Dexamethasone, Flurbiprofen Axetil and Delirium After Lung Cancer Surgery

Overview

Delirium is a common complication in elderly patients after surgery. And its occurrence is associated with worse outcomes. The causes of delirium are multifactorial but may include pain, stress response and inflammation. Dexamethasone is commonly used to prevent the occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting. In a randomized controlled trial, small-dose dexamethasone (8 mg) administered before anesthesia induction improved the quality of recovery in patients after cardiac surgery. Flurbiprofen axetil is commonly used to improve postoperative analgesia while decreasing the requirement of opioids. In a randomized trial of the investigators, combined use of flurbiprofen axetil with sufentanil for postoperative analgesia reduced delirium in elderly patients after orthopedic surgery. The purpose of this 2 plus 2 factorial randomized controlled trial is to test the hypothesis that combined use of dexamethasone and flurbiprofen axetil may reduce delirium in elderly patients after lung cancer surgery.

Full Title of Study: “Impact of Perioperative Dexamethasone and Flurbiprofen Axetil on Delirium After Surgery for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A 2×2 Factorial Randomized Controlled Trial”

Study Type

  • Study Type: Interventional
  • Study Design
    • Allocation: Randomized
    • Intervention Model: Factorial Assignment
    • Primary Purpose: Prevention
    • Masking: Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
  • Study Primary Completion Date: December 26, 2018

Detailed Description

Delirium is an acutely occurred, transient and fluctuating central nervous system dysfunction which is characterized by cognitive dysfunction, decreased level of consciousness, decentralized attention, and/or disturbed perception. It is a common complication in elderly patients after surgery. Systematic reviews showed that 5% to 54.4% of patients developed delirium after noncardiac surgery, and the incidences increase with age. The development of postoperative delirium is associated with worse outcomes. For example, patients with delirium had increased postoperative complications, prolonged hospital stay, and increased in-hospital mortality; they also had worse long-term outcomes, including declined cognitive function, decreased quality of life, and increased post-hospital mortality. The causes of delirium are multifactorial and may include pain, stress response and inflammation. Studies showed that postoperative pain is an important risk factor of delirium, whereas good postoperative analgesia reduces the incidence of delirium. Furthermore, the studies found that surgery related inflammatory response also plays an important role in the development of delirium. However, measures that can effectively prevent the occurrence of postoperative delirium are still lacking. Dexamethasone is commonly used to prevent the occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting. In a randomized controlled trial, small-dose dexamethasone (8 mg) administered before anesthesia induction improved the quality of recovery in patients after cardiac surgery. Flurbiprofen axetil is commonly used to improve postoperative analgesia while decreasing the requirement of opioids. In a randomized trial of the investigators, combined use of flurbiprofen axetil with sufentanil for postoperative analgesia reduced delirium in elderly patients after orthopedic surgery. The purpose of this 2 plus 2 factorial randomized controlled trial is to test the hypothesis that combined use of dexamethasone and flurbiprofen axetil may reduce delirium in elderly patients after lung cancer surgery.

Interventions

  • Drug: Dexamethasone
    • Dexamethasone 10 mg is administered before anesthesia induction.
  • Drug: Normal saline
    • Normal saline 2 ml is administered before anesthesia induction.
  • Drug: Flurbiprofen axetil
    • Flurbiprofen axetil 50 mg is administered before the start of surgery. Postoperative analgesia is provided with a patient-controlled analgesia pump, which is established with 100 ml of 1.25 μg/ml sufentanil and 2 mg/ml flurbiprofen axetil, programmed to deliver a 2 ml bolus with a lockout interval of 6-8 min and a background infusion of 1 ml/h.
  • Drug: Lipid microsphere
    • Lipid microsphere 5 ml is administered before the start of surgery. Postoperative analgesia is provided with a patient-controlled analgesia pump, which is established with 100 ml of 1.25 μg/ml sufentanil and 20 ml lipid microsphere, programmed to deliver a 2 ml bolus with a lockout interval of 6-8 min and a background infusion of 1 ml/h.

