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Recruiting NCT06085937

Feasibility and Safety of Ketamine for Suicidal Patients in the Emergency Department

Phase I Interventional Suicide Suicidal Ideation Depression

For patients and families

In plain language

An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.

What is being studied
The protocol lists: Ketamine.
Who it may be relevant to
Registry conditions: Suicide, Suicidal Ideation, Depression. Basic parameters: 18 years — 65 years · All.
What needs checking
Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
Where it takes place
United States
Next step
Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Official title

Feasibility and Safety of Single Dose Ketamine for Acutely Suicidal Patients in the Emergency Department

Overview

There is currently no readily available pharmacologic intervention for suicidal ideation, a true psychiatric emergency, in the Emergency Department (ED). Investigators aim to trial low-dose, intravenous ketamine, a drug with well-established use in treatment-resistant depression, for patients who present to the ED with suicidal ideation.

Detailed description

In this phase one trial, the investigators' objective is to establish the safety and feasibility of the study dose and route of administration, as well as to provide preliminary data on efficacy in reduction of depressive and suicidal symptoms as well as length of stay. Select patients will be given 0.2mg/kg of ketamine IV and observed in the ED for two hours. Vital signs and symptoms will be monitored. Patients will then be transferred to an admitting psychiatric hospital for definitive care as per standard of care. Surveys will be administered at times 0, 2 hours, 24 hours, and 72 hours to assess depressive and suicidal symptoms. ED providers and nursing staff will be asked to complete a short survey assessing ease of use and feasibility for ED administration for this purpose.

Specific aims are as follows:

1. To determine the safety of ketamine as a single IV dose in the ED for acutely suicidal patients. 2. To determine the feasibility of ketamine administration in the ED for the acutely suicidal patient. 3. To determine the impact of ketamine administration on depression and suicidal ideation in the acute phase as measured by the MADRS and C-SSRS. 4. To determine the impact on hospital length of stay calculated from ED arrival until discharge from admitting psychiatric hospital.

Interventions

  • Drug Ketamine
    Patients will receive 0.2mg/kg of IV ketamine

Primary outcome measures

  • Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events [Safety and Tolerability] [Time frame: 2 hours]
  • Provider and Nursing Attitudes toward use of Ketamine for Suicidal Patients in the ED [Feasibility] [Time frame: 2 hours]
Secondary outcome measures (2)
  • Change in Suicidal Ideation [Time frame: 72 hours]
  • Hospital Length of Stay [Time frame: up to 2 weeks]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

  • Acutely Suicidality ("yes" answer to any of items 4 or 5 on C-SSRS "Suicidal Ideation" category)
  • Require inpatient stabilization for SI or actions based on clinical observation and interview
  • Are accepted for psychiatric stabilization at the University of Kansas Medical Center's Strawberry Hill campus
  • Have a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) of 15
  • Age 18-65

Exclusion criteria

  • Current or past history of psychosis
  • Current or recent (past 4 weeks) symptoms of mania/hypomania as defined by Young Mania Rating Scale (YRMS) score of 12 or greater
  • History of ketamine use disorder
  • History of liver transplant
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding
  • Imprisonment or inability to consent
  • Positive urine drug screen or serum alcohol level
  • Hypertension (SBP > 160 or DBP > 100 before administration of ketamine)
  • Hypotension (SBP < 90)
  • Presence of acute medical condition requiring admission to medical service
  • Allergy, intolerance, or previous adverse reaction to ketamine
  • Patient has 8+ lifetime ketamine exposures
  • The treating physician determines that the patient is not a good candidate for the study (e.g. medical condition/procedure, medication that would contradindicate ketamine treatment)

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation
N/A
Model
Single group
Masking
Open label
Primary purpose
Treatment

Study locations

United States · 2 centers
  • University of Kansas Strawberry Hill Campus — Kansas City
  • University of Kansas Medical Center Emergency Department — Kansas City

Identifiers

NCT: NCT06085937 · STUDY00150830

Primary sources (government registries)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