Postoperative Delirium (POD)Phase 3NCT07627906
Ketofol Versus Ketodex for POD Prophylaxis in Elderly Cancer Surgery
A Phase 3 study testing Group ketofol and Group ketodex in people with Postoperative Delirium (POD), run by Cairo University at 1 site in Egypt.
Trial summary
Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common and serious neurocognitive complication after surgery, particularly in elderly patients undergoing major cancer surgeries. It is associated with prolonged hospital stay, impaired quality of life, increased postoperative cognitive dysfunction, and higher mortality. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Postoperative Delirium (POD)
- What is being tested?
- Group ketofol and Group ketodex
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 180 participants
- Where
- 1 siteEgypt
- Study dates
- Jul 2026to Feb 2027
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 60 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patients aged ≥ 60 years.
- ASA physical status II and III.
- Scheduled for open pelvi-abdominal cancer surgeries.
- Able to communicate verbally.
- BMI < 35 kg/m2.
Who cannot join
- Patient's refusal to participate.
- Laparoscopic procedures.
- Severe hepatic (Liver enzymes are more than threefold) and renal impairment (Creatinine clearance is less than 30 ml/min).
- Severe cardiac disease (EF ≤ 40%, recent MI in the previous 3 months, NYHA ≥ III) and pulmonary disease (FEV1/FVC ratio < 50% predicted and/or FEV1 < 50% predicted)
- Patients require postoperative ICU admission with mechanical ventilation and or inotropic support.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Egypt1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Kasr Alainy Faculty of Medicine- Cairo University
Cairo, Cairo Governorate, 11728
Abeer Said, MD, 01005244590, abeer_ahmed@kasralainy.edu.eg
About this study
Official title: Neuroprotective Effects of Ketofol Versus Ketodex on Postoperative Delirium in Elderly Patients Undergoing Pelvi-abdominal Cancer Surgeries. A Randomized Double-blinded Comparative Study.
Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common and serious neurocognitive complication after surgery, particularly in elderly patients undergoing major cancer surgeries. It is associated with prolonged hospital stay, impaired quality of life, increased postoperative cognitive dysfunction, and higher mortality. The pathophysiology of POD is multifactorial and involves neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, impaired cerebral perfusion, and neurotransmitter imbalance.
Several anesthetic agents have been investigated for their potential neuroprotective effects against POD. Ketamine, through NMDA receptor antagonism, may reduce neuroinflammation and provide hemodynamic stability and opioid-sparing analgesia, although concerns remain regarding hallucinations and psychomimetic effects. Propofol, acting through GABA receptor activation, may protect against oxidative neuronal injury but may also induce hypotension in elderly patients. Dexmedetomidine, a selective α2-adrenergic agonist, has shown promising sedative, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties with potential protective effects against POD, although bradycardia and uncertainty regarding optimal dosing remain concerns.
Combinations such as ketofol (ketamine-propofol) and ketodex (ketamine-dexmedetomidine) may provide synergistic benefits by improving hemodynamic stability, analgesia, and sedation while minimizing adverse effects. Previous studies have demonstrated favorable perioperative outcomes with both combinations; however, direct comparisons regarding their role in preventing postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing pelvi-abdominal cancer surgeries remain limited. Therefore, this study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of ketofol versus ketodex as prophylactic strategies against POD in this high-risk population.
- Conditions
- Postoperative Delirium (POD)
- Being tested
- Group ketofol, Group ketodex, Group Control
- Keywords
- ketofol, ketodex, ketamine, dexmedetomidine, postoperative delirium, postoperative cognitive dysfunction
- Medical subject headings
- Emergence Delirium, Postoperative Cognitive Complications
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Group ketofolDrug
Patients will receive Ketofol (propofol- ketamine mixture in a ratio of 1:1). This will be prepared by adding 200 mg propofol (20 ml) with 200 mg ketamine (4ml) in 50 ml infusion (concentration of 4mg/ml). The infused ketofol dose will be 0.2 ml/kg/hr.
Group ketodexDrug
Patients will receive Ketodex (ketamine- dexmedetomidine mixture in a ratio of 1:1). This will be prepared by adding 200 mg dexmedetomidine (2 ml) with 200 mg ketamine (4ml) to be diluted with normal saline within 50 ml infusion (concentration 4mg/ml). The infused ketodex dose will be 0.2 ml/kg/hr.
Group ControlDrug
will receive an equal volume of normal saline as 0.2 mg/kg/hr.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Group ketofol: | Experimental | Not described Receives: Drug: Group ketofol |
| Group ketodex | Experimental | Not described Receives: Drug: Group ketodex |
| Group Control | Placebo comparator | Not described Receives: Drug: Group Control |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Incidence of POD two hours postoperative using 3D-CAM test.
