Recruiting
Phase 2
Phase 3

Transnasal Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block

Sponsor:

UCLA

Code:

NCT06621329

Conditions

SAH (Subarachnoid Hemorrhage)

Headache

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Transnasal sphenopalatine ganglion block

Study Details

Brief summary:

The study titled \"Transnasal sphenopalatine ganglion block for treatment of acute subarachnoid hemorrhage associated headache\" is a randomized controlled pilot study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of a transnasal sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) block in addition to standard pain medication for reducing headache severity in patients with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). The study also examines whether this intervention can reduce opioid requirements during hospitalization and upon discharge.

Conditions

SAH (Subarachnoid Hemorrhage)

Headache

Study ID

NCT06621329

Start date

Oct 17, 2024

Status verified date

Aug, 2026

Completion date

Oct, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jul, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Acute subarachnoid hemorrhage
  • Age greater than 18 years
  • Secured aneurysm
  • Patient can verbalize pain score to clinician, nurse, medical translator, or surrogate decision
  • maker
  • Patient or surrogate decision maker is available to consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Less than 18 years old
  • Unsecured aneurysm
  • Pregnant or lactating
  • Prisoner
  • Unable to verbalize pain score to clinician, nurse, medical translator, or surrogate decision maker
  • Nasal or facial trauma or surgery within the last three months
  • Allergy to lidocaine, bupivacaine, or dexamethasone
  • Patient is unable to consent and no available surrogate decision maker

Study Design

Enrollment

40 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

no intervention: Standard of Care Medications for Headache

Control arm participants will receive standard of care medications, as defined in a headache protocol, to treat subarachnoid associated headache.

experimental: Transnasal SPG Block and Standard of Care Medications

Intervention arm participants will receive standard of care medications, as defined in a headache protocol, with the addition of transnasal SPG blocks when a predefined threshold is met per the study protocol.

Interventions

Transnasal sphenopalatine ganglion block

Transnasal sphenopalatine ganglion blocks will be performed using the Tx360 device. Medications used during the procedure include 0.75% bupivacaine with or without 1 mg of preservative free dexamethasone.

Primary outcome measure

  • Numerical pain rating scale [ Time Frame: From enrollment until ICU discharge, up to 14 days ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Janice Wang-Polagruto, PhD, CCRP

916-551-3244jfwang@ucdavis.edu

Ryan Martin, MD

916-734-4300rymartin@ucdavis.edu

Locations

UC Davis Medical Center

Recruiting

Sacramento, California, United States, 95817

Contacts

Christine Picinich, AGACNP-BC, MS

7075368452cpicinich@ucdavis.edu

Principal Investigator:

Christine Picinich, AGACNP-BC, MS

More Information

Sponsor

University of California, Davis

Last update posted

Aug 18, 2026

Last verified

Aug, 2026

Keywords

  • aSAH
  • peripheral nerve block
  • sphenopalatine ganglion
  • subarachnoid hemorrhage
  • headache

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of California, Davis on 2026-08-18.