Dexmedetomidine-esketamine-ropivacaine Versus Sufentanil-ropivacaine for Epidural Labor Analgesia

Sufentanil-ropivacaine combination is commonly used for epidural labor anesthesia, but is associated with some adverse events. Dexmedetomidine and esketamine, each has been effectively used for neuraxial anesthesia in combination with local anesthetics. Plenty of evidences show that both dexmedetomidine and esketamine, combined with ropivacaine, are also effective as the sufentanil-ropivacaine combination when used for epidural labor analgesia. This pilot trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the dexmedetomidine-esketamine-ropivacaine versus sufentanil-ropivacaine combination for epidural labor analgesia, and to test the feasibility of a future large randomized trial.

NCT Number	NCT07145775
Lead Sponsor	Peking University First Hospital
Conditions	Epidural Analgesia, Labor Pain, Sufentanil, Dexmedetomidine, Esketamine, Ropivacaine
Enrollment	300 participants
Start Date	2025-09-05
Primary Completion	2026-01-29 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-03-13 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-04-13