Testing Ketorolac against a placebo for pain management
Official title: Ketorolac at Lower Doses for Analgesic Pain Control in ICU: A Pilot Feasibility Study
Ketorolac at Lower Doses for Analgesic Pain Control in ICU: A Randomized, Blinded, Parallel-Group, Placebo-Controlled Trial to Ascertain the Effect of Ketorolac on Pain Scores and Opiate Use for Critically Ill Patients
- Phase 3
- 2 groups
- One site, in Edmonton
- Recruiting
Interventions
- Medication
Ketorolac
Ketorolac 15 mg IV q6h for a maximum of 3 days total or discharge from ICU (whichever comes first). The ketorolac will be diluted in a 0.9% normal saline 10 mL syringe.
- Medication
Placebo
Matching placebo IV q6h for a maximum of 3 days total or discharge from ICU (whichever comes first). The matching placebo will be diluted in a 0.9% normal saline 10 mL syringe.
Canadian Sites (1)
1 of 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
University of Alberta Hospital
Edmonton, Alberta
Eligibility Criteria
See who this study is looking for31 criteria
The trial’s own eligibility text, word for word from the registry. Only the trial site can say who takes part.
Inclusion
- +Age \> 18 years
- +Admission to intensive care unit (ICU)
- +Participants with pain (Critical Care Pain Observation Tool \[CPOT\] \> 1 and/or self-report pains score \>1 on visual analogue scale \[VAS\] or numerical rating scale \[NRS\])
Exclusion
- −Prior contraindications/allergies to NSAIDS or stress ulcer prophylaxis, specifically if a participant has had an anaphylactic reaction (asthma or urticaria) or non-anaphylactic asthma reaction to NSAIDs or any stress ulcer prophylaxis, e.g. proton pump inhibitor, histamine-2-blockers, etc. (e.g. proton pump inhibitor, histamine-2-blockers, etc.)
- −Known allergy to ketorolac or other NSAIDs
- −Serum Cr \> 100 mmol/L for females, and \>130 mmol/L for males
- −Ongoing ACEi (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor)/ARB (angiotensin receptor blocker) use in ICU
- −Known hyperkalemia \> 5.5
- −Pre-existing chronic kidney disease (CKD Stage \> 3), defined by a serum Cr \> 100 mmol/L for females, and \>130 mmol/L for males (at the time of screeningScreeningThe checks done before joining, to see whether a study fits.Read more →, based on pre-hospital stable outpatient baselineBaselineYour starting measurements, taken before treatment begins.Read more → values)
- −New acute kidney injury KDIGO Stage \> 2 (increased more than \> 2-to-3 times in serum creatinine above baseline AND/OR \<0.5mL/kg/hour urine output for \>12 hours)
- −Pre-existing gastrointestinal bleeding (within 12 weeks of hospital admission, requiring hospitalization or medical evaluation), new peptic ulcer disease, esophagitis, esophageal varices within the last 3 months
- −Active gastric / duodenal / peptic ulcer, active GI bleeding
- −Complete or partial syndrome of ASA-intolerance (e.g. rhinosinusitis, urticaria/angioedema, nasal polyps, asthma)
- −Participants who are not receiving stress ulcer prophylaxis (e.g. proton pump inhibitor, histamine-2-blockers, etc.) while in ICU
- −Any active bleeding (requiring any blood products or adjunctive coagulation agents, any output of blood \>100 mL/hr, e.g. chest tube drainage, abdominal cavity drain, etc.)
- −Currently receiving NSAID(s) for another indication
- −Inflammatory bowel disease (e.g. participants with prior diagnosis of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis)
- −Receiving probenecid, oxpentifylline or pentoxifylline
- −Active ischemic heart disease (acute myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome during current hospital admission)
- −Moderate-severe uncontrolled heart failure (New York Heart Association: Class II-IV)
- −Moderate to severe liver impairment or active liver disease (Operational definition: participants with prior history of Child-Pugh class B (moderate) or C (severe) liver cirrhosis, OR Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-Sodium (MELD-Na) score \>25, OR active acute liver failure: severe acute liver injury with encephalopathy and impaired synthetic function International Normalized Ratio (INR) \>1.5 with or without pre-existing liver disease)
- −Active cerebrovascular bleeding or stroke (cerebrovascular accident, transient ischemic attacks and/or amaurosis fugax, e.g. participants with active stroke symptoms within current hospital admission)
- −Cerebrovascular bleeding or other bleeding disorders
- −Coagulation disorders, post-operative patients with high haemorrhagic risk or incomplete haemostasis in patients with suspected or confirmed cerebrovascular bleeding
- −Neuraxial (epidural or intrathecal) administration of ketorolac tromethamine injection due to its alcohol content
- −Rhabdomyolysis (creatinine kinase \>5000 U/L)
- −Recent transplant (during same hospital admission, e.g., heart, lung, kidney, liver, etc.)
