Could one dose of methadone spare kids from extra pain meds after tonsil surgery?
NCT ID NCT06576830
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study compares a single dose of methadone (a long-acting opioid) given during surgery to standard short-acting opioids for pain relief after tonsillectomy in children ages 3 to 17. The goal is to see if methadone reduces the need for extra pain medication in the recovery room. About 440 children will take part, and the study is double-blind, meaning neither the patients nor the doctors know which treatment is given.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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About 440 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2024
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2029
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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3 to 17 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: 1. Age \>= 3 and \< 18 years 2. Elective tonsillectomy +/- adenoidectomy 3. Signed informed consent by parent or legal guardian 4. Children \>= 12 years must provide signed written consent, Children \>= 7 years must provide verbal assent 5. Negative pregnancy test within 48 hours for post pubescent females Exclusion Criteria: 1. History of chronic kidney or liver disease 2. Current diagnosis of a chronic pain disorder 3. Planned admission to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) 4. Additional procedures under general anesthesia for which opioids would be prescribed
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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
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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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Duke University Medical Center
RECRUITINGDurham, North Carolina, 27710, United States
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