Ketamine vs. Placebo as Adjunctive Therapies for Severe Alcohol Withdrawal

Withdrawn before enrolling · Phase 4 · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Alcohol Withdrawal

In brief

This study is designed to evaluate the addition of ketamine to dexmedetomidine as adjunctive therapies of severe alcohol withdrawal in medical ICU patients. Specifically, this study will assess whether the combination of ketamine and dexmedetomidine reduces the doses of conventional agents used for alcohol withdrawal while maintaining patient comfort and safety and will explore if the combination alters the expression of catecholamines in the serum over time.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT02823977

Run by

University of Colorado, Denver

People needed

0

Starts

2018-02-01

Expected to finish

2018-12-01

Last updated by the study team

2018-01-19

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 85. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Severe alcohol withdrawal defined by a CIWA score ≥ 15 and the need for at least 16 mg of lorazepam equivalents over a four-hour period. All benzodiazepine and barbiturate doses, whether oral or intravenous, will contribute to the cumulative amount using the following conversion: 1 mg lorazepam = 2 mg midazolam = 7.5 mg clorazepate = 15 mg phenobarbital.
• Patients receiving standard therapy for severe alcohol withdrawal according to the UCH-specific, symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal protocol in the ICU (or admission to the ICU is anticipated). Lorazepam is the preferred benzodiazepine agent for patients requiring ICU admission due to alcohol withdrawal.
• Informed consent within 36 hours of qualifying for the study.

You may not qualify if…

• Patients < 18 years of age or > 85 years of age.
• Patients receiving benzodiazepine therapy for purposes other than alcohol withdrawal (e.g. sedation, seizure control other than alcohol withdrawal).
• Patients with alcohol withdrawal not requiring ICU admission.
• Patients receiving epidural administration of medication(s).
• Comatose patients by metabolic or neurologic affectation.
• Patients with active myocardial ischemia or second- or third-degree heart block.
• Patients with Child-Pugh score of C.
• Moribund state with planned withdrawal of life support.
• Patient pending transfer to another facility.
• Patients with known or suspected severe adverse reactions to dexmedetomidine (or clonidine) or ketamine.
• Pregnant females or females suspected of being pregnant.
• Prisoners or active parolees.
• Previous study participation.
• Patients already receiving ketamine for alcohol withdrawal. Patients receiving dexmedetomidine will be excluded if the infusion exceeds 1 µg/kg per hour for more than two hours or any rate for a cumulative duration of 12 hours.

Where it is running

• University of Colorado Hospital — Aurora, Colorado, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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