Measured: 2 hours postoperative
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Jun 2026
- Study startJul 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completionDec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionFeb 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Postoperative Delirium (POD)Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Cairo UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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 3
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 180 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Cairo University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Abeer Ahmed, MD, Cairo University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07627906
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- MS-394-2025
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 30 May 2026
- Last updated
- 4 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 4 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Neuroprotective Effects of Ketofol Versus Ketodex on Postoperative Delirium in Elderly Patients Undergoing Pelvi-abdominal Cancer Surgeries. A Randomized Double-blinded Comparative Study.
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07627906
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MS-394-2025
- Conditions
- Postoperative Delirium (POD)
- Keywords
- ketofol, ketodex, ketamine, dexmedetomidine, postoperative delirium, postoperative cognitive dysfunction
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 180 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Cairo UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Jul 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Feb 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 4 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common and serious neurocognitive complication after surgery, particularly in elderly patients undergoing major cancer surgeries. It is associated with prolonged hospital stay, impaired quality of life, increased postoperative cognitive dysfunction, and higher mortality. The pathophysiology of POD is multifactorial and involves neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, impaired cerebral perfusion, and neurotransmitter imbalance.
Several anesthetic agents have been investigated for their potential neuroprotective effects against POD. Ketamine, through NMDA receptor antagonism, may reduce neuroinflammation and provide hemodynamic stability and opioid-sparing analgesia, although concerns remain regarding hallucinations and psychomimetic effects. Propofol, acting through GABA receptor activation, may protect against oxidative neuronal injury but may also induce hypotension in elderly patients. Dexmedetomidine, a selective α2-adrenergic agonist, has shown promising sedative, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties with potential protective effects against POD, although bradycardia and uncertainty regarding optimal dosing remain concerns.
Combinations such as ketofol (ketamine-propofol) and ketodex (ketamine-dexmedetomidine) may provide synergistic benefits by improving hemodynamic stability, analgesia, and sedation while minimizing adverse effects. Previous studies have demonstrated favorable perioperative outcomes with both combinations; however, direct comparisons regarding their role in preventing postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing pelvi-abdominal cancer surgeries remain limited. Therefore, this study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of ketofol versus ketodex as prophylactic strategies against POD in this high-risk population.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind (participant, care provider, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Group ketofol: | Experimental | Drug: Group ketofol |
| Group ketodex | Experimental | Drug: Group ketodex |
| Group Control | Placebo comparator | Drug: Group Control |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 60 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Patients aged ≥ 60 years.
- ASA physical status II and III.
- Scheduled for open pelvi-abdominal cancer surgeries.
- Able to communicate verbally.
- BMI < 35 kg/m2.
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Patient's refusal to participate.
- Laparoscopic procedures.
- Severe hepatic (Liver enzymes are more than threefold) and renal impairment (Creatinine clearance is less than 30 ml/min).
- Severe cardiac disease (EF ≤ 40%, recent MI in the previous 3 months, NYHA ≥ III) and pulmonary disease (FEV1/FVC ratio < 50% predicted and/or FEV1 < 50% predicted)
- Patients require postoperative ICU admission with mechanical ventilation and or inotropic support.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Group ketofolPatients will receive Ketofol (propofol- ketamine mixture in a ratio of 1:1). This will be prepared by adding 200 mg propofol (20 ml) with 200 mg ketamine (4ml) in 50 ml infusion (concentration of 4mg/ml). The infused ketofol dose will be 0.2 ml/kg/hr. | Drug | Group ketofol: |
| Group ketodexPatients will receive Ketodex (ketamine- dexmedetomidine mixture in a ratio of 1:1). This will be prepared by adding 200 mg dexmedetomidine (2 ml) with 200 mg ketamine (4ml) to be diluted with normal saline within 50 ml infusion (concentration 4mg/ml). The infused ketodex dose will be 0.2 ml/kg/hr. | Drug | Group ketodex |
| Group Controlwill receive an equal volume of normal saline as 0.2 mg/kg/hr. | Drug | Group Control |
Primary outcome
Incidence of POD two hours postoperative using 3D-CAM test.
Time frame: 2 hours postoperative
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 4 Jun 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 3 study testing Group ketofol and Group ketodex in people with Postoperative Delirium (POD), run by Cairo University at 1 site in Egypt.
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 5 inclusion and 5 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Jun 2026. 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 Egypt. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Abeer Ahmed, MD (+201005244590, abeer_ahmed@kasralainy.edu.eg), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Incidence of POD two hours postoperative using 3D-CAM test. (time frame: 2 hours postoperative). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 4 Jun 2026.