Improving pain management for children on mechanical ventilation
Official title: Optimizing Pain Treatment In Children On Mechanical ventilation (OPTICOM)
Funded at Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · NIH-10990648 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how to help manage pain better for kids on breathing machines by testing if adding non-opioid medicines like acetaminophen and ketorolac can help them feel more comfortable while using fewer stronger painkillers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 5, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $3,421,461 |
| NIH project number | 1U01HD116260-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10990648 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 0-11 years who are experiencing acute respiratory failure and require mechanical ventilation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not undergoing mechanical ventilation or are outside the age range of 0-11 years may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how to better manage pain in children who require mechanical ventilation due to acute respiratory failure. It aims to find out if adding non-opioid medications like acetaminophen and ketorolac can improve pain control while reducing the need for opioids. The study will involve 644 children across 14 pediatric intensive care units, where participants will be randomly assigned to receive either the non-opioid treatments or a placebo. By focusing on a protocolized approach to pain management, the research seeks to enhance the overall care and recovery of these vulnerable patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved pain control and reduced opioid use in children undergoing mechanical ventilation.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have indicated that non-opioid adjuvant therapies can be effective in managing pain, but this specific approach in the pediatric population on mechanical ventilation is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Traube, Chani — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Traube, Chani
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Advancing Acute Respiratory Infection Care for Kids on Home Ventilators
This grant aims to improve how doctors and families manage acute respiratory infections in children who rely on invasive long-term home ventilation.
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A Tablet-Based Emotion Regulation Program for Surrogate Decision-Makers of ICU Patients on Ventilation
A randomized trial tests a brief tablet program to help people who decide for ICU patients on ventilation feel less anxious and make better decisions.
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Optimizing pain relief for children on mechanical ventilation
A large, multi-site trial tests whether adding non-opioid pain medicines to standard opioid care can reduce pain and lower opioid use in children on breathing machines in PICUs.
-
Role of titin in diaphragm weakness during mechanical ventilation
This grant studies how the diaphragm’s core proteins work together, especially titin and myosin, to understand why diaphragm weakness happens during mechanical ventilation.
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Time-limited trials to guide invasive ventilation decisions
A scientific team is testing how short, structured trials of life-support in ICU patients with acute respiratory failure can help patients and families choose the best path.
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How breathing machines can harm the kidneys
Doctors will look at how ventilators change kidney filtering and salt handling in people who are critically ill to help prevent kidney damage.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.