Active Patient Recruitment

During a visit for day-case surgery, we may approach patients and their families with an opportunity to participate in one of our studies. Click on the study title below for more information.

Have you participated in one of our studies? Follow us on twitter to get updates as it progresses towards completion!

Intra-nasal Dexmedetomidine for children undergoing MRI imaging

Principal Investigator: Dr. Michael Traynor

Short Title: Dexmed MRI 

Background:

Many children undergo general anesthesia for many types of procedures, including MRI, at BCCH each year. It is the aim of every anesthesiologist to make sure that their patient is as comfortable and calm as possible and we use a variety of techniques and medications to achieve this goal.
One particular medicine, called dexmedetomidine, is a useful medication that helps with sedation and recovery. Specifically, it provides sedation without affecting breathing and reduces agitation during waking up. It also reduces shivering, which can happen after some anesthetics. 
Recent studies have shown successful sedation and completion of MRI scans in children of varying age groups using intranasal Dexmedetomidine (IN-dex). However, we do not yet know the optimal dose of IN-dex for older age groups and for children who need a mild to moderate sedation.

Purpose:

We wish to examine whether dexmedetomidine, delivered as a nasal spray, can be used as the sole agent in aiding the successful completion of a MRI scan in children. We also plan to find the optimal dose of IN-dex as the sole agent that provides sedation to help facilitate completion of MRI scans.

Status:

We are currently recruiting 180 participants. 

Dexmed MRI Consent Form

Anesthetic sparing effect of dexmedetomidine during TIVA with propofol and remifentanil for children undergoing dental procedures

Principal Investigator: Dr. Simon Whyte

Short title: Dexmed-PRS 

Background:

Many children undergo general anesthesia for different procedures every year at BCCH. During and after these procedures, the anesthesiologists use a variety of techniques and medications to ensure that their patient is as calm and comfortable as possible. Dexmedetomidine, a regularly utilized anesthetic, is especially useful and helps with many aspects of recovery. Specifically, it provides pain relief while reducing agitation during waking up. It also reduces shivering, which can happen after some anesthetics. It also reduces the use of medication with agents in the morphine family (opioids), which are associated with side-effects like excessive sedation, nausea and vomiting, and decreased breathing.

From clinical experience, using dexmedetomidine also seems to decrease the amount of other anesthetics needed during surgery. However, this has not yet been formally measured.

Purpose:

We wish to examine whether dexmedetomidine allows for a reduction in the amount of other medications required during a procedure. We also hope to quantify this reduction if found.

Status:

We are currently recruiting 88 patients for this study.

Dexmed-PRS Consent Form

Genetic differences in pharmacodynamic safety endpoints with propofol anesthesia in children

Principal Investigator: Dr. Simon Whyte

Short title: Genes2ED50

Background:

Sedation and anesthesia are important parts of care for children undergoing surgery or other procedures or investigations that are painful, uncomfortable, or that require them to lie still for a long time.

Propofol is a drug that is widely used, in this hospital and elsewhere, for sedation and general anesthesia. Propofol has to be given in carefully measured doses as there is only a small difference in the amount required to make somebody unconscious and the amount that will make them stop breathing. There is also a lot of difference between patients in the amount of this drug that is needed to get to these ‘pharmacodynamic endpoints’.

In the past, anesthesiologists have always been the ones to sedate and anesthetize children. But increasing demand means that sedation is now sometimes given by non-anesthesia doctors. Given that different patients need different amounts of propofol to lose consciousness and to stop breathing, its use by a non-anesthesia doctor could cause problems if even a little too much propofol is given to a particular patient.

There are many different reasons why people need different amounts of propofol, but researchers have found that adults with different genetic ancestry can require very different amounts of propofol to lose consciousness or stop breathing. This idea has not been properly studied in children.

Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to investigate the doses of propofol needed to make children (a) become unconscious and (b) stop breathing. Both of these points are normal and desired occurrences when an anesthesiologist is preparing a patient for a procedure.

We also aim to identify genetic differences that will help us to understand why some children need more propofol and some need less. Self reported ancestry will be compared to genomic ancestry to see if this will be a useful measure for physicians planning their care.

Status:

We are currently recruiting 360 patients for this study.

Genes2ED50 Consent Form

Perioperative multimodal analgesia including intravenous lidocaine infusion for pain management following idiopathic scoliosis correction surgery in children

Principal Investigator: Dr. Gillian Lauder

Short title: P-IVLT

Background:

Many adolescents undergo corrective procedures for scoliosis at BCCH each year. It is the aim of every anesthesiologist to make sure that their patient is as comfortable and calm as possible after the surgery and we use a variety of techniques and medications to achieve this goal.

Multimodal analgesia is the name given to the combination of these techniques and medications for pain management. One medication often given as part of this multimodal therapy is opioids (morphine like drugs) that help control pain. Opioids have a number of side effects that get worse as higher doses are used. Reducing the amount of opioids needed by using alternate medications (with fewer side effects) and other non-drug techniques is preferred.

One alternative medication of interest is lidocaine, a common local anesthetic used in many procedures including dental work. Lidocaine can be given as an intravenous (IV) infusion and is useful for its analgesic (decreases pain), anti-inflammatory (decreases inflammation), and anti-hyperalgesic (decreases sensitivity to pain) properties. Some studies have shown that, when compared to placebo (an inactive substance used for comparison), lidocaine given as an infusion along with other medications can reduce the amount of pain that patients experience while recovering from their surgeries.

Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to determine if an IV infusion of lidocaine, started during surgery and continued for 48 hours, will reduce the amount of morphine needed after surgery. We also hope to determine if this improves the ability for scoliosis patients to get moving sooner in recovery.

Status:

We are currently recruiting 48 patients for this study.

P-IVLT Consent Form

Active Studies

In addition to studies which actively recruit patients, PART also works on a number of other projects from audits and databases to quality assurance and improvement initiatives.