The Impact of Local Anesthetic Dilution on Possible Blinding for Nerve Blocks

Launched by BALGRIST UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL · Oct 30, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking to find the right dosage of a placebo anesthetic that can help researchers better study nerve blocks, which are used for pain management. The goal is to create a fake treatment that feels similar to a real nerve block—meaning it might cause numbness—but doesn't actually relieve pain. This is important because it will help ensure that both participants and researchers don’t know who is receiving the real treatment and who is getting the placebo in future studies. By achieving this, researchers can more accurately understand how effective nerve blocks are.

If you’re between the ages of 18 and 64 and are generally healthy, you may be eligible to participate in this study. However, there are certain conditions that could exclude you, such as allergies to specific anesthetics, any current pain issues, or a history of certain medical conditions. Participants will be asked to provide written consent and can expect to help shape future pain management research by contributing to the development of this placebo. Overall, this trial aims to improve our understanding of how nerve blocks work and their effectiveness in treating pain.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • ASA I - II, both sexes
• • ≥ 18 years old
• • \< 65 years old
• • Written informed consent as documented by signature
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Known allergy or hypersensitivity to a ropivacaine, amide local anesthetics or ultrasound gel
• • Any history of chronic or acute pain at the moment of enrollment into the study
• • Treatment with any substance having a relation to pain or pain modulation (antidepressants, opioids, benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants)
• • Intake of any analgesic 48 hours prior to the conduction of any of the study stages
• • Severe coagulopathy
• • History of cardiovascular disease
• • History of alcohol abuse or the intake of psychotropic drugs
• • Pregnancy, ruled out by history
• • Infection at the injection site or a systemic infection
• • Fever of unknown origin
• • Motor or sensory abnormalities in the arm
• • Previous enrollment into the current study