Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a severe hemoglobinopathy, characterized by recurrent vaso-occlusive crises (VOC) causing intense pain and frequent hospitalizations in adult patients. Current French and British guidelines recommend rapid administration of strong opioids, primarily through patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), as the reference treatment for hospitalized patients experiencing VOC. However, opioid use is associated with dose-dependent adverse effects, including nausea, constipation, pruritus, sedation, and hypoventilation, the latter representing a risk factor for acute chest syndrome. The hypothesis underlying this study is that multimodal analgesia-combining morphine PCA with co-analgesics such as paracetamol-can significantly reduce morphine consumption during hospitalization compared to opioid-only analgesia, while maintaining effective pain control. Although several co-analgesic agents (paracetamol, NSAIDs, nefopam, tramadol, ketamine) are recommended by expert guidelines, including those from the American Society of Hematology (2020) and French recommendations (2025), the level of evidence supporting their use in adult sickle cell patients remains low or non-existent for most agents, with no randomized controlled trials available for nefopam, tramadol, or ketamine. Using an adaptive platform design, this trial aims to compare multiple analgesic strategies against standard opioid-based care, generating higher-quality evidence to optimize pain management protocols for adult patients experiencing VOC
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
400
Participants receive intravenous paracetamol and morphine via PCA. In case of hyperalgic VOC, low-dose ketamine may be added as a co-analgesic, off-label, according to the treating physician's judgment.
Participants receive intravenous paracetamol and morphine via patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). In case of hyperalgic VOC, morphine dosage may be increased according to the treating physician's judgment
Participants receive intravenous paracetamol, morphine via PCA, and nefopam. In case of hyperalgic VOC, morphine dosage may be increased according to the treating physician's judgment.
Participants receive intravenous paracetamol, morphine via PCA, and nefopam. In case of hyperalgic VOC, low-dose ketamine may be added as a co-analgesic, off-label, according to the treating physician's judgment.
Participants receive intravenous paracetamol, morphine via PCA, and tramadol. In case of hyperalgic VOC, morphine dosage may be increased according to the treating physician's judgment.
Participants receive intravenous paracetamol, morphine via PCA, and tramadol. In case of hyperalgic VOC, low-dose ketamine may be added as a co-analgesic, off-label, according to the treating physician's judgment.
Participants receive intravenous paracetamol, morphine via PCA, and ketoprofen. In case of hyperalgic VOC, morphine dosage may be increased according to the treating physician's judgment.
Participants receive intravenous paracetamol, morphine via PCA, and ketoprofen. In case of hyperalgic VOC, low-dose ketamine may be added as a co-analgesic, off-label, according to the treating physician's judgment.
Time to resolution of vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC)
Time to resolution of vaso-occlusive crisis is defined as the time from randomization to discontinuation of intravenous opioid therapy, measured in hours.
Time frame: Up to 14 days after randomization.
Intravenous Morphine Consumption
Cumulative dose (mg) and mean daily dose (mg/day) of intravenous morphine.
Time frame: From admission to discharge, assessed up to 14 dayss)
Transfusion Requirements
Number of red blood cell units transfused.
Time frame: From admission to discharge, assessed up to 14 days
Intensive Care Unit Admission
Admission to intensive care unit during hospitalization.
Time frame: From admission to discharge, assessed up to 14 days
Morphine-Related Adverse Effects
Constipation, sedation (impaired consciousness requiring opioid discontinuation or naloxone administration), vomiting, and secondary acute chest syndrome (new pulmonary infiltrate associated with a clinical sign such as fever, or a respiratory sign such as chest pain or dyspnea).
Time frame: Within 3 months (+/- 15 days)
Length of Hospital Stay
Duration of hospitalization, measured in days
Time frame: From admission to discharge, assessed up to 14 days
Hyperalgic Vaso-Occlusive Crisis
Uncontrolled pain requiring morphine titration \>1 mg/kg or total intravenous morphine consumption \>2 mg/kg/24h.
Time frame: from randomization to discontinuation of intravenous opioid therapy Up to 14 days
Refractory Vaso-Occlusive Crisis
Visual analog scale (VAS) score \>7/10 after administration of study treatments and a new morphine titration (1 mg/kg).
Time frame: From randomization to discontinuation of intravenous opioid therapy Up to 14 days
Adverse Effects of Investigational Medicinal Products
Including nefopam (seizure); NSAIDs (acute kidney injury, KDIGO stage \>0; gastrointestinal or other bleeding); tramadol (seizure, liver function abnormalities, impaired consciousness with GCS \<14/15); ketamine (liver function abnormalities, hallucinations, impaired consciousness with GCS \<14/15, venous access complications).
Time frame: Within 3 months (+/- 15 days)
In-Hospital Mortality
Death occurring during hospitalization.
Time frame: Duration of hospital stay, assessed up to 14 days
Unplanned Readmission
Unplanned hospital readmission within 3 months following the index hospitalization.
Time frame: Within 3 months (+/- 15 days) after discharge
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