- −Participants expected to stay in ICU \< 48 hours
- −In the opinion of the attending physician, expected death or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments within 48 hours
- −Most responsible physician, participant, or substitute decision maker declines study participation (and reason)
- −Participant is known to be pregnant and/or breastfeeding
In plain language
Assembled directly from this trial’s registry record. Every sentence traces to a field below — nothing here is generated or interpreted.
What this study is
This study is testing a treatment for a condition.
Phase 3Phase 3A large study comparing a treatment against the current standard.Read more → — a large study comparing this against the current standard, usually across many hospitals.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.primaryPurpose
- designModule.phases
Who receives what
There are 2 groups in this study.
Group A receives Ketorolac.
Registry label: A: Ketorolac
Group B, the placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group, receives Placebo.
Registry label: B: Placebo
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].label
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
How the study is run
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
You, the study team, the people giving the treatment, and the people analysing the results would all be kept unaware of which group you are in until the study ends.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
Is there a placebo?
One group receives a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → — a dummy treatment with no active medicine in it.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
Who the study is looking for
The study lists a minimum age of 18 years, with no upper limit given.
The study is open to people of any sex.
The study does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
These are the criteria the study lists. Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How big and how long
The study aims to enrol about 30 people.
The study is currently expected to finish around December 2027.
The main measurement is taken over: Days 1-7, 90.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
What the study measures
Feasibility - Recruitment and Retention — measured over Days 1-7, 90.
Feasibility - ProtocolProtocolThe detailed plan a study must follow.Read more → Adherence — measured over Days 1-7, 90.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].measure
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
Source: NCT06819956 on ClinicalTrials.gov. The full registry text is further down this page — this summary never replaces it.
Not medical advice. What do these terms mean?
What is being tested — in plain terms
About KetorolacDrug
Ketorolac 15 mg IV q6h for a maximum of 3 days total or discharge from ICU (whichever comes first). The ketorolac will be diluted in a 0.9% normal saline 10 mL syringe.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a drug is here: A medicine — a chemical or small-molecule treatment — given as the thing being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
About PlaceboDrug
Matching placebo IV q6h for a maximum of 3 days total or discharge from ICU (whichever comes first). The matching placebo will be diluted in a 0.9% normal saline 10 mL syringe.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a drug is here: A medicine — a chemical or small-molecule treatment — given as the thing being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
Common questions
Answered from this trial’s registry record. Where the record doesn’t say, these answers say so rather than filling the gap.
Am I eligible for this trial?
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part. Concord cannot make that determination, and neither can any tool that has not examined you.
What the study lists: a minimum age of 18 years.
The full inclusionInclusion criteriaThe things you must have or be for a study to consider you.Read more → and exclusion criteriaExclusion criteriaThe things that would prevent someone from taking part.Read more → are published on this page, exactly as the study team wrote them.
The useful next step is to bring this trial to your doctor. Answering a few questions first gives them something concrete to review.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.eligibilityCriteria
Is there a placebo?
Yes. This study includes a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group — a dummy treatment with no active medicine in it.
From the trial registry
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Would I know which treatment I am getting?
You, the study team, the people giving the treatment, and the people analysing the results would all be kept unaware of which group you are in until the study ends.
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
From the trial registry
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
Who can join?
The study lists a minimum age of 18 years, with no upper limit given.
It is open to people of any sex.
It does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can confirm whether a particular person can take part.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How long would this take?
The study's main measurement is taken over: Days 1-7, 90.
The study as a whole is currently expected to finish around 2027-12.
How long any one person takes part can differ from the study length. The study team can tell you what the schedule looks like in practice.
From the trial registry
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
How many people are taking part?
The study aims to enrol about 30 people.
From the trial registry
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
Where is this happening?
This study lists one location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Sites can open and close during a study, so confirm with the team before travelling.
From the trial registry
- trial_locations
About This Trial
Opiates are commonly used to control pain in critically ill patients in the ICU. However, increased rates of opiate use in hospital may lead to increased prescription-based opiate dependence after leaving the ICU. This may contribute to the ongoing opiate epidemic across the world. Other medications that can reduce pain, like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), are being studied in critically ill patients. These drugs block the enzyme, cyclooxygenases (COX), which causes inflammation in the body. Blocking these enzymes can decrease pain, fever, and inflammation. Traditionally, NSAIDs are not commonly used in critically ill patients due to the perceived risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and acute kidney injury (AKI). However, many critically ill patients are already receiving medications and treatments to prevent GI bleeding and AKI and are closely monitored so these medications may be useful in reducing pain for these patients. The purpose of this study is to see whether NSAIDs can be used safely in critically ill patients to reduce the dose of opiates required for pain control. This is a pilot study or a feasibility study, which is not expected to answer the question definitively. Its main purpose is to determine if NSAIDs could reduce the use of opiates in critically ill patients while in the ICU. The data collected in this study may be used in a larger study in the future.
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See if this trial could fit youThis page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical trial eligibility can only be determined by the trial site after proper screening. Trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the most current status. Always consult your healthcare provider before making decisions about clinical trial participation.