Prehospital Analgesia Interventional Trial (PAIN) to Test Ketamine's Effects on Pain Management

University of Utah Health will be participating in the Prehospital Analgesia Interventional Trial (PAIN), “an initiative aimed at revolutionizing pain management for trauma patients treated by paramedics in prehospital care settings.”

University of Utah Health will “collaborate with emergency medical services (EMS) personnel to administer fentanyl or ketamine through an IV to patients with traumatic injuries before they arrive at University of Utah Hospital.” Opioids such as fentanyl “are commonly used to treat severe pain,” but there are associated risks involved “such as a drop in oxygen levels and blood pressure, slowed breathing, and addiction. Ketamine, which is not an opioid, can be used for pain management at a low dose. Research has shown that it has a low incidence of adverse effects, can improve blood pressure, and is not associated with respiratory depression.”

The trial will “compare fentanyl to ketamine to see if patients experience less pain, side effects, and recover faster with one medication over the other.” The study will enroll about 1,000 adults, and patients at the healthcare sites involved “can opt out in advance if they do not want to participate.”

Providing pain medication to patients with traumatic injuries “as soon as possible is essential to reducing suffering and increasing positive outcomes.”