Interscalene Brachial Plexus Block Washout to Reverse Inadvertent Phrenic Nerve Blockade

One of the most frequently performed peripheral nerve blocks (the injection of local anesthetic near nerves to block sensation/ movement to a specific part of the body) is the interscalene brachial plexus block for upper extremity surgeries. This type of block can unmask underlying respiratory issues such as shortness of breath due to a well-known and typically insignificant side effect of temporary diaphragmatic paralysis.

The nerve block may be able to use saline solution to wash out the local anesthetic and potentially reverse this respiratory side effect. Specifically, the goal of this study is to determine if the injection of saline through the nerve block catheter reverses blockade of the phrenic nerve supplying the diaphragm, without affecting the ability of the nerve block to provide pain control after surgery.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Anesthesia, Local; Upper Extremity Injury; Phrenic Nerve Paralysis; Phrenic Nerve Palsy on the Left; Phrenic Nerve Palsy on the Right
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Placebo; Procedure: Normal saline injected via interscalene nerve catheter

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 43
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Palo Alto, California, United States, 94304
      • Stanford Health Care (SHC)

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:

• All adult patients (18 years and over) scheduled for surgery requiring a continuous interscalene brachial plexus nerve block catheter as part of their anesthetic care.

Exclusion criteria:

• Concomitant life-threatening injuries and other concomitant injuries causing significant pain
• Pregnant
• Any condition impairing patient's ability to consent to participation in study, and an existing condition contraindicating a nerve block, i.e. nerve injury, existing bleeding disorder, infection in the vicinity of the block, and patient refusal.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Placebo group; After surgery, in the post-operative recovery room, patients randomized to both the intervention and control groups will have 10cc 0.5% ropivacaine bolused via their nerve catheters. After 30 minutes, the following will be measured/assessed: spirometry data, pain scores (using the Numeric Rating Scale), and, if time is sufficient, bilateral diaphragmatic excursion via ultrasonography and brachial plexus motor and sensory exams. This control group will have no normal saline injected into their nerve catheter (no intervention). Then, both the control and treatment groups will have the following measured/assessed after 5, 15 and 30 minutes: spirometry data, pain scores (using the Numeric Rating Scale), and, if time is sufficient, bilateral diaphragmatic excursion via ultrasonography and brachial plexus motor and sensory exams. Investigators will be blinded to whether the patient is in the intervention or treatment group.	Other: Placebo; With the catheter covered, placebo group patients will go through the same steps as the treatment group, but no solution will be injected into the interscalene nerve block catheter.
Active Comparator: Treatment group; After surgery, in the post-operative recovery room, patients randomized to both the intervention and control groups will have 10cc 0.5% ropivacaine bolused via their nerve catheters. After 30 minutes, the following will be measured/assessed: spirometry data, pain scores (using the Numeric Rating Scale), and, if time is sufficient, bilateral diaphragmatic excursion via ultrasonography and brachial plexus motor and sensory exams. This group will then have 30ml of normal saline injected into their nerve catheter. Then, both the control and treatment groups will have the following measured/assessed after 5, 15 and 30 minutes: spirometry data, pain scores (using the Numeric Rating Scale), and, if time is sufficient, bilateral diaphragmatic excursion via ultrasonography and brachial plexus motor and sensory exams. Investigators will be blinded to whether the patient is in the intervention or treatment group.	Procedure: Normal saline injected via interscalene nerve catheter; With the catheter covered, treatment group patients will receive a normal saline (NS) bolus regimen (30cc 0.9% NS) via their interscalene nerve block catheter.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in forced vital capacity (FVC)	Spirometry data will be collected using a digital spirometer before nerve block is placed, after surgery, and after receiving either the placebo or treatment.	Before the nerve block placement, within 1 hour after the surgery, then in 5, 15, and 30 minutes after the saline injection/placebo (1 minute each for a total of 5 assessments)
Change in peak expiratory flow (PEF)	Spirometry data will be collected using a digital spirometer before nerve block is placed, after surgery, and after receiving either the placebo or treatment.	Before the nerve block placement, within 1 hour after the surgery, then in 5, 15, and 30 minutes after the saline injection/placebo (1 minute each for a total of 5 assessments)
