NCT06819956

Ketorolac at Lower Doses for Analgesic Pain Control in ICU: A Pilot Feasibility Study

Ketorolac at Lower Doses for Analgesic Pain Control in ICU: A Randomized, Blinded, Parallel-Group, Placebo-Controlled Trial to Ascertain the Effect of Ketorolac on Pain Scores and Opiate Use for Critically Ill Patients

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 3
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 30 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Alberta · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Opiates are commonly used to control pain in critically ill patients in the ICU. However, increased rates of opiate use in hospital may lead to increased prescription-based opiate dependence after leaving the ICU. This may contribute to the ongoing opiate epidemic across the world. Other medications that can reduce pain, like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), are being studied in critically ill patients. These drugs block the enzyme, cyclooxygenases (COX), which causes inflammation in the body. Blocking these enzymes can decrease pain, fever, and inflammation. Traditionally, NSAIDs are not commonly used in critically ill patients due to the perceived risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and acute kidney injury (AKI). However, many critically ill patients are already receiving medications and treatments to prevent GI bleeding and AKI and are closely monitored so these medications may be useful in reducing pain for these patients. The purpose of this study is to see whether NSAIDs can be used safely in critically ill patients to reduce the dose of opiates required for pain control. This is a pilot study or a feasibility study, which is not expected to answer the question definitively. Its main purpose is to determine if NSAIDs could reduce the use of opiates in critically ill patients while in the ICU. The data collected in this study may be used in a larger study in the future.

Detailed description

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of conducting a future, adequately powered large-scale randomized trial, while evaluating the safety and efficacy of an intravenous NSAID (e.g., ketorolac) plus usual care as compared to placebo plus usual care in critically ill patients. Hypothesis: The investigators hypothesize that this single-centre pilot study will demonstrate that NSAIDs administration is feasible and safe in ICU patients and may potentially reduce opiate use in ICU patients with pain. Justification: Pain control in ICU is difficult to achieve given that opiates are the mainstay of analgesia in critically ill patients, but this is not without unintended side effects, especially unintended consequences of possible future drug dependence or addictions. Given that opiates and other adjunctive pain medications (e.g., acetaminophen) are being utilized at high proportional rates, and that NSAIDs are used at relatively low rates (due to the theoretical risk of increased AKI and GI bleeds), there is potential for practice change for increased NSAID use at lower doses to reduce pain and opiate use, while not increasing risks. Objectives: The primary objective of this pilot trial is to assess the feasibility of a larger clinical trial utilizing NSAIDs in the ICU for patients with pain. The primary outcomes of the pilot feasibility trial are: recruitment and consent rates, proportion of eligible participants who are randomized vs. not randomized, retention and protocol adherence rates. The secondary objectives are to assess safety of the proposed trial (e.g. gastrointestinal bleeding, acute kidney injury, death) and efficacy outcomes (e.g. participant pain scores, opiate and other analgesia usage). Research Methods/Procedures: The investigators have designed KETOROLAC-ICU as a pilot randomized controlled trial (prospective, single centre, parallel-group, concealed, blinded) examining the use of low-dose ketorolac for critically ill patients.

Conditions

• Pain Management

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Ketorolac	Ketorolac 15 mg IV q6h for a maximum of 3 days total or discharge from ICU (whichever comes first). The ketorolac will be diluted in a 0.9% normal saline 10 mL syringe.
DRUG	Placebo	Matching placebo IV q6h for a maximum of 3 days total or discharge from ICU (whichever comes first). The matching placebo will be diluted in a 0.9% normal saline 10 mL syringe.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-06-23
• Primary completion: 2026-12-01
• Completion: 2027-12-01
• First posted: 2025-02-11
• Last updated: 2025-09-23

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada