Morphine or Ketamine for Analgesia

Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phasePhase 3
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age6-17
SponsorColumbia University

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

1,010 Participants
are divided into 2 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