Optimizing pain relief 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-11408555 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
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 | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $3,444,765 |
| NIH project number | 5U01HD116260-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11408555 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children with acute respiratory failure requiring invasive mechanical ventilation in participating PICUs, likely within 0-11 years old.
✕Less likely to help
Children whose pain is already well-controlled or who have contraindications to acetaminophen or NSAIDs may derive less or no benefit.
What this research studies
This study focuses on very young patients with acute respiratory failure who require invasive mechanical ventilation. Researchers will test a protocol that combines acetaminophen and/or ketorolac with opioids to see if pain episodes decrease and opioid exposure is reduced. The trial design is a large, multi-site, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized study enrolling 644 children across 14 pediatric ICUs. By comparing four treatment arms, the study aims to identify safer and more effective analgesia strategies during critical illness. If successful, the findings could change how pain is managed in critically ill children on ventilation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could reduce pain and opioid exposure for children on MV, potentially lowering risks of opioid-related complications and long-term pain issues.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research suggests benefits of non-opioid adjuvants, but large, definitive trials in this population are limited; this study builds on mixed prior evidence.
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.
-
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.
-
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.
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Optimizing Time-Limited Trials of Ventilation in Acute Respiration Failure
Aimed at patients with acute respiratory failure, this project looks at how short-term trials of life-support in the ICU can be better planned and communicated.
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.