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Could ketamine beat opioids for sickle cell pain in kids?

NCT ID NCT07682662

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Mississippi Medical Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
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 Results may not be published yet.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)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 06, 2026 · Last updated Jul 07, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether a low-dose ketamine injection can relieve pain in children with sickle cell disease during a pain crisis better than standard opioid medications. Researchers will compare how quickly pain improves and whether fewer children need to be admitted to the hospital after receiving ketamine. The trial involves children arriving at the emergency department with sickle cell pain, who will receive ketamine alongside usual pain relievers like Tylenol and Toradol.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
low-dose ketamine
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a faster, safer pain relief option for children with sickle cell disease during a pain crisis, potentially reducing hospital stays.
What could go wrong
This is a single-center study, and ketamine may cause side effects like drowsiness or blood pressure changes. It may not work better than opioids for all patients.

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

Phase 4

Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.

Participants

About 400 people

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

Expected to start

Aug 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Oct 2029

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

2 to 21 years

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: * Confirmed Sickle Cell Disease (any genotype), Presenting to the Emergency Department with Vaso-occlusive crisis/pain crisis, Consent obtained Exclusion Criteria: * Ketamine allergy, Severe agitation/psychosis, Pregnancy, Hemodynamic instability (as judged by physician), Increased intracranial pressure, Severe hepatic impairment, Ketamine use within the previous 24 hours, Presentation for non-VOC-related pain (i.e. fever, acute chest syndrome, stroke, traumatic injuries etc).

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

sickle cell disease

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Sickle cell disease (SCD) Vaso-occlusive pain episode in sickle cell disease

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

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

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Mississippi Medical Center, Pediatric Emergency Department

    Jackson, Mississippi, 39216, United States

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