Morphine or Ketamine for Analgesia (NCT06835504) | Clinical Trial Compass
Not Yet RecruitingPhase 3
Morphine or Ketamine for Analgesia
United States1,010 participantsStarted 2026-05-01
Plain-language summary
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.
Who can participate
Age range6 Years – 17 Years
SexALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Inclusion criteria
✓. 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
Exclusion criteria
✕. 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
✕. Chronic disease associated with pain
✕. Chronic pain condition requiring use of opioids as outpatient
✕. Hemodynamic instability or critical illness per treating physician
✕
What they're measuring
1
Pain intensity
Timeframe: Up to 120 minutes after completion of study drug administration or until a terminal event occurs
2
Adverse events, acute
Timeframe: Up to 120 minutes after completion of study drug administration or until a terminal event occurs
3
Pain-related function
Timeframe: Days 1, 2,3, 7 and 30 after discharge.
4
Traumatic stress, primary assessment
Timeframe: Baseline (at time of enrollment) and days 7, 30, 90 and 180 after discharge.