Emergence agitation is a clinical condition in which the child experiences a variety of behavioural disturbances including crying, thrashing, and disorientation during early awakening from anaesthesia. Emergence agitation is a common challenge in children with a reported incidence of approximately 25% ranging from 10 to 80 %. Clonidine is often used off-label in paediatric anaesthesia e.g. sedation in the intensive care unit, prevention of withdrawal symptoms after long-term sedation, as premedication before induction of anaesthesia or as treatment/prevention of emergence agitation. The study is designed as a randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating efficacy and safety of a single dose of intraoperative clonidine in children 3-12 months, including pharmacokinetics.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
336
Clonidine injection 3 mcg/kg once
Sodium chloride 0.9 % injection 0.2 mL/kg once
Perth Children's Hospital, Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine
Perth, Nedlands, Australia
RECRUITINGCopenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet
Copenhagen, Denmark
RECRUITINGIncidence of emergence agitation during stay in postanaesthetic care unit (PACU)
Participants will be assessed on Watcha scale (1=calm, 4=agitated and thrashing around) every 15 minutes from arrival to PACU till discharge therefrom. Emergence agitation is defined dichotomously as Yes/No, Yes being if any Watcha score \>2.
Time frame: From admission to PACU to discharge from PACU, up to app. 4 hours. Emergence agitation is considered present ("Yes"), if Watcha score>2 at ANY time point within the given time frame.
Compartmental clearance for pharmacokinetic profiling.
Pharmacokinetic sampling will be performed in 1 mL EDTA tubes and analysed for clonidine plasma concentration in migrog/L
Time frame: Samples will be collected at baseline and at 5, 15, 30, and 60 minutes post dosage and just prior prior to removal of iv-access ie., at latest 120-240 min post dosage.
Volume of distribution for pharmacokinetic profiling.
Pharmacokinetic sampling will be performed in 1 mL EDTA tubes and analysed for clonidine plasma concentration in migrog/L
Time frame: Samples will be collected at baseline and at 5, 15, 30, and 60 minutes post dosage and just prior prior to removal of iv-access ie., at latest 120-240 min post dosage.
T1/2 for pharmacokinetic profiling.
Pharmacokinetic sampling will be performed in 1 mL EDTA tubes and analysed for clonidine plasma concentration in migrog/L
Time frame: Samples will be collected at baseline and at 5, 15, 30, and 60 minutes post dosage and just prior prior to removal of iv-access ie., at latest 120-240 min post dosage.
Proportion of participants with postoperative pain
Participants will be assessed on Faces Legs Activity Cry Consolability (FLACC) scale every 15 minutes from arrival to PACU till discharge therefrom. Postoperative pain is defined as any FLACC score \> 3 during PACU stay.
Time frame: From admission to PACU to discharge from PACU, up to app. 4 hours.
Proportion of participants with Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV)
Participants will be assessed for PONV every 15 minutes during PACU stay. No validated scale for assessment of PONV exists in this age group and PONV will be assessed by dichotomously as "Yes" or "No". While vomiting is obvious, nausea may be considered if participant refuses to eat and other causes are ruled out.
Time frame: From admission to PACU to discharge from PACU, up to app. 4 hours.
Safety and tolerability of clonidine in infants 3-12 months of age: proportion of participants with adverse events of clinical interest
Composite outcome combining as assessed by investigator for each participant any clinically relevant hypotension (ie., necessitating intervention), clinically relevant bradycardia (ie., necessitating intervention), clinically relevant apnoea (ie., unexplained cessation of breathing for 20 seconds or longer, or a shorter respiratory pause associated with bradycardia, cyanosis, and/or marked hypotonia).
Time frame: From administration of intervention through end of anaesthesia and PACU stay (up to app. 4 hours). Supplemental Adverse Event follow-up at 24 hours, 48 hours in case of ongoing adverse events and at 30 days post-intervention.
Mean sedation level in PACU
Participants will be assessed for alertness on the University of Michigan Sedation Scale (UMSS) every 15 minutes during PACU stay.
Time frame: From admission to PACU to discharge from PACU, up to app. 4 hours.
Mean amount of additional opioid administered in PACU
The opioid sparing effect will be evaluated by assessing the amount of additional opioid administered to each participant for postoperative pain during the PACU stay calculated as morphine equivalents.
Time frame: From admission to PACU to discharge from PACU, up to app. 4 hours.
Mean time to administration of opioid i PACU
Time in minutes to first administration of opioid will be assessed for each participant during PACU stay.
Time frame: From admission to PACU to discharge from PACU, up to app. 4 hours.
Mean time to postoperative feeding/oral intake
Time in minutes from administration of intervention to first time point at which participant is eating during PACU stay, evaluated every 15 minutes.
Time frame: From admission to PACU to discharge from PACU, up to app. 4 hours.
Mean time to awakening
Time in minutes from administration of intervention to time point at which participant is awake in PACU, evaluated every 15 minutes. If child is not awake 2 hours after arrival, an awakening attempt will be initiated.
Time frame: From admission to PACU to discharge from PACU, up to app. 4 hours.
Mean time to discharge readiness
Time in hours from arrival in PACU to time point at which participant fulfills local PACU discharge criteria as judged by physician, evaluated every 15 minutes.
Time frame: From admission to PACU to discharge from PACU, up to app. 4 hours.
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