Adding dexmedetomidine to bupivacaine for a dural‑puncture epidural in labor
Official title: The Effect of Different Doses of Dexmedetomidine as an Adjuvant to Bupivacaine for Parturients Having Dural Puncture Epidural Technique to Elaborate Labor Pain
Run by Menoufia University · NCT07506044 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial tests whether adding small doses of dexmedetomidine to epidural bupivacaine during a dural‑puncture technique reduces the total bupivacaine needed and improves pain control for women in active labor.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 40 Years |
| Sex | Women only |
| Enrollment | 140 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Menoufia University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Shebeen El Kom) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | May 30, 2026 |
| Main results expected | October 1, 2026 |
| Study ends | October 30, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | August 13, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07506044 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Women in active labor (cervical dilation about 3–5 cm) with a normally positioned singleton fetus, intact membranes, and no exclusion criteria are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
People with abnormal fetal presentation or lie, premature rupture of membranes, maternal fever, fetal distress, pregnancy‑induced diseases, abnormal placental position, ASA grade > II, marked obesity, drug allergies, spinal deformity, or infection at the injection site would not be appropriate and are unlikely to benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Pregnant women in active labor who meet inclusion criteria receive a dural‑puncture epidural and are given bupivacaine with or without added dexmedetomidine at two different doses. The primary outcome is the total bupivacaine dose used during labor. Secondary outcomes include pain scores (VAS), number of additional doses given, incidence of motor block, delivery mode, maternal satisfaction, and complications such as hypotension, fetal bradycardia, and epidural‑related fever. The protocol compares groups receiving dexmedetomidine 0.4, dexmedetomidine 0.6, and standard bupivacaine management to see if the adjuvant reduces drug use or improves clinical outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, adding dexmedetomidine could lower the total bupivacaine needed during labor and improve pain control with similar or fewer side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Previous neuraxial anesthesia studies have shown that dexmedetomidine can have analgesic‑sparing effects, but its specific use with dural‑puncture epidural for labor is less well established.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Women who attend the Emergency Department in labor, with cervical dilation of 3-5 cm, * normally presented singleton fetus, intact fetal membranes, and who are free of exclusion criteria Exclusion Criteria: Abnormal fetal presentation or lie, 'premature rupture of membranes, maternal fever, fetal distress, pregnancy-induced diseases * abnormal placental position, * ASA grade\>II * marked obesity, * allergy or contraindications to the used drugs, * spinal deformity or disorders 'cutaneous diseases or infection at the injection site
Where it's running
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Faculty of Medicine Menoufia University
Shebeen El Kom, Egypt Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Rabab Habeeb, MD
- Email: rabab_habeeb@med.menofia.edu.eg
- Phone: +201001970973
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.