Can a single shot of ketamine calm suicidal distress in the ER?
NCT ID NCT07810023
First seen Sep 09, 2026 · Last updated Sep 10, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers at Evanston Hospital are testing whether a single intramuscular dose of ketamine can quickly reduce suicidal distress in adults who arrive at the emergency department and are waiting for psychiatric admission. The pilot study enrolls 8 patients who receive the injection, and it also surveys emergency and research staff about how practical and acceptable the procedure is. A chart review will later describe the broader group of patients who come to the ER in suicidal distress.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ketamine, given as a single intramuscular injection
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a fast-acting option in the emergency department for people in acute suicidal distress, a setting where few drug treatments exist.
- What could go wrong
- This is a tiny pilot study of 8 people, so it cannot prove the drug works or is safe for this use. Ketamine can cause dissociation, blood pressure changes, and other side effects, and the results may not apply to other patients or hospitals.
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
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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
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About 8 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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May 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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 for the dosing cohort: 1. Admitted to the Evanston Hospital ED and met criteria for SCS 2. Awaiting voluntary admission to the Evanston Hospital inpatient psychiatric unit 3. Above the age of 18. 4. Ability to provide written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria for dosing cohort: 1. Patients under the age of 18 2. Pregnant individuals (Individuals of child-bearing potential will be given a pregnancy test) 3. Active psychosis or carry a diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder mixed, or bipolar disorder with a history of psychotic episodes 4. Individuals whose current ED visit was due to a suicide attempt defined by "actual attempt" on the C-SSRS and which resulted in a score greater than zero on the Lethality/Potential Lethality/Medical Damage C-SSRS questions. 5. Current substance use disorder or significant history of substance abuse 6. Unstable vital signs, including moderate or severe hypertension that is not controlled with medication 7. History of an adverse reaction to ketamine or esketamine 8. Any condition that, in the clinical opinion of the investigator, impairs capacity to provide informed consent (including but not limited to: seizure disorders, psychiatric conditions, neurological conditions, intellectual disabilities, neurodegenerative disorders, renal impairment, hepatic impairment, bleeding disorders, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, or recent history of stroke, aneurysm, or malignancy). 9. Any condition that, in the clinical opinion of the investigator contraindicates intramuscular injections (including but not limited to: current medications, current or recent infection, neuromuscular conditions, skin conditions, bleeding disorders, cardiovascular disease, ror recent myocardial infarction). 10. Any condition that, in the clinical opinion of the investigator that contraindicates ketamine (including but not limited to: seizure disorders, psychiatric conditions, neurological conditions, intellectual disabilities, neurodegenerative disorders, renal impairment, hepatic impairment, bleeding disorders, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, or recent history of stroke, aneurysm, or malignancy). Inclusion Criteria for Chart Review Cohort: 1. Admitted to the Evanston Hospital ED 2. Assessed for Suicidal Ideation by the Crisis Team 3. Over the age of 18 Exclusion Criteria for Chart Review Cohort: 1. Pregnant individuals 2. Individuals who were participants in the Dosing Cohort
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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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
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Endeavor Health Evanston Hospital
Evanston, Illinois, 60201, United States
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