Lidocaine Patches in Elderly Patients With Traumatic Rib Fractures
Status:
Not yet recruiting
Trial end date:
2024-11-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Many patients are prescribed lidocaine patches for rib fractures despite mixed evidence to
their efficacy. The outcome of this trial offers significant benefit to patient care if it
finds benefit of their use or if it does not. Reducing opioid use and increasing functional
outcomes in geriatric patient suffering rib fractures can improve quality of life and ability
to return to prior levels of function. Limiting the need for opioid prescriptions dispensed
in the community, particularly to vulnerable geriatric individuals, is also a key aspect in
curbing the opioid epidemic. However, even if no difference is found, it would support
stopping the use of lidocaine patches in this population as a waste of money and resources.
The novel approach of adding the 3rd arm to assess for placebo effect will also carry
clinical value, as a placebo effect that reduces opioid use may in fact be enough to support
continued use of the products given their overall low side effect risk profile compared to
opioids and other pain control medications.