Lumbar Drain With Intrathecal Nicardipine in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

April 23, 2026 updated by: Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Prophylactic Use of Intrathecal Calcium Channel Antagonist Through Lumbar Drain in Patients With Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Due to Aneurysmal Rupture

The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of prophylactic administration of intra-thecal nicardipine though lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drain in prevention of symptomatic vasospasm in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to rupture of cerebral aneurysms.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is a triple-blinded, prospective, sham, randomized study. The purpose of this research is to determine the effectiveness of prophylactic administration of intra-thecal nicardipine though lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drain in prevention of symptomatic vasospasm in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to rupture of cerebral aneurysms. Patients will be randomized to standard treatment of cerebral vasospasm with prophylactic administration of intrathecal nicardipine vs standard treatment alone. The medication used is FDA approved and will be used through an intra-thecal route through a lumbar drain which is indicated in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
214

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • 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 Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Illinois
      • Park Ridge, Illinois, United States, 60068
        • Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
        • Contact:

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

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age ≥18 years
  • Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage with Hunt and Hess score 3 or less
  • Patient or legal authorized representative available to sign the informed consent form
  • Pre-morbid modified Rankin scale of 0 or 1.
  • Patients who have lumbar drain placed or planned for cerebrospinal fluid diversion per standard of care
  • Patients who are able to be randomized within 72 hours from arrival with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage or within 24 hours from lumbar drain placement

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant females
  • Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) with hunt and hess scale of >3
  • SAH due to etiology other than aneurysmal rupture
  • Any contraindications in patients receiving calcium channel antagonists like hypersensitivity to dihydropyridines
  • Active central nerve infection (CNS) infection or high suspicion of CNS infection
  • Hemodynamic instability preventing the use of Nicardipine

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: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Sham Comparator: Standard of Care
standard treatment of cerebral vasospasm and sham injection of 10 mL preservative-free normal saline in luer-lock sterile syringe
Drug: Normal Saline
10 mL preservative-free normal saline in luer-lock sterile syringe every 24 hours from randomization through day 14 post-bleed or lumbar drain removal, whichever occurs first.
Experimental: Standard of Care Plus Nicardipine
standard treatment of cerebral vasospasm with prophylactic administration of intrathecal nicardipine
Drug: Nicardipine
Nicardipine 4 mg will be diluted in preservative-free normal saline to 10 mL in luer-lock sterile syringe every 24 hours from randomization through day 14 post-bleed or lumbar drain removal, whichever occurs first.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of Vasospasm
Time Frame: up to hospitalization day 21
The incidence of symptomatic clinical or radiographic vasospasm in patients treated with prophylactic administration of intrathecal nicardipine though lumbar drain
up to hospitalization day 21
Incidence of Delayed Cerebral Ischemia
Time Frame: up to hospitalization day 21
The incidence of symptomatic clinical or radiographic delayed cerebral ischemia in patients treated with prophylactic administration of intrathecal nicardipine though lumbar drain
up to hospitalization day 21

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Modified Rankin Scale Score
Time Frame: month 6
The Modified Rankin Scale is a clinical tool used to assess the functional disability after a stroke. It is a six-point ordinal scale that measures the patient's ability to perform activities of daily living. Score Range: 0 no symptoms, 1 no significant disability, 2 slight disability, 3 moderate disability, 4 moderately severe disability, 5 severe disability, 6 dead.
month 6
Incidence of Meningitis
Time Frame: up to hospitalization day 21
Incidence of meningitis as confirmed by clinical and laboratory findings
up to hospitalization day 21

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Krishna Joshi, MD, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

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 (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
November 17, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 17, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 24, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 24, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 23, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB00139639

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

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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