Ketamine Pilot Study

Summary

This is a pilot study to evaluate pain responses from two different approved medications (ketamine and fentanyl) in the treatment of pain after rattlesnake envenomation (RSE). Both medications are currently used in standard practice to treat both acute and chronic pain and are options for pain management after RSE. Multiple studies exist showing ketamine to be both safe and effective for the treatment of acute pain, and to be as good as or better than opioids for this indication. The specific comparison of ketamine to fentanyl, however, has never been studied for the treatment of acute pain after rattlesnake envenomation in the United States. The investigators plan to measure pain scores after a single dose of ketamine or fentanyl in patients shortly after being envenomated, followed by continued treatment of pain guided by the treating doctor. There will be no restrictions on additional pain medications given and no other changes to the treatment of these patients during their hospitalization. This research is important because pain after RSE can be difficult to control and may require frequent, high doses of opioids for several days. An effective non-opioid medication would be helpful both to better-control pain and to reduce exposure to opioids in this patient population. This study will compare patient-reported pain scores after receiving a single dose of ketamine or fentanyl in patients with rattlesnake bites who have been admitted to the toxicology service at Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix (BUMCP).

Timeline

Start

2022-06-20

Primary completion

2022-08-27

Completion

2022-08-27

Outcome

Outcome not reported

Stopped (Enrollment): “After 20 months of active enrollment and a lack of qualified/interested subjects, the Investigator, Meghan Spyres, MD, decided to terminate recruitment before meeting the stated enrollment objectives.”

Publications

• Background Karlow N, Schlaepfer CH, Stoll CRT, Doering M, Carpenter CR, Colditz GA, Motov S, Miller J, Schwarz ES. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Ketamine as an Alternative to Opioids for Acute Pain in the Emergency Department. Acad Emerg Med. 2018 Oct;25(10):1086-1097. doi: 10.1111/acem.13502. Epub 2018 Jul 17.
• Background Brandehoff N, Benjamin JM, Balde C, Chippaux JP. Ketamine for pain control of snake envenomation in Guinea: A case series. Toxicon. 2020 Nov;187:82-85. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.08.020. Epub 2020 Sep 3.
• Background Balzer N, McLeod SL, Walsh C, Grewal K. Low-dose Ketamine For Acute Pain Control in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Acad Emerg Med. 2021 Apr;28(4):444-454. doi: 10.1111/acem.14159. Epub 2021 Jan 2.
• Background Andolfatto G, Willman E, Joo D, Miller P, Wong WB, Koehn M, Dobson R, Angus E, Moadebi S. Intranasal ketamine for analgesia in the emergency department: a prospective observational series. Acad Emerg Med. 2013 Oct;20(10):1050-4. doi: 10.1111/acem.12229.
• Background Gallagher EJ, Liebman M, Bijur PE. Prospective validation of clinically important changes in pain severity measured on a visual analog scale. Ann Emerg Med. 2001 Dec;38(6):633-8. doi: 10.1067/mem.2001.118863.

Drugs

Indications