"Dexa vs Dexmedetomidine With Bupivacaine in TAP Block for Laparotomy Analgesia

May 8, 2026 updated by: Mariam Mumtaz, Sahiwal medical college sahiwal

Comparison Of Dexamethasone Versus Dexmedetomidine As An Adjuvant To 0.25% Bupivacaine In Ultrasound Guided Tap Block On Post-Op Analgesia Duration In Patients Undergoing Laparotomy

Transversus abdominis plane block is a regional anesthetic technique which blocks the abdominal neural afferents by introducing local anesthetic into the neuro-fascial plane between the internal oblique and the transversus abdominis muscle and gives analgesia from the skin to parietal peritoneum. There are studies showing evidence of improved post operative analgesia with addition of adjuvants such as dexmedetomidine or dexamethasone in comparison with plane local anesthesia in terms of time to rescue analgesia and the overall quantity of analgesic used post operatively.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
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

After approval of synopsis by the research board and ethical committee and Research department CPSP Karachi, the data collection process will begin. The study will be conducted in the Anesthesia Department of Sahiwal Teaching Hospital Sahiwal. Written informed consent will be obtained from all the patients included in the study. Patients aged between 25 to 65 years, belonging to ASA class-I and class-II, scheduled for laparotomy will be divided into 2 groups of 48 patients each:

  • Group A: Patients who will receive transversus abdominis plane block with - 18ml Bupivacaine 0.25%+ 2 ml Dexamethasone 8mg.
  • Group B: Patients who will receive transversus abdominis plane block with - 18ml Bupivacaine 0.25%+ 2ml Dexmedetomidine (1µg/Kg diluted in 2ml saline).

At the end of the surgery, bilateral Ultrasound (U/S) guided TAP block will be performed in both groups using ultrasound machine. The patient will be in supine position and a high frequency linear probe will be placed transverse to abdominal wall between the costal margin and iliac crest at mid axillary line. The needle will be introduced in plane of the ultrasound probe directly under the probe and advanced until it reaches the plane between the internal oblique and transverse abdominis muscles. Upon reaching the plane and after negative aspiration test for blood, 2ml of saline will be injected to confirm correct needle position, after which the patient will receive the TAP block as per the group allocation. Patients will be observed for any complication like signs of local anesthetic toxicity or hematoma formation at site of block. In PACU and surgical unit, Visual Analogue Scale Score (VAS) will be recorded at arrival to PACU 2, 4, 6, 12 and 24 hours post-operative. A VAS score of ≤3 will be considered satisfactory pain relief. If patients have inadequate analgesia, supplementary rescue analgesia will be given in the form of IV ketorolac 30mg at VAS ≥4. The time of first request for rescue analgesic will be recorded. Post-operative nausea and vomiting will be documented according to a categorical scale: 0 none, 1 nausea, 2 vomiting, 3 nausea and vomiting. Hemodynamic variables such as heart rate and mean arterial pressure will be recorded. The primary outcome will be to compare the time for first rescue analgesia. The secondary outcome will be assessment of postoperative pain using VAS score at 2, 6, 12, 18 and 24 hrs.

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.
96

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 2
  • Phase 3

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 Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Sahiwal, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 57000
        • Recruiting
        • Sahiwal Medical College
        • 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

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients undergoing laparotomy.
  • Patients aged 25 to 65 years.
  • Both genders.
  • Patients with ASA Class I, II.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients who do not give consent.
  • Patients with Comorbidities like DM, HTN, CKD, CLD.
  • Patients with bleeding disorders.
  • Infection at site of injection.
  • Allergy to any drug, local anaesthetic, or other drugs used.
  • Patients with polytrauma.

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: Double

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.
Other: GROUP A
GROUP BUPIVACAINE+DEXAMETHASONE
Drug: Bupivacaine Hcl 0.25% Inj_#1
At the end of the surgery, bilateral Ultrasound (U/S) guided TAP block will be performed using ultrasound machine. The patient will be in supine position and a high frequency linear probe will be placed transverse to abdominal wall between the costal margin and iliac crest at mid axillary line. The needle will be introduced in plane of the ultrasound probe directly under the probe and advanced until it reaches the plane between the internal oblique and transverse abdominis muscles. Upon reaching the plane and after negative aspiration test for blood, 2ml of saline will be injected to confirm correct needle position, after which the patient will receive the TAP block as per the group allocation.
Other Names:
  • Bupivacaine+Dexamethasone
Other: GROUP B
GROUP BUPIVACAINE+DEXAMETHASONE+DEXMEDETOMIDINE
Drug: Bupivacaine Hcl 0.25% Inj_#2
At the end of the surgery, bilateral Ultrasound (U/S) guided TAP block will be performed in both groups using ultrasound machine. The patient will be in supine position and a high frequency linear probe will be placed transverse to abdominal wall between the costal margin and iliac crest at mid axillary line. The needle will be introduced in plane of the ultrasound probe directly under the probe and advanced until it reaches the plane between the internal oblique and transverse abdominis muscles. Upon reaching the plane and after negative aspiration test for blood, 2ml of saline will be injected to confirm correct needle position, after which the patient will receive the TAP block as per the group allocation.
Other Names:
  • Bupivacaine+ Dexamethasone +Dexmedetomidine

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
postoperative pain
Time Frame: 24 hours
Duration of postop analgesia
24 hours

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.
Sahiwal medical college sahiwal

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.
  • Study Director: Adeel Riaz, MD, Sahiwal medical college sahiwal

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)

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.
March 3, 2024

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.
June 3, 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.
July 4, 2026

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 29, 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 8, 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 15, 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 15, 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 8, 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

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.
  • 161/IRB/SLMC/SWL

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Data will be available on request after completion of study i.e. July 2026

IPD Sharing Time Frame

July 2026

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

On Demand

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF

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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