New anesthesia combo may spare kids opioid side effects after tonsil surgery
NCT ID NCT06326983
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether a pain plan without strong opioids works as well as one with opioids for children after tonsil surgery. Sixty-two kids aged 3 to 17 were randomly assigned to get either morphine plus other drugs or a combo of dexmedetomidine, acetaminophen, and ketorolac. The goal was to see if the opioid-sparing approach could control pain just as well while reducing side effects like nausea and vomiting.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Dexmedetomidine, acetaminophen, ketorolac, and morphine
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a safer pain management option for children after tonsil surgery, reducing opioid-related side effects like nausea and vomiting.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study with only 62 children, so results may not apply to all kids. The non-opioid plan might not control pain as well in some cases.
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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62 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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May 2024
- Finished
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Mar 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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3 to 17 years
- 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.
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: * American Society of Anesthesia classification status I-III * Ages 3 years to 17 years * Scheduled for tonsillectomy or tonsillotomy with or without adenoidectomy at Boston Children's Hospital Waltham Exclusion Criteria: * Patients not scheduled for primary tonsillectomy/tonsillotomy. * Patients with known coagulopathies * Patients with previous chronic pain syndromes * Patients with any condition/indication that would prevent them from being able to be randomized (i.e. allergy to one of the study medications)
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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
-
Boston Children's Hospital
Waltham, Massachusetts, 02453, United States
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