The Swedish study of Irrigation-fluid temperature in the evacuation of Chronic subdural hematoma (SIC!): study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) is one of the most common conditions encountered in neurosurgical practice. Recurrence, observed in 5–30% of patients, is a major clinical problem. The temperature of the irrigation fluid used during evacuation of the hematoma might theoretically influence recurrence rates since irrigation fluid at body temperature (37 (o)C) may beneficially influence coagulation and cSDH solubility when compared to irrigation fluid at room temperature. Should no difference in recurrence rates be observed when comparing irrigation-fluid temperatures, there is no need for warmed fluids during surgery. Our main aim is to investigate the effect of irrigation-fluid temperature on recurrence rates and clinical outcomes after cSDH evacuation using a multicenter randomized controlled trial design. METHODS: The study will be conducted in three neurosurgical departments with population-based catchment areas using a similar surgical strategy. In total, 600 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria will randomly be assigned to either intraoperative irrigation with fluid at body temperature or room temperature. The power calculation is based on a retrospective study performed at our department showing a recurrence rate of 5% versus 12% when comparing irrigation fluid at body temperature versus fluid at room temperature (unpublished data). The primary endpoint is recurrence rate of cSDH analyzed at 6 months post treatment. Secondary endpoints are mortality rate, complications and health-related quality of life. DISCUSSION: Irrigation-fluid temperature might influence recurrence rates in the evacuation of chronic subdural hematomas. We present a study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial investigating our hypothesis that irrigation fluid at body temperature is superior to room temperature in reducing recurrence rates following evacuation of cSDH. TRIALS REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02757235. Registered on 2 May 2016. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-017-2194-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.