Blue light tested as painkiller for broken ribs
NCT ID NCT06626334
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Sep 09, 2026 · Updated 5 times
Summary
This study tests whether shining bright blue light on adults with painful rib fractures can reduce pain and inflammation. 75 hospitalized patients will be randomly assigned to receive blue light, white light, or standard hospital lighting for 4 hours each morning for up to 3 days. Researchers will measure pain levels, confusion, and blood markers of inflammation to see if blue light helps beyond usual pain treatments.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- bright blue light therapy (Carex Day-Light Classic Plus Light Therapy Lamp with blue filter)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to help manage pain and inflammation after rib fractures.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial (75 people) testing a light-based approach that has not been proven for pain relief. The effect may be small or no different from white light or usual care.
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
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27 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Oct 2024
- Finished
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Jun 2026
- 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age greater than or equal to 18 years * Admitted to a single large academic level I trauma center (Presbyterian/Montefiore hospital) within the first 48 hours of traumatic injury * Greater than or equal to 1 acute rib fracture * Pain related to rib fracture(s), by one or more of the following criteria: 1. Pain \>/= 4/10 at rest, 2. Pain \>/= 4/10 with incentive spirometer (IS) use, and/or 3. Inspiratory volume \< 1000 cc * Anticipated length of stay greater than or equal to 48 hours * Alert, with capacity to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Mechanical ventilation\* or non-invasive positive pressure ventilation administered for respiratory insufficiency prior to the time of informed consent * Delirium (positive CAM screening) at the time of informed consent * Ocular trauma, which may interfere with the mechanism of action * Traumatic brain injury (TBI) or history of TBI or stroke, which may interfere with the mechanism of action * Splenectomy upon admission or history of splenectomy, which may interfere with the mechanism of action * History of significant ocular dysfunction\*\* (i.e., macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts), which may interfere with the mechanism of action * History of cataract surgery, due to the possibility of blue light filtering intraocular lens placement * History of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, which could increase the risk of an adverse reaction to light exposure (i.e., acute mania) * History of dementia, which would compromise the reliability of pain intensity and delirium measures * Or other condition in which a patient cannot open eyes to receive light intervention or report a pain score \*\*Myopia, hyperopia, and/or astigmatism corrected for with contact lenses or spectacle corrective eyeglasses will NOT be a criterion for exclusion
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Presbyterian Hospital, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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