Change in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)	Spirometry data will be collected using a digital spirometer before nerve block is placed, after surgery, and after receiving either the placebo or treatment.	Before the nerve block placement, within 1 hour after the surgery, then in 5, 15, and 30 minutes after the saline injection/placebo (1 minute each for a total of 5 assessments)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Diaphragmatic excursion	Diaphragmatic excursion will be assessed via ultrasound before nerve block is placed, after surgery, and while receiving either the placebo or treatment.	Before nerve block is placed, within 1 hour after the surgery, and while receiving either the placebo or treatment (5 minutes each for a total of 3 assessments.)
Brachial plexus sensory and motor exam	Brachial plexus sensory and motor exam changes will be assessed before nerve block is placed, after surgery, and while receiving either the placebo or treatment.	Before nerve block is placed, within 1 hour after the surgery, and while receiving either the placebo or treatment (2 minutes each for a total of 3 assessments).
Pain scores	The Numerical Pain Rating Scale is a subjective measure in which individuals rate their pain on an eleven-point numerical scale. The scale is composed of 0 (no pain at all) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). Pain scores will be assessed before nerve block is placed, after surgery, while receiving either the placebo or treatment.	Pain scores will be assessed before nerve block is placed, within 1 hour after the surgery, while receiving either the placebo or treatment. (1 minute each for a total of 3 assessments)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Stanford University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Ban Tsui, MD, Stanford University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Urmey WF, Talts KH, Sharrock NE. One hundred percent incidence of hemidiaphragmatic paresis associated with interscalene brachial plexus anesthesia as diagnosed by ultrasonography. Anesth Analg. 1991 Apr;72(4):498-503. doi: 10.1213/00000539-199104000-00014.
• Urmey WF, McDonald M. Hemidiaphragmatic paresis during interscalene brachial plexus block: effects on pulmonary function and chest wall mechanics. Anesth Analg. 1992 Mar;74(3):352-7. doi: 10.1213/00000539-199203000-00006.
• Lenters TR, Davies J, Matsen FA 3rd. The types and severity of complications associated with interscalene brachial plexus block anesthesia: local and national evidence. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2007 Jul-Aug;16(4):379-87. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2006.10.007. Epub 2007 Apr 19.
• Zink W, Graf BM. Local anesthetic myotoxicity. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2004 Jul-Aug;29(4):333-40. doi: 10.1016/j.rapm.2004.02.008.
• Katircioglu K, Ozkalkanli MY, Kalfaoglu H, Sannav S, Ozgurbuz U, Savaci S. Reversal of prilocaine epidural anesthesia using epidural saline or ringer's lactate washout. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2007 Sep-Oct;32(5):389-92. doi: 10.1016/j.rapm.2007.06.004.
• Park EY, Kil HK, Park WS, Lee NH, Hong JY. Effect of epidural saline washout on regression of sensory and motor block after epidural anaesthesia with 2% lidocaine and fentanyl in elderly patients. Anaesthesia. 2009 Mar;64(3):273-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2008.05746.x.
• Sitzman BT, DiFazio CA, Playfair PA, Stevens RA, Hanes CF, Herman TB, Yates HK, Leisure GS. Reversal of lidocaine with epinephrine epidural anesthesia using epidural saline washout. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2001 May-Jun;26(3):246-51. doi: 10.1053/rapm.2001.22587.
• Ip VH, Tsui BC. Continuous interscalene block: the good, the bad and the refined spread. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2012 Apr;56(4):526-30. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-6576.2012.02650.x. Epub 2012 Feb 16.
• Courtney KR, Kendig JJ, Cohen EN. Frequency-dependent conduction block: the role of nerve impulse pattern in local anesthetic potency. Anesthesiology. 1978 Feb;48(2):111-7. No abstract available.
• Gerber LN, Sun LY, Ma W, Basireddy S, Guo N, Costouros J, Cheung E, Boublik J, Horn JL, Tsui BC. Clinical effect of normal saline injectate into interscalene nerve block catheters given within one hour of local anesthetic bolus on analgesia and hemidiaphragmatic paralysis. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2021 Feb;46(2):124-129. doi: 10.1136/rapm-2020-101922. Epub 2020 Nov 12.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 22, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 7, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): July 7, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 18, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 18, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): September 19, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 2, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 28, 2022
• Last Verified: July 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Wounds and Injuries; Paralysis; Arm Injuries
• Other Study ID Numbers: 46830

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