Multimodal Pain Management for Cesarean Delivery

Phase 4

Completed

Conditions: Pain

Interventions: Drug: Normal saline
Drug: Intravenous acetominophen
Drug: Ketorolac, intramuscular
Drug: Bupivacaine, subcutaneous

Registration Number: NCT02922985

Lead Sponsor: The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston

Brief Summary: Opioid use and abuse has become a major medical problem in the United States. Over prescription of opioid medications is a major contributor to this growing problem. Cesarean delivery (CD) is the most commonly performed surgery in the US and women are generally given opioid medications for postoperative pain management. This is not a common practice in other developed countries. We believe that a multimodal pain management strategy is superior to current practices for control of postoperative pain after CD and will lead to a decrease in the use of opioid medications. This will have beneficial effects on patients' recovery and bonding with their newborns, as well as societal effects in reducing the burden of opioid abuse in the US. Our objective is to investigate the use of a multimodal pain regimen in pregnant patients undergoing CD. This is a randomized double-blinded, placebo controlled trial. The multimodal intervention consists of a pre-operative dose of IV acetaminophen (Ofirmev), infiltration of subcutaneous bupivacaine prior to skin incision, and a dose of IM ketorolac at time of fascial closure. These study medications are currently used in our patient population but not in a standardized fashion, not in every patient, and not always in combination with each other. The control group will receive placebo IV infusion preoperatively and an IM injection at fascial closure, and subcutaneous infiltration with normal saline before skin incision. Both groups will receive spinal regional anesthesia as per anesthesia team and then postoperatively, both groups will receive the current standard of care, which consists postoperative hydrocodone/acetaminophen and ibuprofen as needed depending on pain score. Our primary outcome of interest will be the total opioid intake in the first 48 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes include time to first opioid given, pain scores at 6-12, 24 and 48 hours post op, and total number of opioid tablets left after discharge on post op day number 7. We will also evaluate patient satisfaction scores and total length of hospital stay. We will evaluate neonatal outcomes including Apgar scores, cord blood gases, immediate newborn complications in the first 48 hours after birth, and any infant adverse outcomes related to maternal opioid use up to 4 weeks of life. Our hypothesis is that our multimodal pain regimen will decrease the total opioid requirement in the first 48 hours after surgery.

Detailed Description: We are proposing a double-blinded, placebo controlled, randomized trial of patients undergoing elective cesarean delivery. Participants will be randomized to either a control group or study group. This is a double-blinded study, neither participants nor the obstetric or anesthesia team are aware of study assignment. The study group, aka multimodal group, will receive 1 g of IV acetaminophen (ofirmev) within 30 minutes before starting the surgery, regional anesthesia (spinal anesthesia only) with fentanyl, duramorph (morphine) and bupivacaine will be performed as per anesthesia team, the anticipated sight of skin incision will be infiltrated with 20 mL of bupivacaine 0.25% in the subcutaneous space prior to skin incision, and 60 mg of intramuscular (IM) ketorolac (toradol) will be given at the time of fascial closure. The control group will receive a placebo drip within 30 minutes before starting the surgery, regional anesthesia (spinal anesthesia only) with fentanyl, duramorph (morphine) and bupivacaine will be performed as per anesthesia team, the anticipated sight of skin incision will be infiltrated with 20 mL of normal saline in the subcutaneous space prior to skin incision, and an IM dose of placebo at the time of fascial closure. Post-operatively both groups will be managed similarly.

Inclusion Criteria:

* Women who are 18 - 45 years of age at the time of cesarean delivery with the ability to give informed consent

* Elective cesarean delivery

* Gestational age ≥ 34 weeks

* Fluent in either English or Spanish

* Spinal anesthesia

Exclusion Criteria:

Urgent or emergent CD Active labor Epidural or Intrathecal regional anesthesia General anesthesia Patients with a contraindication for regional anesthesia Acute or chronic hepatic disease Acute or chronic renal disease Active asthma Gastrointestinal ulceration Inflammatory bowel disease Allergy to ketorolac, acetaminophen, hydrocodone, codeine, ibuprofen or bupivacaine Opioid dependence Non reassuring fetal or maternal status requiring immediate delivery Placenta previa or accreta Acute or chronic pain disorder Maternal weight \<50 kilograms Uncontrolled hypertension Ischemic cardiac disease Congestive heart failure Thrombocytopenia, platelet count \<150,000/microliter Preeclampsia including Hemolysis Elevated Liver enzymes Low Platelets syndrome DIC or active hemorrhage before randomization Estimated blood loss \> 2000 mL

Primary Outcome: The primary outcome of the study is the total opioid (hydrocodone) use in milligrams in the first 48 hours after cesarean delivery.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: Female

