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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03257319

Inhaled vs IV Opioid Dosing for the Initial Treatment of Severe Acute Pain in the Emergency Department

Prospective single-blind, multicenter, national, randomized, controlled trial in 15 Emergency Department to compare two ways of morphine titration. The eligible patient is included immediately after his arrival in the Emergency Department, after being questioned by the triage nurse about the presence and the intensity of pain, when the VAS is greater than 70 (or EN>7) and after written consent.

After installation into the examination room, patient is randomized in one of two parallel groups (stratified by sex and center using software) and receives one of the two treatments, either inhaled morphine + IV placebo or IV morphine+ inhaled placebo (control group).

In both groups, titration is defined by a dose of repeated boluses as long as the relief is not achieved (VAS> 30 or EN >3) and the criteria to stop titration are not met.

A 5 minutes time interval between the boluses is chosen. Each aerosol takes 5 minutes at a constant air flow, aerosol mask, plastic tubing and PVC transparent tank are used.

Thus patient receives a maximum of 3 aerosol (one aerosol every 10 minutes) and a maximum of 6 IV injections (one injection every 5 minutes) The stopping criteria, except pain relief, are linked to the occurrence of side effects and specific cares are described into the protocol (in case of severe ventilatory depression naloxone titration is provided). Exit criteria from the emergency room and from the hospital are defined. An information sheet is delivered.

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Key information

Age range

18 year–75 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 3

Primary location

CH Agen-Nérac, Agen, France

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Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age ≥ 18 and <75 years old;
  • EVA ≥ 70/100 or EN ≥ 7/10;
  • Patient who received clear information from the investigator and read and signed the consent form;
  • Patient affiliated with, or beneficiary of a social security category;
  • For women:

O of childbearing age: effective contraception (oral contraception, intrauterine device or use of condoms) O menopausal status (amenorrhoea less than 12 months before the inclusion visit) O objectivized sterility (diagnosis or surgically)

Exclusion criteria

  • Chronic pain (> 3 months)
  • Taking opioids longer than 10 days (including "weak" opioids tramadol and / or codeine);
  • Taking Rifampicin;
  • Impaired ability to discern, cognitive impairment;
  • Morphine-related contraindications:

O Obstructive chronic obstructive or restrictive respiratory failure known or suspected compensated or not, O Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients, O Severe hepatocellular insufficiency (known or suspected), O Chronic renal failure known or suspected, O Uncontrolled epilepsy, O Cranial trauma (intracranial hypertension), O Associations with buprenorphine, nalbuphine, pentazocine and naltrexone

  • Active drug history or practice (s);
  • Evidence of reduced fracture or dislocation in emergency rooms;
  • Suspected occlusive syndrome
  • SaO2 <95%;
  • FR <12 / min;
  • Glasgow <15 or other alertness disorders;
  • HR heart rate <50 bpm and / or Auriculo-Ventricular block (PR XML File Identifier: zR6XOYKSEQ9GjQHghP8c465EwF0= Page 15/30 interval> 200 ms);
  • Arterial hypotension with systolic blood pressure TA syst <100 mm Hg;
  • Pregnant or nursing
  • Persons deprived of their liberty by an administrative or judicial decision, a person placed under the safeguard of justice, guardianship;
  • Patients with poor comprehension of spoken or written French;
  • Patients participating in another interventional clinical study;
  • Contra-indication related to the use of saline solution
  • Contra-indications related to the use of aerosol:

O Necessity to access the face O Allergy known to plastic

Treatment and study plan

inhaled titration of morphine chlorhydrate

Drug

Patient in arm A will receive 1 to 3 titration

Other names: IV placebo

IV Placebo

Drug

Patient in arm A will receive 1 to 6 injection

Other names: inhaled titration of morphine chlorhydrate

Inhaled placebo

Device

Patient in arm B will receive 1 to 3 titration

Other names: IV titration of morphine chlorhydrate

IV titration of morphine chlorhydrate

Drug

Patient in arm BA will receive 1 to 6 injection

Other names: Inhaled placebo

Primary outcomes

  1. Rate of relief obtained or "success rate" at 1 hour from the start of drug administration, and not at the end of titration, such as EVA1 ≤ 30/100 (or EN1 ≤ 3/10).

    Time frame: 1 hour after the initiation of the titration

    Rate of relief obtained or "success rate" at 1 hour from the start of drug administration, and not at the end of titration, such as EVA1 ≤ 30/100 (or EN1 ≤ 3/10).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Evaluate antalgic efficacy criteria

    Time frame: From the beginning of the titration until the end of the titration- assessed within one day

    Quantity of morphine administered from the beginning of the titration until the end of the titration

  2. Evaluate antalgic efficacy criteria

    Time frame: From the beginning of the titration until the end of the titration- assessed up to one day

    Delay between first administration of Morphine and EVA ≤ 30 or EN ≤ 3 obtained

  3. Evaluate antalgic efficacy criteria

    Time frame: From the beginning of the titration until the end of the titration- assessed up to one day

    Delay between first administration of Morphine and EVA ≤ 30 or EN ≤ 3 obtained for patient treated only with morphine IV

  4. Evaluate antalgic efficacy criteria

    Time frame: From the beginning of the titration until the end of the titration- assessed up to one day

    Number of patients with EVA ≤ 30 or EN ≤ 3 at the end of titration

  5. Evaluate antalgic efficacy criteria

    Time frame: 30 minutes after the initiation of the titration

    Number of patients with EVA ≤ 30 or EN ≤ 3 at 30 minutes

  6. Evaluate antalgic efficacy criteria

    Time frame: From the beginning of the titration until the end of the titration- assessed up to one day

    Number of patients treated only by exclusive inhalation titration with EVA ≤ 30 or EN ≤ 3

  7. Evaluate antalgic efficacy criteria

    Time frame: From the beginning of the titration until the end of the titration- assessed up to one day

    Quantity of of co-analgesia administered from the beginning of the titration

  8. Evaluate antalgic efficacy criteria

    Time frame: 1hour after the initiation of the titration

    Number of patients with EVA ≤ 30 or EN ≤ 3 after 60 minutes

  9. Evaluate antalgic efficacy criteria

    Time frame: 2hours after the initiation of the titration

    Number of patients with EVA ≤ 30 or EN ≤ 3 after 120 minutes

  10. Assess the feasibility of an aerosol titration (compliance to the protocol)

    Time frame: From the beginning of the titration until the end of the aerosol titration- within one hour after the start of the titration

    Number of deviations from protocol

  11. Safety-Proportion of Sleepy patients (Ramsay score = 3) (adverse events)

    Time frame: Until 3hours after the end of the titration

    Proportion of Sleepy patients (Ramsay score = 3)

  12. Safety- incidence of minor side effects in each arm of which neurovegetative usually known and related to opiates (nausea, vomiting, urine retention, ...)

    Time frame: Until 3hours after the end of the titration

    incidence of minor side effects in each arm of which neurovegetative usually known and related to opiates (nausea, vomiting, urine retention,

    ...)

  13. Safety- Proportion of serious adverse events in each arm

    Time frame: Until 3hours after the end of the titration

    Proportion of serious adverse events in each arm

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University Hospital, Rouen

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Inhaled Versus Intravenous Opioid Dosing for the Initial Treatment of Severe Acute Pain in the Emergency Department

Acronym: CLIN-AEROMORPH

Important dates

Study start
2017
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2022
First posted
Aug 22, 2017
Registry last updated
Feb 6, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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