Observational Study on the Incorporation of Opioids and Their Metabolites Into Hair of Pediatric Patients

NCT ID: NCT05740657

Last Updated: 2025-03-30

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Total Enrollment

150 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-12-06

Study Completion Date

2025-02-28

Brief Summary

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Hair analysis is a well-established and important tool in both forensic and clinical context. When it comes to the interpretation of positive hair analysis results, reliable and comprehensive reference data is essential. Such data on opioids, especially novel synthetic ones (such as fentanyl and its analogues (fentalogs)) is currently highly limited. This applies especially to hair with pediatric origin, due to differences in the metabolism and hair anatomy in children compared to adults.

Investigators hypothesize that opioids, both traditional and novel synthetic ones exhibit detectable concentrations and distinct metabolite ratios within the hair matrices of pediatric patients. Thus, this observational, prospective research study provides 150 hair and sweat samples from children who received opioids as part of surgery or pain management. The samples will be consecutively extracted and analyzed using a sensitive targeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method, enabling the quantitative determination of the opioid and metabolite concentrations. The study thereby contributes valuable reference data for both forensic and clinical applications, addressing challenges in interpreting hair analysis results in especially pediatric populations. Further, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms (e.g. via sweat) and pharmacokinetic processes involved in the opioid incorporation to hair will be achieved. The study has received ethical approval from the Swiss Ethics Board (approval number: 2022-01693 / amendment approval date: 09.01.2024).

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Opioid Use, Unspecified

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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KISPI 000

Patients of the group received one or multiple clinically approved opioids, namely; Fentanyl, Remifentanil, Sufentanil, Alfentanil, Oxycodone, Morphine, Nalbuphine, Hydromorphone and Methadon. The drugs were administered in the course of a surgery or for pain management.

Fentanyl

Intervention Type DRUG

The drugs were administered in the course of a surgery or for pain management.

Interventions

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Fentanyl

The drugs were administered in the course of a surgery or for pain management.

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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Remifentanil Sufentanil Hydromorphone Oxycodone Morphine Alfentanil Nalbuphine Methadon

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Obtained written informed-consent from legal representatives (and oral consent from the patient).
* Patient's age must be within date of birth irrespective of gestational age to completed 13th year of life
* Patients that received single or multiple treatment (either with single doses or continuous infusion) of fentanyl, remifentanil or sufentanil either during surgery or during stay in the pediatric intensive care unit

Exclusion Criteria

* Patient's age of 14 or older
* Inability to understand the study procedure due to language or cognitive reasons (applies to legal representatives and elder children)
* Denied or missing informed consent
* Insufficient amount of head hair to obtain hair sample
* Cosmetic hair treatment, like coloring, bleaching and dying
Minimum Eligible Age

1 Day

Maximum Eligible Age

13 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University Children's Hospital, Zurich

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Zurich

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Tina Binz

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University Zürich

Florian Zapf, Dr.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University's Children Hospital

Locations

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University's Children Hospital

Zurich, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland

Site Status

Countries

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Switzerland

Other Identifiers

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2022-01693

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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