Target Recruitment: 120

Inclusion Criteria

Women who are 18 - 45 years of age at the time of cesarean delivery with the ability to give informed consent
Elective cesarean delivery
Gestational age ≥ 34 weeks
Fluent in either English or Spanish
Spinal anesthesia

Exclusion Criteria

Urgent or emergent CD
Epidural or combined spinal epidural regional anesthesia
General anesthesia
Patients with a contraindication for regional anesthesia
Acute or chronic hepatic disease
Acute or chronic renal disease
Active asthma
Gastrointestinal ulceration
Inflammatory bowel disease
Allergy to ketorolac, acetaminophen, hydrocodone, codeine, ibuprofen or bupivacaine
Opioid dependence
Non reassuring fetal or maternal status requiring immediate delivery
Placenta previa or accreta
Acute or chronic pain disorder
Maternal weight <50 kilograms
Uncontrolled hypertension
Ischemic cardiac disease
Congestive heart failure
Thrombocytopenia, platelet count <150,000/microliter
Preeclampsia including Hemolysis Elevated Liver enzymes Low Platelets syndrome
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) or active hemorrhage before randomization
Estimated blood loss > 2000 mL

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Placebo Control Group	Normal saline	Patients will receive a placebo dose of all three study medications: Patients will receive the pre-operative dose of IV normal saline placebo within 30 minutes of going to the OR for CD. The patient will receive the subcutaneous infiltration of 20 mL of subcutaneous normal saline placebo after positioning and preparation but prior to skin incision. At the time of fascial closure, the patient will receive an IM dose of normal saline placebo.
Multimodal Pain Regimen Group	Intravenous acetominophen	Patients will receive the actual study medication for all three study medications: Patients will receive the pre-operative dose of IV acetaminophen 1 g within 30 minutes of going to the OR for CD. The patient will receive the subcutaneous infiltration of either 20 mL of bupivacaine 0.25% after positioning and preparation but prior to skin incision. At the time of fascial closure, the patient will receive 60 mg of IM ketorolac.
Multimodal Pain Regimen Group	Ketorolac, intramuscular	Patients will receive the actual study medication for all three study medications: Patients will receive the pre-operative dose of IV acetaminophen 1 g within 30 minutes of going to the OR for CD. The patient will receive the subcutaneous infiltration of either 20 mL of bupivacaine 0.25% after positioning and preparation but prior to skin incision. At the time of fascial closure, the patient will receive 60 mg of IM ketorolac.
Multimodal Pain Regimen Group	Bupivacaine, subcutaneous	Patients will receive the actual study medication for all three study medications: Patients will receive the pre-operative dose of IV acetaminophen 1 g within 30 minutes of going to the OR for CD. The patient will receive the subcutaneous infiltration of either 20 mL of bupivacaine 0.25% after positioning and preparation but prior to skin incision. At the time of fascial closure, the patient will receive 60 mg of IM ketorolac.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Total Opioid Intake in Morphine Milligram Equivalents in the First 48 Hours After Cesarean Delivery (CD)	48 hours post cesarean delivery	Every opioid intake by the patient in the first 48 hours after CD will be recorded and quantified in morphine milligram equivalents

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Pain Score at 48 Hours Post-operatively	48 hours post-operatively	Pain Score at 48 Hours Post-operatively, expressed on a pain scale from 0-10 with the higher score meaning worse pain (outcome).
Time to First Administration of Opioid Pain Medication Post Operatively	48 hours post cesarean delivery	Time, in hours, to first administration of opioid pain medication post operatively
Pain Score at 6-12 Hours Post Operatively	6-12 hours post-operatively	Pain score at 6-12 hours post-operatively, expressed on a pain scale from 0-10 with the higher score meaning worse pain (outcome).
Hospital Length of Stay	From time of hospital admission to time of discharge home up to 168 hours.	Time to discharge from hospital, measured in hours
Number of Opioid Pain Tablets Remaining on Post-operative Day #7 From the Discharge Prescription.	7 days post delivery	Number of opioid pain tablets remaining on post-operative day #7 from hospital discharge as reported by patients
Pain Score at 24 Hours Post-operatively	24 hours post-operatively	Pain Score at 24 Hours Post Operatively, expressed on a pain scale from 0-10 with the higher score meaning worse pain (outcome).
Apgar Score at 5 Minutes	5 minutes after birth	This is the Apgar score of the newborn collected at 5 minutes. Range is from 0-10, with the higher scores meaning a better outcome.
Need for Respiratory Support	after birth and before hospital discharge	neonate receipt of oxygen by nasal cannula or mechanical ventilation
NICU Admission	after birth and before hospital discharge	Rate of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit