Nausea and Vomiting in Postoperative Paediatric Patients With Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA): Morphine vs Oxycodone

Morphine and oxycodone are commonly used intravenous (IV) opioids in adult and paediatric post-operative patients. Traditionally, morphine has been preferentially prescribed with PCA. However, IV oxycodone is rapidly becoming more popular. Despite systematic reviews describing their use within the adult population, very little is known about the comparative side-effect profiles of morphine versus oxycodone within the paediatric post-operative population. Both options are currently in use and considered standard of care at The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH), Melbourne, Australia. However, there is limited literature to support a clinician's choice between IV oxycodone PCA versus IV morphine PCA.

The aim of this embedded randomized controlled trial is to compare the side-effect profile of IV oxycodone PCA to IV morphine PCA in post-operative paediatric patients.

This is a single site, randomised, embedded trial with two intervention arms, namely IV morphine PCA and IV oxycodone PCA. The study will not be blinded due to the need for opioid syringes to be readily identifiable on the ward. Apart from the consent and randomisation process, there will be no change to current pre-existing practices around PCA use and patient care. Adopting a health informatics approach; patient identification, consent, randomization and reporting of outcomes will be embedded within the EMR.

The primary objective is to compare antiemetic use between the two intervention arms. The secondary objectives will be a comparison of PCA side effects, efficacy and opioid use between the two arms. Outcome data must be what is already recorded as part of usual clinical care within the EMR including: antiemetic administration, respiratory depression (new oxygen and/or high dose naloxone use), urinary retention (need for in-dwelling catheter insertion), constipation (medication laxative administration), itch (RCH Itch Score (0-4 Likert scale)), nausea and vomiting, sedation (0-4 University of Michigan Scoring System), pain (Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale/Visual Analogue Scale (VAS 0-10) and total opioid consumption (mg/kg/day).

Inclusion criteria

• Postoperative patients who are appropriate for a PCA including those aged 6 and above and up to age 18 years.
• Those deemed appropriate for either morphine or oxycodone by their treating anaesthetist.
• American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) score 1-3 inclusive
• Those whose parents or legal guardians have provided informed consent on the patient's behalf.

Exclusion criteria

• Any patients with an allergy, hypersensitivity, or contraindication to morphine or oxycodone.
• Patients in the age group with significant intellectual disability or physical incapacity rendering them incapable of using the PCA device
• ASA score 4 or above
• Inability or unwillingness of parent or legal guardian to provide informed consent for the study.