About this trial
Pain is common in children presenting to the emergency department but is frequently undertreated, leading to both short- and long-term consequences. Morphine is the standard treatment for children with moderate to severe acute pain, but its use is associated with serious side effects and caregiver and clinician concerns related to opioid administration. The investigators aim to determine if sub-dissociative ketamine is non-inferior to morphine for treating acute pain and a preferable alternative for treating acute pain in children because of its more favorable side effect profile and potential long-term benefits related to pain-related function, analgesic use/misuse, and mental and behavioral health outcomes.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Abdominal pain or isolated long-bone extremity fracture (suspected or proven)
Self-reported pain score of ≥ 6/10
Requires IV morphine for analgesia as determined by the treating physician
Disqualifiers
Weight > 82.4 kg
Known allergy/contraindication to morphine or ketamine
Antecedent receipt of ketamine related to presenting complaint
Inability to use self-report measures of pain or questionnaires
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Ketamine hydrochloride
- Morphine sulphate
Treatment groups
Sponsors and collaborators
Columbia University
Lead sponsor
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Collaborator
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Collaborator