Personalized epinephrine dosing for children during in-hospital cardiac arrest

Physiology-directed Epinephrine Dosing in Pediatric Cardiac Arrest (PEDICA)

['FUNDING_R01'] · CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA · NIH-11115712

This project gives epinephrine doses based on a child's blood pressure during in-hospital cardiac arrest to try to help doctors restart the heart in children.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_R01']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorCHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA (nih funded)
Locations1 site (PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11115712 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

If your child has a cardiac arrest in the hospital, doctors would use real-time blood pressure readings during CPR to guide how much epinephrine to give. The team will track each child's diastolic blood pressure response to doses and use that physiology to choose personalized dosing rather than a single standard dose for everyone. They will compare outcomes such as whether the heart restarts (return of spontaneous circulation) and survival to hospital discharge. The approach builds on earlier data showing varied blood pressure responses and aims to find dosing that improves outcomes for children.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Children 0–11 years old who experience in-hospital cardiac arrest and receive CPR with arterial blood pressure monitoring would be the intended participants.

Not a fit: This would not apply to out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, adults, or situations where arterial blood pressure cannot be monitored during CPR.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could increase the chances of restarting the heart and surviving to hospital discharge by tailoring epinephrine to a child's physiology.

How similar studies have performed: Early laboratory work and a 2023 clinical study showed variable blood pressure responses to epinephrine and linked larger increases to better immediate outcomes, so this builds on promising but not yet definitive data.

Where this research is happening

PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.