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Probable MigrainePhase 4EDMigraine-4NCT01596166

Intravenous Ketorolac and Metoclopramide for Pediatric Migraine in the Emergency Department

A Phase 4 study testing Ketorolac Tromethamine and Metoclopramide in people with Probable Migraine and Migraine With Aura, run by University of Alberta at 2 sites in Canada.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Migraine headaches are a common problem for children. When treatment at home fails, children may benefit from intravenous treatment administered in a hospital setting like the Emergency Department. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 6 to 17 years
What is being tested?
Ketorolac Tromethamine and Metoclopramide
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
56 participants
Where
2 sitesCanada
Study dates
Feb 2012to Apr 2014
Phase
Phase 4
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 6 to 17 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • A patient is legible to participate in this study if they meet the following criteria:
  • Patient is between 6 and 17 years of age inclusive
  • Treatment with usual therapy at home or at least one dose of oral ibuprofen or acetaminophen has not provided satisfactory relief
  • Intravenous therapy is indicated in the opinion of the treating ED physician
  • Patient has a history of migraine as defined by the International Classification of Headache Disorders - 2nd edition (Appendix 1) and meets the following criteria:
  • During headache, at least 1 of the following: nausea and/or vomiting; two of five symptoms (photophobia, phonophobia, difficulty thinking, lightheadedness, or fatigue). Symptoms may be inferred from patient's behavior.
  • Headache has at least 2 of the following characteristics: bifrontal/bitemporal or unilateral location; pulsating/throbbing quality; moderate or severe pain intensity; aggravation by or causing avoidance of routine physical activity. Symptoms may be inferred from patient's behavior.

Who cannot join

  • A patient is not eligible to participate in the study if any of the following criteria apply:
  • Patient has a contraindication to the use of metoclopramide or ketorolac in the opinion of the ED physician
  • Patient has a ventriculoperitoneal shunt
  • Patient has a fever (temperature > 38.5 oC)
  • Patient has meningismus or clinical suspicion of meningitis in the opinion of the ED physician
  • Patient has a history of head trauma causing headache in the last 1 week prior to presentation to the ED
  • Patient is unable to complete the efficacy assessments (e.g. language barrier)

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

Canada2 sites
  • Alberta Children's Hospital

    Calgary, Alberta, T3B 6A8

  • Stollery Children's Hospital

    Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2C8

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: Efficacy of Combination Therapy With Intravenous Ketorolac and Metoclopramide for Pediatric Migraine Therapy in the Emergency Department

Migraine headaches are a common problem for children. When treatment at home fails, children may benefit from intravenous treatment administered in a hospital setting like the Emergency Department. Most treatments used however have only been tested in adults and the best treatment strategy for children is not always clear. The combination of more than one medication is frequently prescribed in Canadian Emergency Departments. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the combination of ketorolac (an anti-inflammatory pain medication) and metoclopramide (an anti-nauseant that may also relieve migraine headaches) is better than metoclopramide by itself.

Read the detailed description

Migraine headache is a painful condition of recurrent moderate to severe head pain associated with nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and phonophobia. The condition is highly prevalent and a significant community health problem with considerable impact on the health care system. To alleviate the pain and morbidity associated with a migraine attack, drug therapies are often employed including simple analgesics like ibuprofen and migraine-specific medications like sumatriptan. When these treatments fail or in severe, intractable cases, patients and families may present to the Emergency Department (ED).

Ketorolac in combination with metoclopramide or prochlorperazine was the most common multi-drug combination used in 36% of ED presentations for migraine across Canada in our national practice variation study. The scientific rationale for combining a non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with inhibition of both the cyclooxygenase (COX) 1 and 2 isoenzymes with other migraine therapies is enticing; however, no studies have specifically examined the relative efficacy of the practice. Why would the combination of a non-selective NSAID like ketorolac with other migraine therapies improve treatment outcomes? The benefit of multi-target combinations may be relate to the duration of the migraine and the multiple brain areas involved in sustained pain. It has long been recognized that patients who treat their migraine headaches early at the onset have a better response. The underlying mechanism for this phenomenon has now been identified. The initiation of migraine pain requires activation of the trigeminal (5th cranial nerve) nociceptive (pain) system. Activation of these sensory fibers within the arachnoid membrane on the surface of the brain produces the first and most common painful manifestation of migraine - the pulsatile headache. With each heartbeat, minor dilation of the cerebral blood vessels produces stretch and a painful activation of the trigeminal fibers known as peripheral sensitization. The second phase in the maintenance of a migraine attack over several hours is the sensitization of trigeminal pain pathways leading to higher brain centers known as central sensitization. The efficacy of medications like the triptans is greater early in the course of a migraine attack when there is only peripheral sensitization and before the onset of central sensitization. Non-selective NSAIDs like naproxen sodium and ketorolac may be uniquely effective in the reduction of central sensitization in the animal model of migraine and the reduction of migraine pain in adult patients late in the course of a migraine headache.

