Vaso-occlusive CrisisHAVOCNCT03412045
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Sickle Cell Pain
A study testing hyperbaric oxygen therapy in people with Vaso-occlusive Crisis and Sickle Cell Anemia Crisis, run by University of Nebraska at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Sickle cell anemia is a genetic blood disorder where red blood cells are abnormally shaped, crescent- or sickle-shaped, instead of the normal, round shape. This misshapen cell is rigid and sticky, causing them to clump together and block small blood vessels. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 19 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Vaso-occlusive Crisis, Sickle Cell Anemia Crisis
- What is being tested?
- hyperbaric oxygen therapy
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 8 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Sep 2022to 5 Jun 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 19 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 19 years old or older
- Present with an uncomplicated sickle cell crisis at admission friom the emergency department
Who cannot join
- < 19 years old
- pregnant female
- complicated sickle cell crisis present (i.e., concomitant MI, stroke, acute chest syndrome at time of presentation)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Unversity of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, Nebraska, 68198
About this study
Sickle cell anemia is a genetic blood disorder where red blood cells are abnormally shaped, crescent- or sickle-shaped, instead of the normal, round shape. This misshapen cell is rigid and sticky, causing them to clump together and block small blood vessels. This blockage can lead to pain, infections, and organ damage, and the shortened lifespan of sickle cells causes anemia. The purpose of this study is to explore if hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy would decrease pain and hospital length of stay associated with acute sickle cell pain crisis. Adults presenting with an uncomplicated acute pain crisis (i.e., acute chest syndrome, acute myocardial infarction/stroke) would be eligible. The intervention would be 1-3 hyperbaric oxygen sessions depending on response to therapy. Each treatment session will be approximately two hours in length. Evaluation would be through participants' self--assessment via the visual analog scale for pain level before and after treatments as well as tracking length of stay in the hospital.
Read the detailed description
Sickle cell anemia is a genetic blood disorder where red blood cells are abnormally shaped, crescent- or sickle-shaped, instead of the normal, round shape. This misshapen cell is rigid and sticky, causing them to clump together and block small blood vessels. This blockage can lead to pain, infections, and organ damage, and the shortened lifespan of sickle cells causes anemia. Previous study suggest that hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) may help ameliorate symptoms and have positive effects for sickle cell patients. In addition, although a few studies did discuss pain reduction associated with HBO therapy, results are conflicting, and sample sizes are too small to carry any weight when compared against each other. No information has been gathered to date about how HBO therapy this may affect hospital length of stay. The purpose of this study is to determine if HBO treatment in participants experiencing sickle cell crisis would produce a decrease in pain and decrease in hospital length of stay.
Current standard of care at University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and Nebraska Medicine for patients identified as having sickle cell and experiencing an uncomplicated pain crisis that is not responding to acute treatment in the emergency department over the course of a few hours is to admit the patient to the hematology service. They would receive IV fluid administration, oxygen, and usually large doses of pain medications, until their pain subsides. Patient's complete blood count (CBC) and comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) are monitored during this time for acute changes. Once pain has subsided and no signs of complications such as infection, etc. are found, the patient is discharged with follow up in hematology clinic.
Interventions would be 1-3 hyperbaric oxygen sessions depending on response to the therapy. Each treatment session will be approximately two hours in length. Evaluation would be through participants' self-assessment via the visual analog scale for pain level before and after treatments as well as tracking length of stay in the hospital. Changes in pain ratings will use the visual pain scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is no pain and 100 being maximal pain imaginable for that participant. Pain ratings will be compiled and compared 1 hour before and after each treatment and from daily pain ratings assessed at hospital admission until discharge. Hospital length of stay is recorded for each participant from date of randomization until date of discharge or date of death from any cause and compared to data extracted from the electronic health record system EPIC.
- Conditions
- Vaso-occlusive Crisis, Sickle Cell Anemia Crisis
- Being tested
- hyperbaric oxygen therapy
- Medical subject headings
- Vaso-Occlusive Crises
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
hyperbaric oxygen therapyDevice
Participants in vaso-occlusive crisis from sickle cell anemia will receive 1-3 hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) sessions depending on response to the therapy. Each session will be approximately 2 hours in length at 2.5 ATM. Minimum time between HBO sessions of 4 hours.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| treatment | Experimental | This preliminary study will be a convenience sample of patients admitted to hospital for vaso-occlusive sickle cell crisis to be treated with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO), the intervention, in an effort to ameliorate pain and shorten the length of hospital stay. Receives: Device: hyperbaric oxygen therapy |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Analgesic Received in MME (Morphine Milligram Equivalents)
Comparison of total analgesic administered to patient during control hospital stay versus intervention HBO treatment hospital stay. Each patient serves as their own control. The patient receives HBO treatment during one hospital admission, and the amount of analgesic received is compared to the patient's previous hospital admission.
Measured: admission to discharge
Secondary outcomes (1)
Hospital Length of Stay
Comparison of hospital length of stay in days during control hospital stay versus intervention HBO treatment hospital stay. Each patient serves as their own control. The patient receives HBO treatment during one hospital admission, and that length of stay is compared to the patient's previous hospital admission.
