Superficial Cervical Plexus Block for IJCL Pain Management

Evaluation of the Efficacy of the Superficial Cervical Plexus Block in Reducing Pain Associated With Internal Jugular Central Lines

This is a prospective randomized trial evaluating the effect of SCPB on reported patient pain following IJCL placement as compared to local infiltrate.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Pain; Superficial Cervical Plexus Block
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Local Infiltrate; Procedure: Superficial Cervical Plexus Block

Detailed Description

The goal of this study is to determine if SCPBs provide more pain control than local infiltrate of anesthetic for internal jugular venous cannulation. The investigators hypothesis that patients who receive the SCPB will have a lower VAS rating on average than those who receive local infiltration following internal jugular venous cannulation. To test this, the investigators will be approaching eligible patients for inclusion in a research study. If the patients consent, the patients will be randomly assigned the standard of care treatment or the SCPB. The investigators will then ask the patients to rate pain following insertion of the central line. The investigators will also evaluate different aspects of the patient's hospital course to evaluate their outcomes.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 14
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Ohio
    • Akron, Ohio, United States, 44307
      • Cleveland Clinic Akron General

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients who are 18 years and older, and;
• Present to the Akron General Emergency Department (Main) between March 1, 2021 and December 1, 2022, and;
• Require IJVC as a part of their clinical care.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who are intubated; or
• Patients who undergo CPR; or
• Patients who have an allergy to lidocaine or bupivacaine; or
• Patients who have a contraindication to receiving a superficial cervical plexus block such as cellulitis over Erb's point or the internal jugular vein, abnormal anatomy, or prior surgery to the area.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: SCPB	Procedure: Superficial Cervical Plexus Block; Location of injection for block.
Active Comparator: Local Infitrate	Procedure: Local Infiltrate; Local infiltration location.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Visual Analog Scale Rating	The average Visual Analog Scale (VAS) rating in patients who receive the SCPB during internal jugular venous cannulation versus the average VAS in patients receiving local infiltration. The scale is from 0-10, with 0 meaning no pain and 10 meaning the most pain I have ever experienced.	30 minutes post central line placement

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Complications	To determine if SCPBs are associated with higher complication rates than local infiltration with internal jugular venous cannulation. Complications will be defined as arterial injury, lacerations of the vena cava, mediastinal vessels, and right atrium, hematoma formation, retained guide wire, pulmonary complications including pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, chylothorax, tracheal injury, injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, and air embolus, tracheal injury, arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, device dysfunction, device infection, and venous thrombosis.	Duration of emergency department and inpatient encounter, typically no more than 7 days.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Cleveland Clinic Akron General
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Robert Stenberg, MD, Cleveland Clinic Akron General

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 15, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 20, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): December 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 7, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 14, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): February 23, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 4, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 1, 2025
• Last Verified: April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Pain Management; Superficial Cervical Plexus Block
• Other Study ID Numbers: 21003

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
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No