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Labor PainNCT00464841

Usefulness of the Tsui Test in Combined Spinal-Epidural Analgesia in Labour

A study testing Combined spinal epidural and Tsui Test for intrathecal catheter in people with Labor Pain, run by Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital at 1 site in Canada.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Combined spinal epidural anesthesia (CSE) is a very effective technique to provide labor analgesia. One of the disadvantages of this technique is the delay in recognizing an error in the position of the epidural catheter because of the effects of the spinal component. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Labor Pain
What is being tested?
Combined spinal epidural and Tsui Test for intrathecal catheter
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
14 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
Feb 2007to Mar 2007
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • Women only
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) 1 or 2
  • Full term pregnancy
  • Patients requesting epidural in early labor

Who cannot join

  • Any contraindication to regional anesthesia
  • Allergy or hypersensitivity to lidocaine, bupivacaine, or fentanyl
  • Received prior sedatives or opioids
  • Abnormal vertebral anatomy
  • Neurological disorders with lumbar involvement
  • Patients with implanted electronic devices

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site
  • Mount Sinai Hospital

    Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X5

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: Can the Tsui Test be Used to Test the Placement of Epidural Catheters Following the Intrathecal Component of a Combined Spinal-epidural Technique Used for Labor Analgesia?

Combined spinal epidural anesthesia (CSE) is a very effective technique to provide labor analgesia. One of the disadvantages of this technique is the delay in recognizing an error in the position of the epidural catheter because of the effects of the spinal component. Eventually in case of a misplaced catheter, the patient will experience pain or discomfort requiring a repeat procedure after the effect of drug given during the spinal wears off. Low current electrical stimulation test, or the Tsui test, has been used successfully to confirm catheter location in the epidural space. The investigators' objective in this study is to test the usefulness of the Tsui test to confirm the correct placement of the epidural catheter during CSE in laboring patients.

Read the detailed description

CSE is a widely used technique to provide analgesia in laboring patients. One of the disadvantages of the CSE is the delay in recognizing the mal-position of the epidural catheter, which is initially masked due to the effects of the spinal component. A mal-positioned epidural catheter can cause unnecessary maternal discomfort and dissatisfaction, as it requires a repeat procedure when the effect of spinal drug wears off. Additionally, in the event of emergency caesarean delivery, it would be advantageous to know that the catheter is properly placed. Low current electrical stimulation test, or the Tsui test, has been used successfully to confirm catheter location in the epidural space. Our objective in this study is to test the usefulness of the Tsui test to confirm the correct placement of the epidural catheter during CSE in laboring patients.

Two groups of patients will be studied. In the first group, after the placement of the epidural catheter and noting the electric current required to elicit a motor response (maximum current used is 20 mA), a spinal needle is introduced one inter vertebral space below the space where the epidural catheter is inserted and 0.7 ml of 0.25% isobaric bupivacaine and 15 mcg of fentanyl is injected intrathecally. The epidural catheter is then re-stimulated and the magnitude of the current required to reproduce the motor response is noted. The stimulation is repeated after 5, 10, and 15 minutes. The second group consists of patients with accidental dural puncture. An intrathecal catheter is inserted and the Tsui test performed (maximum current used is 2 mA), followed by the injection of same mixture of local anesthetic and opioid as used in the first group. The Tsui test is repeated at 5, 10 and 15 minute intervals, similar to what is done in the epidural group. After 15 minutes, patients in both groups are managed as per departmental policy. In both the groups, the Tsui test will be repeated after 120 minutes during the maintenance of labor analgesia to determine the change in intensity of current required to elicit the motor response.

Conditions
Labor Pain
Being tested
Combined spinal epidural, Tsui Test for intrathecal catheter
Keywords
Tsui Test, Combined Spinal Epidural, Labour
Medical subject headings
Labor Pain

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Combined spinal epiduralProcedure or surgery

    0.7 mL of 0.25% isobaric bupivacaine and 15mcg of fentanyl

  • Tsui Test for intrathecal catheterProcedure or surgery

    0.7 mL of 0.25% isobaric bupivacaine and 15mcg of fentanyl

Study groups in NCT00464841
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
1ExperimentalTsui test for combined spinal-epidural
Receives: Procedure: Combined spinal epidural
2ExperimentalTsui test for intrathecal catheter
Receives: Procedure: Tsui Test for intrathecal catheter

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. change in current intensity required to produce a positive Tsui test after an intrathecal injection of bupivacaine

    Measured: Within 2 hours of catheter placement

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted24 Apr 2007 (estimated)
  2. Study startFeb 2007
  3. Primary completionMar 2007
  4. Study completionMar 2007

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Diagnosis
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
14 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00464841
Sponsor's protocol ID
07-02
Other IDs
06-0205-A
Status last verified
Sep 2011
First submitted
23 Apr 2007
Last updated
5 Sep 2011
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Carvalho JC, Khemka R, Loke J, Tsui BC. Low-dose intrathecal local anesthetic does not increase the threshold current for the epidural stimulation test: a prospective observational trial of neuraxial analgesia in labouring women. Can J Anaesth. 2015 Mar;62(3):265-70. doi: 10.1007/s12630-014-0291-x. Epub 2014 Dec 11.

    PubMed 25501494

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Combined spinal epidural and Tsui Test for intrathecal catheter in people with Labor Pain, run by Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital at 1 site in Canada.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Sep 2011. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

change in current intensity required to produce a positive Tsui test after an intrathecal injection of bupivacaine (time frame: Within 2 hours of catheter placement). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00464841, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 5 Sep 2011.

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