A needle in the neck to shock the heart back to life?
NCT ID NCT04168970
First seen Aug 12, 2026 · Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether injecting a local anesthetic into a nerve cluster in the neck—called a stellate ganglion block—can help stop dangerous heart rhythms in people who suffer a cardiac arrest outside a hospital. The study includes adults whose heart stops with a shockable rhythm that does not respond to repeated defibrillator shocks. Researchers will measure whether the procedure terminates the abnormal rhythm and restores a normal heartbeat, comparing outcomes to historical cases.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Percutaneous stellate ganglion block: an injection of local anesthetic (lidocaine) into the neck to calm overactive heart nerves during cardiac arrest.
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this quick nerve-block procedure could become a rescue tool for emergency teams, potentially stopping fatal heart rhythms and saving more lives from cardiac arrest.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small observational study, so results may not apply broadly. The procedure carries risks like bleeding or nerve damage, and it is unclear if it will improve survival compared to standard care.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo
Pavia, Pavia, 27100, Italy
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Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo
Pavia, PV, 27100, Italy
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can emergency response predict heart restart? a new study investigates
- Can big data unlock the secrets of cardiac arrest survival?
- Double shocks: could two defibrillators save more cardiac arrest patients?
- AI measures muscle to predict cardiac arrest recovery
- Could a Heart-Lung machine at the scene of a cardiac arrest double survival?