Morphine or Ketamine for Analgesia

Pain is common in children presenting to the emergency department but is frequently undertreated, leading to both short- and long-term consequences. Morphine is the standard treatment for children with moderate to severe acute pain, but its use is associated with serious side effects and caregiver and clinician concerns related to opioid administration. The investigators aim to determine if sub-dissociative ketamine is non-inferior to morphine for treating acute pain and a preferable alternative for treating acute pain in children because of its more favorable side effect profile and potential long-term benefits related to pain-related function, analgesic use/misuse, and mental and behavioral health outcomes.

NCT Number	NCT06835504
Lead Sponsor	Columbia University Collaborators: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Conditions	Abdominal Pain, Isolated Extremity Fracture, Pain, Pediatrics
Enrollment	1,010 participants
Start Date	2026-09-01
Primary Completion	2029-08-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2030-02-28 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-06-09