Clinical trial · Interventional
The Erector Spinae Plane Block For Gastrointestinal Malignancy Pain Treatment (EGIPT)
Efficacy of the Erector Spinae Plane Block for Abdominal Pain From Gastrointestinal Malignancies
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
This study will target patients with gastrointestinal (GI) malignancy who present to any of 4 Penn Medicine emergency departments (EDs) with intractable abdominal pain. We will offer eligible patients an erector spinae plane block (ESPB), a regional anesthesia technique which is already offered to such patients in the ED at the University of Pennsylvania Healthy System (UPHS), for their intractable abdominal pain. We will compare the outcomes of this prospective cohort of patients to a matched historical control of patients with GI malignancy who were treated in the ED during the same time period as recruitment, but who were not recruited to partake in the study and who were managed with standard of care. Opioid consumption as measured by total milligram morphine equivalents (MMEs) over a 24-hour period and hospital length of stay (LOS) will be compared between cohorts. Additionally, for the ESPB cohort, pain level pre/post ESPB, and functionality and satisfaction with pain management at 24 hours will also be examined.
Conditions
Conditions (2)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gastrointestinal Malignancy | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Pain Control | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erector Spinae Plane Block | Procedure | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (1)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Treatment Arm -- Erector Spinae Plane Block
- description
- Patients with gastrointestinal malignancy and abdominal pain will receive the erector spinae plane block for their abdominal pain.
- interventionNames
- Procedure: Erector Spinae Plane Block
Primary outcomes (2)
- measure
- Opioid Consumption
- timeFrame
- 24 hours
- description
- We will track the amount of opioids consumed within 24 hours by patients who received the erector spinae plane block
- measure
- Opioid Consumption
- timeFrame
- 24 hours
- description
- We will track the amount of opioids consumed within 24 hours by participants who receive the erector spinae plane block.
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Patients age \> 18 years old with GI malignancy presenting to a Penn Medicine ED with intractable abdominal pain. 2. Same-day or recent CT scan of the abdomen / pelvis which demonstrates that the patient's abdominal pain can be reasonably attributed to a malignant source. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Allergy to ropivacaine or history of local anesthetic systemic toxicity. 2. Pregnancy 3. Incarcerated 4. Patients being admitted for serial abdominal examinations to determine their surgical course. 5. Altered mental status or inability for patient to consent for the procedure 6. Hemodynamic instability 7. Previously enrolled in the study
References
Publications (2)
- BACKGROUNDGawel RJ, Kramer JA, Shalaby M. Ultrasound-Guided Erector Spinae Plane Block for Breakthrough Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Malignancy Pain in the Emergency Department: A Case Series. Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med. 2025 May;9(2):129-133. doi: 10.5811/cpcem.39723. PMID 40402045
- BACKGROUNDForero M, Adhikary SD, Lopez H, Tsui C, Chin KJ. The Erector Spinae Plane Block: A Novel Analgesic Technique in Thoracic Neuropathic Pain. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2016 Sep-Oct;41(5):621-7. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0000000000000451. PMID 27501016