Pre-emptive Analgesia With Qutenza in Lower Limb Amputation
Status:
Unknown status
Trial end date:
2014-05-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Neuropathic (nerve pain) following amputation of a limb is very common, affecting 60-80% of
patients (Sherman et al, 1984). It can prolong their recovery making it difficult to fit
protheses and mobilise. Current treatment options are limited and existing painkillers have
significant side effects. Nevertheless there is some evidence that pre-emptive analgesia
(pain relief provided prior to the surgery) has additional benefits after the surgery
(Ypsilantis & Tang, 2010) Qutenza (topical capsaicin 8%)is a novel analgesic agent which is
applied directly onto the skin. It works by desensitising to pain receptors in the skin
(Nolano et al., 1999) and has been shown to be effective in reducing neuropathic pain in
other conditions (Backonja et al., 2008) We propose to evaluate the use of Qutenza for
pre-emptive analgesia in patients undergoing amputation of a limb. This is a small, pilot,
randomised controlled study of 30 patients undergoing lower limb amputation who will have
Qutenza or active control applied prior to surgery. They will be followed up for 12 weeks
post-operatively with regular assessment of pain scores, quality of life and wound healing.