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Two drugs, one nerve block: which keeps rib fracture pain away longer?

NCT ID NCT07827157

Symptom relief Sponsor: Assiut University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026

Summary

Traumatic rib fractures cause severe chest pain that makes breathing and coughing difficult. This trial compares two versions of an ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block, a nerve block that numbs the chest wall. Adults with recent rib fractures receive bupivacaine plus either dexmedetomidine or dexamethasone. Researchers measure how long pain relief lasts, pain scores, opioid use, and breathing over 24 hours.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone added to bupivacaine for a nerve block
What this could lead to
If one add-on drug works better, doctors could use it to give longer pain relief from a single nerve block, helping patients breathe and cough with less opioid medication.
What could go wrong
This is a single-center study of 100 people, so results may not apply to everyone with rib fractures. Nerve blocks can fail or cause temporary numbness, and the add-on drugs have their own side effects.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 2/3

Runs two stages together: whether the treatment works, then large-scale confirmation.

Participants

About 100 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Oct 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Nov 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Adult patients aged 18 to 65 years * Both sexes * American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-II * Acute traumatic rib fractures confirmed by appropriate imaging * Flail-chest patients who are hemodynamically and respiratory stable to undergo erector spinae plane block (ESPB) and reliable assessment * Spontaneously breathing patients or patients receiving supplemental oxygen/non-invasive respiratory support without an immediate indication for intubation * Ability to report pain using a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) * Presentation within 24 hours of trauma * Ability to provide written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Patient refusal to participate * Immediate need for endotracheal intubation or invasive mechanical ventilation prior to randomization or block placement * Hemodynamic instability requiring immediate resuscitation or vasopressor support precluding safe regional anesthesia * Cardiorespiratory arrest or peri-arrest status * Severe associated traumatic brain injury or other injuries preventing reliable clinical evaluation * Major associated injury requiring immediate emergency operative or interventional procedures that prevent protocol completion * Coagulopathy or any contraindication to regional anesthesia * Local infection at the anticipated block needle insertion site * Known allergy to amide local anesthetics, dexmedetomidine, or dexamethasone * Significant bradyarrhythmia, high-grade atrioventricular block, or contraindication to dexmedetomidine * Chronic opioid consumption or chronic pain syndromes requiring regular analgesic therapy * Prior regional anesthesia performed for the current trauma * Inability to cooperate with the procedure or pain evaluation

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Acute Pain Rib Fractures

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Acute pain Rib fractures Thoracic trauma

How to take part

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  1. The official record

    The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.

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  2. A doctor treating you

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