Probability Ramp Control of Propofol for EGD

A Prospective, Randomized Comparison of Depth of Sedation With Propofol Titrated by Probability Ramp Control to Control by Anesthesia Providers During Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)

Endoscopic sedation requires titration of propofol to deep sedation without minimum overshoot into general anesthesia. This skill is demanding and acquired slowly. Probability Ramp Control (PRC) simplifies this by providing the clinician with a simple infusion sequence that permits gradual titration of propofol. The purpose of this study is to compare the performance of this technology to that of experienced anesthesia providers in endoscopic sedation.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Gastrointestinal Disease
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Monitoring; Device: Probability ramp control

Detailed Description

Administration of propofol to achieve a target of moderate sedation is a challenging task for which anesthesia providers receive minimal training. Undersedation results in a noncompliant patient, while oversedation results in airway obstruction, respiratory depression, and hypotension. Considerable variability in patient pharmacokinetics (the distribution of drug within the body) and pharmacodynamics (the translation of drug concentration to clinical effect) has been demonstrated. The skill of titrating propofol to the desired target and maintaining this state is slowly acquired in the clinical environment of the endoscopy center with frequent reliance on rescue skills. An automated system that facilitates this process would be useful.

Pharmacokinetic models allow us to make predictions of the results of drug administration. If we know the age and size of the patient, we can determine a quantity of propofol that will attain a desired concentration at some point in the future (within the predictive accuracy of the model). If they are old, this is less than if they are young. If they are obese, this is more than if they are thin. By adjusting the dosing, we can achieve similar concentrations at a specified time in a wide range of patients.

Pharmacodynamic models allow us to relate drug concentration to a probability of response. Sensitivity is a randomly distributed variable, and the cumulative probability of response to propofol is well represented by a sigmoid curve. While we do not know the concentration that will suffice for a given individual, we can determine the probability that this individual will lose responsiveness within an interval of concentrations. For example, the probability of loss of responsiveness between 1 µg/ml and 6 µg/ml is around 99%. For any given age and size, an infusion sequence can be determined so that we traverse this interval smoothly. The infusion sequence is determined by minimization of the difference between the simulated probability and the target (1). We predict that 90% of 50 year old 70 kg patients will lose responsiveness between one minute and three minutes after initiating the infusion, and 99% by five minutes. The infusion sequence for this patient is comprised of a bolus of 287 µg/kg followed by an initial infusion of 216 µg/kg/min, with an increase to 550 µg/kg/min after 147 seconds. By selecting the infusion sequence based on the age and size of the patient, all patients will track the same target line. These infusion rates are determined prior to initiation of sedation, and the clinician can verify that they are appropriate for the patient before beginning sedation.

Once the endpoint of adequate sedation is observed, the effect site concentration associated with this endpoint is inferred, and the infusion that will maintain this concentration can be determined. This allows the clinical observation to be translated into an infusion rate, much as a driver accelerates to a desired speed and then engages the cruise control to maintain that speed.

The intent of this study is to demonstrate equivalent safety and efficacy of PRC to control by a skilled clinician.

References

1. Mandel JE, Sarraf E. The Variability of Response to Propofol Is Reduced When a Clinical Observation Is Incorporated in the Control: A Simulation Study. Anesthesia & Analgesia. 2012;114:1221-9.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104
      • Endoscopy Center, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• scheduled for elective EGD

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unable to provide informed consent

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Monitoring; Standard of care sedation by CRNA using proposal with manual recording of drug dosing	Device: Monitoring; Manual recording of drug doses determined by CRNA; Other Names: Manual recording of drug doses determined by CRNA
Experimental: Probability ramp control; Propofol titrated to deep sedation using PRC software.	Device: Probability ramp control; Decision support software that calculates propofol doses appropriate for age and weight of the patient

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of Participants Requiring Adjustment in Propofol Dosing	Following initial sedation, an infusion rate for propofol is determined by the CRNA (control) or software (experimental). If this rate is appropriate for the duration of the brief procedure, no adjustment to the rate will be required. A greater requirement for rate changes suggests that the anesthesia provider needs to be immediately available to perform these adjustments.	Intraprocedure (average of 9 minutes)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Decrease in Minute Ventilation From Baseline	Minute ventilation as determined by respiratory inductance plethysmography from initiation of sedation until emergence.	Duration of sedation (average of 25 minutes)
Time Spent Below a Saturation of 80%	Number of seconds spent below saturation of 80%, reported as the total per group	Duration of sedation (mean 25 minutes)
Procedure Time	Time from endoscopic intubation until completion of the procedure. This is not really an outcome measure, but is used to assess balance between groups.	Procedure time (average of 9 minutes)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jeff E Mandel, MD MS, University of Pennsylvania

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Mandel JE, Sarraf E. The variability of response to propofol is reduced when a clinical observation is incorporated in the control: a simulation study. Anesth Analg. 2012 Jun;114(6):1221-9. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0b013e31824cb853. Epub 2012 Mar 30.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 1, 2013
• Study Completion (Actual): May 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 12, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 18, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): April 24, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 23, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 19, 2018
• Last Verified: January 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: propofol sedation endoscopy
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Gastrointestinal Diseases; Digestive System Diseases
• Other Study ID Numbers: 817166

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No