A Comparison of Postoperative Tramadol Versus Acetaminophen With Codeine in Children Undergoing Tonsillectomy

NCT ID: NCT01267136

Last Updated: 2014-04-17

Study Results

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

PHASE4

Total Enrollment

84 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2011-01-31

Study Completion Date

2012-05-31

Brief Summary

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Tonsillectomy is the most common pediatric surgical procedure performed in the US. The postoperative period can be particularly painful. Codeine (usually in mixed formulation with acetaminophen) is the most commonly prescribed opioid in the US. However, evolving data questions its ability to provide optimal pain relief, while avoiding side effects, especially in the postoperative setting. Tramadol may be a better option for children in the postoperative setting due to its well-documented analgesic properties, low potential for side effects, and excellent safety profile. Seventy-two children scheduled to undergo tonsillectomy (with or without adenoidectomy) at Children's will be invited to participate in a randomized, prospective, double-blinded study to evaluate the efficacy and side effects of codeine with acetaminophen versus tramadol. Using a 10-day take-home diary, caregivers will be asked to record daily information about their child's postoperative pain and other core outcomes and domains as recommended in the recent consensus statement put forth by the Pediatric Initiative on Methods, Measurement, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials (IMMPACT) (McGrath et al., 2008). This study will offer new information regarding the efficacy and side effects associated with tramadol as compared with codeine/acetaminophen (the current practice standard) in a pediatric population.

Hypotheses

H1: Children who receive scheduled tramadol following tonsillectomy will report better pain control than children who receive scheduled codeine/acetaminophen.

H2: Children who receive scheduled tramadol following tonsillectomy will report fewer side effects than children who receive scheduled codeine/acetaminophen.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Tonsillitis Pain

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Capital® with Codeine Suspension

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Codeine with acetaminophen

Intervention Type DRUG

Liquid codeine/acetaminophen (Capital® 5mL= 120mg acetaminophen/12 mg codeine) 0.72 mg/kg \[=0.3 mL/kg\] (max. 36 mg) PO Q6h, plus 0.72 mg/kg (max. 36 mg) PO Q3h pro re nata (PRN) (max. of 3 PRN doses/day)

Tramadol suspension

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Tramadol suspension

Intervention Type DRUG

Liquid tramadol 1.05 mg/kg \[=0.3 mL/kg\] (max. 52.5 mg) PO Q6h, plus 1.05 mg/kg (max. 52.5 mg) PO Q3h PRN (max. of 3 PRN doses/day).

Interventions

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Codeine with acetaminophen

Liquid codeine/acetaminophen (Capital® 5mL= 120mg acetaminophen/12 mg codeine) 0.72 mg/kg \[=0.3 mL/kg\] (max. 36 mg) PO Q6h, plus 0.72 mg/kg (max. 36 mg) PO Q3h pro re nata (PRN) (max. of 3 PRN doses/day)

Intervention Type DRUG

Tramadol suspension

Liquid tramadol 1.05 mg/kg \[=0.3 mL/kg\] (max. 52.5 mg) PO Q6h, plus 1.05 mg/kg (max. 52.5 mg) PO Q3h PRN (max. of 3 PRN doses/day).

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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Capital® with Codeine Suspension Acetaminophen and Codeine phosphate suspension tramadol hydrochloride Ultram

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Child must be scheduled to undergo tonsillectomy (with or without adenoidectomy).
* Child must be between the ages of 4 and 15 at the time of enrollment.
* Child and caregiver must be English-speaking.
* The same caregiver (e.g., mother) must agree to complete all study assessments with child to ensure consistency.

Exclusion Criteria

* Child cannot self-assess pain due to conditions such as developmental delays, chromosomal abnormalities, and other syndromes.
* Child had significant adverse effects to codeine, tramadol, or acetaminophen in the past.
* Child has a known underlying seizure disorder (not febrile seizure).
* Child has known underlying renal or liver dysfunction (with creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase \[AST\]/amino alanine transferase \[ALT\], above normal value for age, respectively).
* Child or caregiver is not English-speaking.
* The same caregiver (e.g., mother) is unable to complete all follow-up assessments.
Minimum Eligible Age

4 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

15 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Stefan J Friedrichsdorf, M.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota

Locations

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Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Other Identifiers

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1010-086

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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