Could Opioid-Free pain relief be safer for kids with sleep apnea?
NCT ID NCT07435493
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study compares standard fentanyl pain medicine to an opioid-free mix of acetaminophen, ibuprofen, ketamine, and dexamethasone in 64 children aged 5-10 with mild to moderate sleep apnea undergoing tonsil surgery. The goal is to see if the opioid-free option controls pain just as well but with fewer breathing problems and side effects.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- fentanyl, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, ketamine, dexamethasone
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that a combination of non-opioid drugs can control pain safely in children with sleep apnea, reducing breathing complications.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 64 children, so results may not apply to all. The opioid-free approach might not control pain as well as fentanyl.
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
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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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About 64 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Nov 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
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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5 to 10 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: * Children aged 5-10 years. * Diagnosed with mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea (apnea-hypoxia index 1-10). * Scheduled for elective adenotonsillectomy. * American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I-II. Exclusion Criteria: * Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea (apnea-hypoxia index \>10). * Known allergies to study medications. * Patient with predicted difficult air way (Mallampatti 3\&4). * History of opioid use or chronic pain syndromes. * Neurological or metabolic disorders affecting pain perception. * Parental refusal to consent.
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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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Ain shams university
Cairo, Egypt
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- A blood test for liver trouble may flag hidden risk in sleep apnea patients