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Hidden toll of routine ICU procedure revealed: suctioning may spike pain and stress

NCT ID NCT06692400

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Loma Linda University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
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Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

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Expanded access (paused)
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Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 10, 2026 · Last updated Jul 10, 2026

Summary

This study investigates whether endotracheal tube suctioning—a routine procedure to clear airways in intubated ICU patients—causes pain and biological stress. Researchers will measure pain using a behavioral observation tool and check blood for markers of oxygen shortage and oxidative stress before and after suctioning. The study includes adults with flu, pneumonia, COVID, or sepsis who are on ventilators. Findings could help tailor pain relief for patients who cannot speak.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to
If successful, this study could lead to better pain management protocols for ICU patients who cannot speak, improving their comfort and care.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage observational study. Results may not apply to all ICU patients, and the blood markers measured may not fully capture stress or pain.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 110 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jan 2025

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults (aged 18 years and older) * Current diagnosis of flu, pneumonia, COVID, or sepsis * Intubated and receiving mechanical ventilation. * Have arterial lines placed * Require endotracheal suctioning as part of their care Exclusion Criteria: * Patients receiving neuromuscular blocking agents * Contraindications for blood draws (hemoglobin levels below 8.0 g/dL; Jehovah's Witness)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

COVID-19 Critical Illness Hypoxia infectious disease with sepsis influenza Pain, Procedural pneumonia Sepsis

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Adult Biomarkers / blood COVID Critical illness Hypoxia Influenza Intensive care unit (ICU) Intubation Mechanical ventilation Oxidative stress Pain measurement Pain, procedural Pneumonia Sepsis Uric acid

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

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  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Loma Linda University Medical Center Troesh Medical Campus

    RECRUITING

    Loma Linda, California, 92354, United States

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