Which painkiller causes less nausea in kids after surgery? a head-to-head trial

NCT ID NCT06186141

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

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.
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 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

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.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Pain, Postoperative

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.

  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

  • The Royal Children's Hospital

    RECRUITING

    Melbourne, Victoria, 3052, Australia

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.