Can melatonin or a nebulized drug calm kids after surgery?
NCT ID NCT07345715
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether giving children oral melatonin or a nebulized drug called dexmedetomidine before surgery can reduce confusion and agitation when they wake up after adenotonsillectomy. About 96 children aged 3 to 7 will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: melatonin, dexmedetomidine, or a placebo. The goal is to find a safer, gentler way to help kids recover calmly.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- oral melatonin syrup or nebulized dexmedetomidine
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, safe way to calm children after surgery without strong sedatives.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 96 children, so results may not apply to all kids or surgeries. Neither drug is guaranteed to work better than placebo.
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
-
About 96 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Jul 2025
- Expected to finish
-
Jul 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
-
3 to 7 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: * Children aged between 3 and 7 years. * Both sexes. * Classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I or II according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists. * Scheduled for elective adenotonsillectomy under general anesthesia. Exclusion Criteria: * Parental refusal to participate in the study. * Known allergy or hypersensitivity to dexmedetomidine, melatonin or midazolam. * Presence of developmental delay. * Central nervous system disorders. * Intellectual disability (formerly termed mental retardation). * Neurological or psychiatric conditions associated with anxiety or agitation (e.g., cerebral palsy, epilepsy, separation anxiety disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). * Current or recent treatment with anticonvulsants or sedative medications
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Adenotonsillectomy are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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
-
Tanta University
RECRUITINGTanta, El-Gharbia, 31527, Egypt
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a local anesthetic injection curb Kids' pain after tonsil removal?
- Two ways to rebuild a Child's bone: which holds up?
- A simple diary might ease the trauma of a Child's ICU stay
- Could toothbrushing drills in schools cut childhood cavities?
- Paper craft may calm children before heart procedures
- Could ten classroom sessions build stronger, happier kids?