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

  • Experimental: Dexamethasone and flurbiprofen axetil
    • Dexamethasone 10 mg is administered before anesthesia induction. Flurbiprofen axetil 50 mg is administered before the start of surgery. Postoperative analgesia is provided with a patient-controlled analgesia pump, which is established with 100 ml of 1.25 μg/ml sufentanil and 2 mg/ml flurbiprofen axetil, programmed to deliver a 2 ml bolus with a lockout interval of 6-8 min and a background infusion of 1 ml/h.
  • Experimental: Dexamethasone and lipid microsphere
    • Dexamethasone 10 mg is administered before anesthesia induction. Lipid microsphere 5 ml is administered before the start of surgery. Postoperative analgesia is provided with a patient-controlled analgesia pump, which is established with 100 ml of 1.25 μg/ml sufentanil and 20 ml lipid microsphere, programmed to deliver a 2 ml bolus with a lockout interval of 6-8 min and a background infusion of 1 ml/h.
  • Experimental: Normal saline and flurbiprofen axetil
    • Normal saline 2 ml is administered before anesthesia induction. Flurbiprofen axetil 50 mg is administered before the start of surgery. Postoperative analgesia is provided with a patient-controlled analgesia pump, which is established with 100 ml of 1.25 μg/ml sufentanil and 2 mg/ml flurbiprofen axetil, programmed to deliver a 2 ml bolus with a lockout interval of 6-8 min and a background infusion of 1 ml/h.
  • Experimental: Normal saline and lipid microsphere
    • Normal saline 2 ml is administered before anesthesia induction. Lipid microsphere 5 ml is administered before the start of surgery. Postoperative analgesia is provided with a patient-controlled analgesia pump, which is established with 100 ml of 1.25 μg sufentanil and 20 ml lipid microsphere, programmed to deliver a 2 ml bolus with a lockout interval of 6-8 min and a background infusion of 1 ml/h.

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

  • Incidence of delirium during the first five postoperative days.
    • Time Frame: From postoperative day 1 to postoperative day 5.
    • Delirium is assessed twice daily with the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU).

Secondary Measures

  • Daily prevalence of delirium during the first five days after surgery.
    • Time Frame: From postoperative day 1 to postoperative day 5.
    • Delirium is assessed twice daily with the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU).
  • Length of stay in hospital after surgery.
    • Time Frame: From end of surgery until hospital discharge or 30 days after surgery.
    • Length of stay in hospital after surgery.
  • Incidence of postoperative complications within 30 days after surgery.
    • Time Frame: From end of surgery until 30 days after surgery.
    • Incidence of postoperative complications within 30 days after surgery.
  • All-cause mortality within 30 days after surgery.
    • Time Frame: From end of surgery until 30 days after surgery.
    • All-cause mortality within 30 days after surgery.
  • Cognitive function at 30 days after surgery.
    • Time Frame: At 30 days after surgery.
    • Cognitive function is assessed with Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-Modified (TICS-m)
  • Quality of life at 30 days after surgery.
    • Time Frame: At 30 days after surgery.
    • Quality of life is assessed with the World Health Organization Quality of Life-short version (WHOQOL-Bref).

Participating in This Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria

1. Age from 18 to 85 years old; 2. Diagnose as non-small-cell lung cancer (stage IA-IIIA); 3. Plan to undergo surgical resection; 4. Provide written informed consents. Exclusion Criteria:

1. Clinical evidences suggest remote metastasis of the primary cancer; have received radiotherapy, chemotherapy or targeted therapy before surgery; have received previous surgery for lung cancer; diagnosed with other cancer (other than lung cancer) currently or previously; 2. History of therapy with glucocorticoids or immunosuppressants within 1 year, or therapy with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) within 1 month; 3. Allergy to glucocorticoids or NSAIDs; 4. Contraindications to dexamethasone or flurbiprofen axetil, such as asthma or hives urticaria induced by aspirin or other NSAIDs; active digestive tract ulcer or bleeding, or history of repeated digestive tract ulcer or bleeding; coagulopathy (platelet count < 50*10^9/L, International Normalized Ratio > 1.4, or activated partial thromboplastin time > 4 seconds above upper limit); current therapy with lomefloxacin, norfloxacin, or enoxacin; severe cardiac dysfunction (New York heart association class 3 or above, or Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction less than 30%) or myocardial infarction within 3 months; liver injury (transaminase higher than 2 times of upper limit); kidney injury (creatinine higher than 1.5 times of upper limit); uncontrolled severe hypertension before surgery (> 180/120 mmHg); 5. American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status class IV or higher; 6. Refuse to use patient-controlled analgesia pump after surgery; 7. Other conditions that are considered unsuitable for study participation.

Gender Eligibility: All

Minimum Age: 18 Years

Maximum Age: 85 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: No

Investigator Details

  • Lead Sponsor
    • Peking University First Hospital
  • Collaborator
    • Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute
  • Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
    • Principal Investigator: Dong-Xin Wang, Professor and Chairman, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine – Peking University First Hospital
  • Overall Official(s)
    • Dong-xin Wang, Wang, Principal Investigator, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University First Hospital

References

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