 40 mg.

Treatment:

Drug: Bupivacaine Hydrochloride

Epidural Technique

Active Comparator group

Description:

Laboring women receiving the Conventional Epidural Technique (EPL) with dose of Bupivacaine 0.25% diluted to 20 mL with isotonic sterile 0.9% saline. The first subject in the EPL group will receive an initial dose of bupivacaine 25 mg, with an endpoint being the achievement of an NRS \< 3 at 30 min. Subsequent patients are administered bupivacaine doses determined by the response of the previous subject, as per the biased coin method. The subsequent up and down interval doses are bupivacaine 2.5 mg (1 mL) increments, with an anticipated dose range from 20 mg to 40 mg.

Treatment:

Drug: Bupivacaine Hydrochloride