Which painkiller causes less nausea in kids after surgery? a head-to-head trial
NCT ID NCT06186141
First seen Jul 16, 2026 · Last updated Jul 22, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This trial compares two common painkillers, morphine and oxycodone, given through a patient-controlled pump to children aged 6 to 18 after surgery. The main goal is to see which drug causes less nausea and vomiting, and whether one leads to fewer other side effects like breathing problems. Children are randomly assigned to one of the two drugs, and all other care follows standard hospital routines.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- morphine or oxycodone given intravenously via a patient-controlled analgesia device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could help doctors choose the painkiller with fewer side effects for children after surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a single-hospital trial, and results may not apply to all children or surgeries. The study focuses on nausea, not overall pain control.
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 690 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Mar 2024
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2027
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
-
6 to 18 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 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: * Postoperative patients who are appropriate for a PCA including those aged 6 and above and up to age 18 years. * Those deemed appropriate for either morphine or oxycodone by their treating anaesthetist. * American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) score 1-3 inclusive * Those whose parents or legal guardians have provided informed consent on the patient's behalf. Exclusion Criteria: * Any patients with an allergy, hypersensitivity, or contraindication to morphine or oxycodone. * Patients in the age group with significant intellectual disability or physical incapacity rendering them incapable of using the PCA device * ASA score 4 or above * Inability or unwillingness of parent or legal guardian to provide informed consent for the study.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Patient-controlled analgesia are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
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.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
-
The Royal Children's Hospital
RECRUITINGMelbourne, Victoria, 3052, Australia
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.