Thermal QST for Interscale Block Evaluation

Antwerp University Hospital (UZA)

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 4

Conditions: Nerve Block; Anesthetics, Local

Treatments: Procedure: Interscalene block

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02271867

EC 9/25/113

Details and patient eligibility

About

Thermal quantitative sensory testing (QST) is a method to evaluate peripheral nerve blocks in a quantitative way. It assesses the neurosensory effects of local anesthetics, like nerve block intensity, duration, recovery, neurotoxicity, the effect of spread of local anesthetic solutions and the effect and the eventual neurotoxicity of adjuvants. We aimed at investigating, in a quantitative way, the block characteristics of 3 different commonly used local anesthetics on peripheral nerves through the application of thermal QST by measuring changes in sensory detection thresholds. Furthermore, we wanted to evaluate if QST could be of value for measuring gradual changes in block characteristics on the adjacent nerves at distance of the injection site in an US-ISB.

Enrollment: 45 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Adult patients scheduled for diagnostic and therapeutic shoulder arthroscopy, with or without decompression technique were eligible

Exclusion criteria

• contraindications for ISB
• diabetes mellitus
• peripheral neuropathy
• patients receiving chronic analgesic therapy
• contraindications for NSAID
• patients with an initial QST with abnormal values

Trial design

45 participants in 3 patient groups

Levobupivacaine 0,5%

Active Comparator group

Description:

Levobupivacaine 0,5% 15 ml once

Treatment:

Procedure: Interscalene block

Levobupivacaine 0,5% with epinephrine

Active Comparator group

Description:

Levobupivacaine 0,5% with 1/200000 epinephrine 15 ml once

Treatment:

Procedure: Interscalene block

Ropivacaine 0,75%

Active Comparator group

Description:

Ropivacaine 0,75% 15 ml once

Treatment:

Procedure: Interscalene block