Dexmedetomidine and esketamine given around surgery to improve recovery after general anesthesia

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This is a single-center, phase 4, randomized 2x2 factorial trial at Peking University First Hospital assigning adults undergoing general anesthesia to receive dexmedetomidine, esketamine, both, or placebo during the perioperative period. The primary outcome is patient-reported quality of recovery (QoR), a multidimensional measure including pain, sleep quality, cognitive function, and emotional stability, with additional measures such as opioid consumption and adverse events. Eligible participants are adults scheduled for surgeries of at least one hour who will use postoperative patient-controlled intravenous analgesia, while patients with significant cardiac conduction disease, severe organ dysfunction, intracranial disease, or certain neuropsychiatric disorders are excluded. The trial compares the independent and combined effects of the two drugs to see if either or both improve overall postoperative recovery.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Aged 18 years or over;
* Scheduled to undergo surgery under general anesthesia, with an expected surgical duration of at least 1 hour;
* Required patient-controlled intravenous analgesia after surgery.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Unable to communicate preoperatively due to visual, auditory, or verbal barriers or other reasons;
* Severe bradycardia (heart rate \<50 bpm), sick sinus syndrome, or grade 2 or higher atrioventricular block without pacemaker;
* History of hyperthyroidism or pheochromocytoma;
* History of schizophrenia, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, myasthenia gravis, or intracranial hypertension;
* Intracranial tumor or neurosurgery;
* Severe liver dysfunction (Child-Pugh class C), renal failure (requiring renal replacement therapy), or American Society of Anesthesiologists class IV or higher;
* Enrolled in other clinical studies.

Where it's running

• Peking University First Hospital
  Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Dong-Xin Wang, MD, PhD — Peking University First Hospital
• Study coordinator: Dong-Xin Wang, MD, PhD
• Email: wangdongxin@hotmail.com
• Phone: 8610 83572784

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.