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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT02285634

The Effect of Intranasal Vasoconstrictor Medications on Hemodynamic Parameters: A Randomized Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial.

Nosebleeds (epistaxis) are a frequent cause of emergency department visits, reportedly inciting 1 in 200 visits. They are most common in those less than ten and older than seventy, often occurring in the winter months secondary to dry indoor heating. Epistaxis is associated with elevated blood pressures, but it is controversial whether hypertension is actual a contributing cause.

In non-life-threatening epistaxis, the first step in management is commonly the application of a topical vasoconstrictive medication. In many cases this will lead to cessation of the bleeding or facilitate the exam in those that continue to bleed. Frequently used medications include phenylephrine, oxymetazoline, and lidocaine with epinephrine.

Classic teaching has been to avoid the use of these medications in patients with elevated blood pressures due to concerns of inducing hypertensive crisis. Strict avoidance of topical vasoconstrictors in this patient group with epistaxis severely limits the treatment options for a many patients given the association between the two conditions.

Though universally taught, the actual effect of these agents on blood pressure remains unquantified. Studies investigating the prevention of nose bleeding during nasotracheal intubations suggest that the effect might be minor with little variation between agents.

Clinical question:

What is the effect of commonly used intranasal vasoconstrictors on blood pressure in volunteers without a history of hypertension.

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Key information

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Healthy volunteers over the age of eighteen that have been recently dismissed from the Emergency Department at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus.
  • We will recruit a convenience sample of 100 patients from the Emergency Department who have completed their Emergency Department evaluation and treatment and are being discharged to home with non-painful conditions.

Exclusion criteria

  • We will exclude persons under the age of eighteen
  • Vulnerable populations (pregnant patients and prisoners)
  • Those with an allergy to any of the study agents
  • Those with acute pain
  • Those using antihypertensive or antiarrhythmic agents
  • Those with significant cardiopulmonary comorbidities (namely history of arrhythmia, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and heart failure)
  • Those with concomitant use of Monoamine oxidase A (MAO) Inhibitors
  • Those with a diagnosis of angle closure glaucoma or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
  • Those with a history of cerebrovascular disease
  • As well as those with a history of previous nasal surgery or known nasal anatomic abnormalities.

Treatment and study plan

Oxymetazoline 0.05%

Drug

sterile gauze soaked in 5 milliliters (mL) of Oxymetazoline 0.05% into one nostril and placement of a nasal clamp. The nasal clamp and medication will be removed after 15 minutes.

Phenylephrine 0.25%

Drug

sterile gauze soaked in 5 milliliters (mL) of Phenylephrine 0.25% into one nostril and placement of a nasal clamp. The nasal clamp and medication will be removed after 15 minutes.

Lidocaine 1% plus epinephrine 1:100,000

Drug

sterile gauze soaked in 5 milliliters (mL) of Lidocaine 1% plus epinephrine 1:100,000 into one nostril and placement of a nasal clamp. The nasal clamp and medication will be removed after 15 minutes.

Bacteriostatic 0.9% NaCL

Drug

sterile gauze soaked in 5 milliliters (mL) of Bacteriostatic 0.9% NaCL into one nostril and placement of a nasal clamp. The nasal clamp and medication will be removed after 15 minutes.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Mean Arterial Blood Pressure

    Time frame: baseline, 30 minutes

    Change in mean arterial blood pressure from the baseline measurement

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in Systolic Blood Pressure

    Time frame: baseline, 30 minutes

    Change from baseline in systolic blood pressure.

  2. Change in Diastolic Blood Pressure

    Time frame: baseline, 30 minutes

    Change from baseline in diastolic blood pressure.

  3. Change in Heart Rate

    Time frame: baseline, 30 minutes

    Change from baseline in heart rate.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Mayo Clinic

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2014
Primary completion
2016
Study completion
2017
First posted
Nov 7, 2014
Registry last updated
Oct 2, 2018

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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