A Prospective Comparison of Pain and Analgesia in Patients With Continuous Peripheral Nerve Block Catheters Using Continuous Infusion or Scheduled Bolus Infusion

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are comparing two methods of delivering local anesthetic through peripheral nerve block catheters to manage pain after surgery. This study focuses on continuous infusions versus scheduled bolus infusions of the anesthetic medication Ropivacaine. The goal is to evaluate how these methods affect post-surgical pain, opioid use, recovery quality, and patient satisfaction. The study includes three groups based on different nerve block sites: interscalene, adductor canal, and infraclavicular. Participants will receive either a continuous basal rate of Ropivacaine or scheduled intermittent boluses of the same medication via catheters placed at the nerve block sites. Each group will have 60 patients enrolled, and the treatments are randomly assigned. The study is triple-masked to ensure unbiased results. The use of catheters aims to extend pain relief well into the first few days after surgery. During the study, participants' pain levels will be monitored on post-operative days 0, 1, and 2. Researchers will also track opioid consumption, local anesthetic use, signs of diaphragmatic paralysis, recovery quality, and patient satisfaction during these days. The study is designed to closely observe and compare the effects of the two infusion methods on pain management and recovery after surgery, with a total study duration extending through the early post-operative period.

Continuous Infusions vs Scheduled Bolus Infusions