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IV Acetaminophen vs IV Morphine for Pain Control in Pregnant Women

Not Applicable
Terminated
Conditions
Pain Management in Pregnant Women
Interventions
Registration Number
NCT02267772
Lead Sponsor
The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
Brief Summary

Purpose: To determine if IV acetaminophen can 1) decrease pain in pregnancy women, 2)reduce the amount of opioid use in pregnant women who encounter pain, 3) reduce maternal and fetal adverse effects compared to opioids.

Design: This is a comparative effective trial that is a randomized, controlled trial of IV acetaminophen vs. IV morphine in pregnant women.

Procedures: Women meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria will be randomized to IV acetaminophen or IV morphine. The IV acetaminophen group will get up to four standard doses of IV acetaminophen during their stay at the hospital. The second group will get up to six standard doses of morphine. Subjects will complete a pain scale after medication administration and will be asked about any side effects.

Detailed Description

Rationale for this clinical trial The goal of analgesia in pregnancy is to reduce pain while minimizing both maternal and fetal adverse effects. Current opioids used in pregnancy provide minimal pain relief and are associated with adverse effects. IV acetaminophen has been shown to significantly improve pain control following cesarean section and in the first stage of labor. Moreover, IV acetaminophen reduces the need and consumption of opioids following surgery. If IV acetaminophen can be as effective in controlling pain associated with maternal medical conditions and uterine contractions with labor, then the use of parenteral opioids in pregnant women and its exposure to the fetus could be reduced. This could provide new opportunities in the medical management of pain in pregnancy. Thus we propose a comparative effectiveness trial of IV acetaminophen compared to IV morphine.

Hypothesis:

We hypothesize that IV acetaminophen is as effective as IV morphine in reducing pain in pregnant women. In doing so, IV acetaminophen can reduce the amount of narcotics needed in women with pain.

Objectives:

To determine if IV acetaminophen can:

1. Decrease pain in pregnant women

2. Reduce the amount of opioid use in pregnant women who encounter pain

3. Reduce maternal and fetal adverse effects compared to opioids

Study Design:

For this comparative effective trial, we propose a randomized, controlled trial of IV acetaminophen vs. IV morphine in pregnant women. Prior studies have confirmed that IV acetaminophen is effective in controlling pain compared to placebo.\[14,20\] Thus, administering just a placebo for pain control is not justified at this time.

We will include 3 different groups of pregnant populations who encounter pain for different reasons.

Group 1: Pregnant women with uterine contractions, but not in labor Group 2: Pregnant women with uterine contractions in the first stage of labor Group 3: Pregnant women with a medical condition associated with pain.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
TERMINATED
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
163
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
IV morphineIV MorphineIV morphine for pain control
IV AcetaminophenIV AcetaminophenIV acetaminophen for pain control
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in Pain Intensity as Assessed by a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)baseline, 120 minutes after administration

The visual analogue scale (VAS) ranges from 0mm to 140mm. The subject will be asked to mark with a pen on the scale to rate their pain. Negative differences in scores indicated a pain score worse than baseline and positive differences indicated an improved pain score from baseline.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Pain Relief Based on a 5 Point Verbal Scale24 hrs
Number of Participants Who Received Rescue Medications24 hours after administration
Quantity of Rescue Medication Over 24 Hours24 hours after administration
Total Amount of Study Drug Administered24 hours after administration
Patient's Global Satisfaction at 24 Hours24hrs

This will be patient reported.

Number of Participants With Maternal Side Effects1 hour after administration

Maternal side effects include nausea, vomiting, headache, pruritus, insomnia, and drowsiness.

Number of Participants With Fetal Heart Rate Changes1 hour after administration

Changes in fetal heart rate tracing include acceleration, decelerations, and variability.

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

Lyndon B Johnson Hospital

🇺🇸

Houston, Texas, United States

Memorial Hermann Hospital, Texas Medical Center

🇺🇸

Houston, Texas, United States

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