Low Dose Dexmedetomidine and Delirium After Cardiac Surgery (LOWDEXDEL)

September 28, 2020 updated by: Mona Momeni, MD, PhD, Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc- Université Catholique de Louvain

Does LOW Dose DEXmedetomidine After Cardiopulmonary Bypass Separation Decrease the Incidence of DELirium: A Double-blind Randomized Placebo-controlled Study (LOWDEXDEL Study)

Delirium after cardiac surgery can occur in up to 50% of the patients and has been shown to be significantly associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Advanced age is a significant risk factor of delirium.

Numerous studies have shown that sedation with high doses of Dexmedetomidine in the ICU reduces the incidence of postoperative delirium. On the other hand animal studies have shown neuroprotective effects of Dexmedetomidine by means of stimulating alpha2A-adrenoceptors.

It is not clear whether the administration of a low dose Dexmedetomidine in cardiac surgery would have any neuroprotective effects by stimulating the alpha 2A-receptors and as such would decrease the incidence of postoperative delirium.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Postoperative delirium (PD) is a common problem in cardiac surgical patients. Its incidence varies among studies and can reach up to 50% of the patients. PD is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Its occurrence is the resultant between the predisposing factors and the precipitating factors. Age seems to be a significant predisposing factor. In this regard the pathophysiology of PD is not yet fully understood. There are several hypothetical mechanisms for the development of PD. The first hypothesis is cerebral ischemia and BBB breakdown. The second hypothesis is neuro-inflammation. Peripheral pro-inflammatory mediators especially released during surgery would interact with the brain. Otherwise there is the problem of sleep deprivation/fragmentation in patients admitted to the hospital.

Dexmedetomidine is a potent and more selective alpha2-adrenergic receptor than clonidine. Studies have demonstrated that it has neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory actions.

Numerous studies including trials in cardiac surgery have shown a decreased incidence of delirium when Dexmedetomidine was used as sedative in the ICU compared with other sedatives acting on the GABA receptors. However, in these studies high doses of Dexmedetomidine were used for periods up to 24h. Dexmedetomidine was started in the ICU and was not compared in a double-blind fashion with placebo. In a recent randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial a very low dose of Dexmedetomidine decreased the occurrence of PD when compared to placebo. However this study was performed in non-cardiac patients. Moreover the patients were included after their arrival in the ICU, which means that those patients who were intubated at their arrival in the ICU were not included. And again the study medication was only started after arrival in the ICU.

The aim of this study is to elucidate whether the administration of Dexmedetomidine at a low dose would decrease the incidence of PD in elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The hypothesis is that Dexmedetomidine at low doses, by only stimulating the alpha2A adrenoceptors,would have neuroprotective affects ans as such decrease the incidence of PD. Dexmedetomidine would also have anti-inflammatory effects and effects on the quality of sleep. Both mechanisms would play a role in the pathophysiology of PD.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

420

Phase

  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

      • Brussels, Belgium, 1200
        • Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

60 years to 90 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Hepatic dysfunction (hepatic function tests 3 times the normal value)
  • Preoperative renal replacement therapy
  • Preoperative delirium
  • Emergency surgery not allowing neurologic evaluation by MMSE
  • Mini invasive cardiac surgery
  • Patients not speaking French

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Dexmedetomidine
Dexmedetomidine will be administered at 0.4ug/kg/h (5mL/h) starting at the closure of the chest and continued during 10h.
Dexmedetomidine will be started at 5mL/h while the patient is still in the operating room. The patient will be transferred to the intensive care unit with a sedative regimen based on propofol.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
NaCl 0.9% will be administered at 5mL/h starting at the closure of the chest and continued during 10h.
A continuous infusion of NaCL 0.9% will be started at 5mL/h while the patient is still in the operating room. The patient will be transferred to the intensive care unit with a sedative regimen based on propofol.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The incidence of delirium
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 30 days
The incidence of delirium detected by means of CAM-ICU and CAM
Through study completion, an average of 30 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of days spent in delirium
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 30 days
Total number of days in a delirious state
Through study completion, an average of 30 days
ICU stay
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 30 days
The duration of days admitted in the ICU and in the hospital
Through study completion, an average of 30 days
Total dose of analgesics
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 30 days
Total dose of analgesics used in the ICU
Through study completion, an average of 30 days
Total dose of vasopressors
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 30 days
Total dose of vasopressors used in the ICU
Through study completion, an average of 30 days
Pace maker necessitation
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 30 days
Number of patients needing external pacing
Through study completion, an average of 30 days
Hospital stay
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 30 days
The duration of days admitted in the hospital
Through study completion, an average of 30 days
Total dose sedatives
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 30 days
Total dose of sedatives used in the ICU
Through study completion, an average of 30 days
Total dose of inotropic agents
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 30 days
Total dose of inotropic agents used in the ICU
Through study completion, an average of 30 days

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Mona Momeni, MD,PhD, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 17, 2018

Primary Completion (Actual)

August 12, 2019

Study Completion (Actual)

August 12, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 1, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 24, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

January 3, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 30, 2020

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 28, 2020

Last Verified

September 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2017/24JUL/374

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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