Effective Dose of Alfentanil Combined With Propofol for Laryngeal Mask Airway Insertion in Children

May 5, 2026 updated by: Rui Zhang, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University

Effective Dose of Alfentanil Combined With Propofol for Laryngeal Mask Airway Insertion in Children: A Prospective, Up-and-Down Sequential Allocation Study

This study uses a prospective, up-and-down sequential allocation method to determine the median effective dose (ED50) and 95% effective dose (ED95) of alfentanil combined with propofol for successful laryngeal mask airway (LMA) insertion in children aged 7-12 undergoing elective day surgery.

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

Laryngeal mask airway (LMA) insertion is a common practice in pediatric day surgery. While it is less invasive than endotracheal intubation, children exhibit high airway reactivity, requiring an optimal depth of anesthesia to suppress airway reflexes. Alfentanil is an opioid with a rapid onset and short duration of action, making it potentially ideal for LMA insertion. However, current dosage recommendations for alfentanil are often extrapolated from tracheal intubation studies, which may lead to overdosage, respiratory depression, or delayed recovery in children. This study aims to determine the precise effective dose (ED50 and ED95) of alfentanil when combined with a fixed dose of propofol for smooth LMA insertion in children.

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.
40

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

  • China
    • Guangdong
      • Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, 510000
        • Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University
        • 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

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 7 to 12 years
  • Undergoing elective day surgery
  • ASA physical status I-II
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) between 14 and 24 kg/m²
  • Accompanied by a fully capable guardian within 24 hours after discharge

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Allergy to opioids
  • Unresolved upper respiratory tract infection within the past 1 week
  • Abnormal heart, lung, liver, or kidney function, or metabolic diseases
  • Airway anatomical abnormalities (e.g., micrognathia, laryngomalacia, macroglossia) or OSAHS (Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome)
  • Use of analgesics, sedatives, or other psychotropic drugs within the past 2 weeks
  • Refusal to sign the informed consent form

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: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

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.
Experimental: Alfentanil Sequential Dose Group
Drug: Alfentanil
All patients receive 2.5 mg/kg propofol injected over 30 seconds. Alfentanil is administered 1 minute prior to propofol. The dose is adjusted by steps of 2 µg/kg based on the previous patient's response (successful insertion = decrease dose; failed insertion = increase dose).

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
Success of LMA insertion
Time Frame: Intraoperative (During LMA insertion procedure)
Assessed by the absence of body movement, coughing, breath-holding, severe hemodynamic changes, or insertion difficulty.
Intraoperative (During LMA insertion procedure)

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
Time required for LMA insertion
Time Frame: Intraoperative (from LMA pick-up to successful placement).
The time (in seconds) from picking up the LMA to the first successful breath as confirmed by capnography.
Intraoperative (from LMA pick-up to successful placement).
Number of LMA insertion attempts
Time Frame: Intraoperative (during the anesthesia induction phase).
The total number of attempts required to successfully place the LMA. An attempt is defined as the introduction of the LMA into the patient's mouth.
Intraoperative (during the anesthesia induction phase).
Airway Responses
Time Frame: During and up to 1 minute post-insertion
Incidence and severity of body movement, cough, breath-holding, and laryngospasm.
During and up to 1 minute post-insertion
Changes in Heart Rate (HR)
Time Frame: From baseline (pre-induction) up to 1 minute after LMA insertion.
Evaluation of heart rate (beats per minute) to assess hemodynamic stability at four time points: T0 (baseline), T1 (post-induction), T2 (immediate post-insertion), and T3 (1 min post-insertion).
From baseline (pre-induction) up to 1 minute after LMA insertion.
Changes in Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP)
Time Frame: From baseline (pre-induction) up to 1 minute after LMA insertion.
Evaluation of mean arterial pressure (mmHg) to assess hemodynamic stability at four time points: T0 (baseline), T1 (post-induction), T2 (immediate post-insertion), and T3 (1 min post-insertion).
From baseline (pre-induction) up to 1 minute after LMA insertion.
Awakening time
Time Frame: From end of surgery up to 1 hour.
The interval from the discontinuation of anesthetic agents to the moment the patient follows simple commands or opens eyes.
From end of surgery up to 1 hour.
Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) discharge time
Time Frame: Up to PACU discharge(assessed up to 4 hours after surgery completion).
The duration (in minutes) from arrival in the PACU until the patient meets discharge criteria.
Up to PACU discharge(assessed up to 4 hours after surgery completion).
Postoperative Adverse Events
Time Frame: At 6 hours and 24 hours post-operation
Incidence of PONV (postoperative nausea and vomiting), sore throat, and hoarseness.
At 6 hours and 24 hours post-operation

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.
Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University

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.
May 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.
August 30, 2026

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.
March 30, 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).
April 22, 2026

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.
May 5, 2026

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.
May 12, 2026

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.
May 12, 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.
May 5, 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.
May 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.
  • IIT2026026

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

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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