Measured: admission to discharge
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted26 Jan 2018
- Study start1 Sep 2022
- Primary completion5 Jun 2025
- Study completion5 Jun 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Other trials for Vaso-occlusive CrisisStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- This study will use a convenience sample of patients admitted to hospital for vaso-occlusive sickle cell crisis to be treated with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO), the intervention, in an effort to ameliorate pain and shorten the length of hospital stay.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 8 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Nebraska
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Jeff S Cooper, MD, Principal investigator, University of Nebraska
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03412045
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 0003-17-FB
- Acronym
- HAVOC
- Status last verified
- Jun 2025
- First submitted
- 5 Dec 2017
- Last updated
- 28 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Sickle Cell Pain
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03412045
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HAVOC / 0003-17-FB
- Conditions
- Vaso-occlusive Crisis, Sickle Cell Anemia Crisis
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 8 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of NebraskaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Sep 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 5 Jun 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 5 Jun 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 26 Jan 2018 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 28 Jul 2026
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Sickle cell anemia is a genetic blood disorder where red blood cells are abnormally shaped, crescent- or sickle-shaped, instead of the normal, round shape. This misshapen cell is rigid and sticky, causing them to clump together and block small blood vessels. This blockage can lead to pain, infections, and organ damage, and the shortened lifespan of sickle cells causes anemia. The purpose of this study is to explore if hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy would decrease pain and hospital length of stay associated with acute sickle cell pain crisis. Adults presenting with an uncomplicated acute pain crisis (i.e., acute chest syndrome, acute myocardial infarction/stroke) would be eligible. The intervention would be 1-3 hyperbaric oxygen sessions depending on response to therapy. Each treatment session will be approximately two hours in length. Evaluation would be through participants' self--assessment via the visual analog scale for pain level before and after treatments as well as tracking length of stay in the hospital.
Detailed description
Sickle cell anemia is a genetic blood disorder where red blood cells are abnormally shaped, crescent- or sickle-shaped, instead of the normal, round shape. This misshapen cell is rigid and sticky, causing them to clump together and block small blood vessels. This blockage can lead to pain, infections, and organ damage, and the shortened lifespan of sickle cells causes anemia. Previous study suggest that hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) may help ameliorate symptoms and have positive effects for sickle cell patients. In addition, although a few studies did discuss pain reduction associated with HBO therapy, results are conflicting, and sample sizes are too small to carry any weight when compared against each other. No information has been gathered to date about how HBO therapy this may affect hospital length of stay. The purpose of this study is to determine if HBO treatment in participants experiencing sickle cell crisis would produce a decrease in pain and decrease in hospital length of stay.
Current standard of care at University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and Nebraska Medicine for patients identified as having sickle cell and experiencing an uncomplicated pain crisis that is not responding to acute treatment in the emergency department over the course of a few hours is to admit the patient to the hematology service. They would receive IV fluid administration, oxygen, and usually large doses of pain medications, until their pain subsides. Patient's complete blood count (CBC) and comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) are monitored during this time for acute changes. Once pain has subsided and no signs of complications such as infection, etc. are found, the patient is discharged with follow up in hematology clinic.
Interventions would be 1-3 hyperbaric oxygen sessions depending on response to the therapy. Each treatment session will be approximately two hours in length. Evaluation would be through participants' self-assessment via the visual analog scale for pain level before and after treatments as well as tracking length of stay in the hospital. Changes in pain ratings will use the visual pain scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is no pain and 100 being maximal pain imaginable for that participant. Pain ratings will be compiled and compared 1 hour before and after each treatment and from daily pain ratings assessed at hospital admission until discharge. Hospital length of stay is recorded for each participant from date of randomization until date of discharge or date of death from any cause and compared to data extracted from the electronic health record system EPIC.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- This study will use a convenience sample of patients admitted to hospital for vaso-occlusive sickle cell crisis to be treated with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO), the intervention, in an effort to ameliorate pain and shorten the length of hospital stay.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| treatment | Experimental | Device: hyperbaric oxygen therapyThis preliminary study will be a convenience sample of patients admitted to hospital for vaso-occlusive sickle cell crisis to be treated with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO), the intervention, in an effort to ameliorate pain and shorten the length of hospital stay. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 19 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- 19 years old or older
- Present with an uncomplicated sickle cell crisis at admission friom the emergency department
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- < 19 years old
- pregnant female
- complicated sickle cell crisis present (i.e., concomitant MI, stroke, acute chest syndrome at time of presentation)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| hyperbaric oxygen therapyParticipants in vaso-occlusive crisis from sickle cell anemia will receive 1-3 hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) sessions depending on response to the therapy. Each session will be approximately 2 hours in length at 2.5 ATM. Minimum time between HBO sessions of 4 hours. | Device | treatment |
Primary outcome
Analgesic Received in MME (Morphine Milligram Equivalents)
Time frame: admission to discharge
Comparison of total analgesic administered to patient during control hospital stay versus intervention HBO treatment hospital stay. Each patient serves as their own control. The patient receives HBO treatment during one hospital admission, and the amount of analgesic received is compared to the patient's previous hospital admission.
1 secondary outcome
Hospital Length of Stay
Time frame: admission to discharge
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Jul 2026.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Study of Two Doses of Crizanlizumab Versus Placebo in Adolescent and Adult Sickle Cell Disease Patients
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Jeff S Cooper, MD principal investigator
University of Nebraska
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing hyperbaric oxygen therapy in people with Vaso-occlusive Crisis and Sickle Cell Anemia Crisis, run by University of Nebraska at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 28 Jul 2026). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Analgesic Received in MME (Morphine Milligram Equivalents) (time frame: admission to discharge). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Jul 2026.