The population of patients in the ED is uniquely different from outpatients in that most have developed their migraine headache hours or days before presenting. In our practice variation study, the mean duration of the migraine prior to presenting to the ED was 2 days. Including an NSAID when treating a prolonged migraine in the ED may thus increase the therapeutic window and improve outcomes. While many Canadian ED physicians have adopted the practice of combining ketorolac with other migraine therapies, the gold standard assessment of efficacy and safety in a randomized clinical trial has not been applied.

Being tested
Ketorolac Tromethamine, Metoclopramide
Keywords
migraine, pediatric, childhood, emergency department, ketorolac, metoclopramide, intravenous
Medical subject headings
Migraine with Aura, Migraine without Aura, Migraine Disorders, Emergencies

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Ketorolac TromethamineDrug

    Also called Toradol, 74103-07-4

    Ketorolac 0.5 mg/kg (max 30 mg) IV

  • MetoclopramideDrug

    Also called Maxeran, Reglan, 364-62-5

    Metoclopramide 0.2 mg/kg (max 10 mg) IV

Study groups in NCT01596166
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Metoclopramide, KetorolacExperimental1. 10 mL/kg IV 0.9% sodium chloride 2. Metoclopramide 0.2 mg/kg (max 10 mg) IV 3. Ketorolac 0.5 mg/kg (max 30 mg) IV
Receives: Drug: Ketorolac Tromethamine; Drug: Metoclopramide
Metoclopramide, PlaceboPlacebo comparator1. 10 mL/kg IV 0.9% sodium chloride 2. Metoclopramide 0.2 mg/kg (max 10 mg) IV 3. Placebo (normal saline)
Receives: Drug: Metoclopramide

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Mean reduction in pain intensity

    Measured on Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).

    Measured: 2 hours

Secondary outcomes (10)
  1. Pain freedom

    VAS=0

    Measured: 2 hours

  2. Headache relief - 33

    Defined as a 33% reduction on the VAS.

    Measured: 2 hours

  3. Headache relief - 50

    Defined as a 50% reduction on the VAS

    Measured: 2 hours

  4. Presence of nausea

    Measured: 2 hours

  5. Presence of vomiting

    Measured: 2 hours

  6. Use of rescue medications

    Permitted per protocol 60 minutes after start if intravenous infusion.

    Measured: 2 hours

  7. Sustained pain-free

    No recurrence of headache within 24 hours if pain was completely eliminated (VAS = 0) prior to discharge.

    Measured: 25 hours

  8. Sustained headache relief

    No increase in headache by 33% on the VAS or 50% on the VAS if headache relief was initially achieved.

    Measured: 24 hours

  9. Minimum clinically significant difference

    1. "I would take the medication again"
    2. "My headache is a bit better/worse"
    3. "My headache is a lot better/worse"

    Measured: 2 hours

  10. Adverse events

    All serious and non-serious adverse events including akathisia and dystonia.

    Measured: 2 hours

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted10 May 2012 (estimated)
  2. Study startFeb 2012
  3. Primary completionApr 2014
  4. Study completionApr 2014

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
56 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01596166
Sponsor's protocol ID
EDMIGR-004-01
Acronym
EDMigraine-4
Status last verified
Jan 2015
First submitted
8 May 2012
Last updated
26 Jan 2015
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing Ketorolac Tromethamine and Metoclopramide in people with Probable Migraine and Migraine With Aura, run by University of Alberta at 2 sites in Canada.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 Jan 2015. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Mean reduction in pain intensity (time frame: 2 hours). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 26 Jan 2015.

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