HealthyPhase 1/2NCT04959812
Analgesics in the Pre-hospital Setting: Implications on Hemorrhage Tolerance - Sufentanil
A Phase 1/2 study testing Sufentanil in people with Healthy, run by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at 2 sites in United States.
Trial summary
This study will examine how sufentanil (a commonly used pain medication) will alter responses to simulated blood loss in humans. To simulate blood loss in the research laboratory, participants will complete a test with their lower body in a custom-designed vacuum chamber for a brief period of time. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 45 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Healthy
- What is being tested?
- Sufentanil
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 46 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Mar 2022to 8 Sep 2023
- Phase
- Phase 1/2
- 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 18 to 45 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- 18-45 years of age
- Healthy
- Non-obese (body mass index less than 30 kg/m2)
- Body mass greater than or equal to 65 kg
- Speak English
Who cannot join
- Subjects not in the defined age range
- Subjects who have cardiac, respiratory, neurological and/or metabolic illnesses
- Any known history of renal or hepatic insufficiency/disease
- Pregnancy or breast feeding
- Body mass less than 65 kg
- Current smokers, as well as individuals who regularly smoked within the past 3 years
Show all 9Show fewer
- Subjects who cannot speak or read English
- Positive urine drug screen
- Currently taking pain modifying medication(s)
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country.
United States2 sites
Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine
Dallas, Texas, 75231
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, Texas, 75390
About this study
This study will examine how sufentanil (a commonly used pain medication) will alter responses to simulated blood loss in humans. To simulate blood loss in the research laboratory, participants will complete a test with their lower body in a custom-designed vacuum chamber for a brief period of time.
Read the detailed description
Pain management on the battlefield is critical for the wellbeing of the soldier. Given that a hemorrhagic injury on the battlefield is virtually always associated with pain, it is paramount that the selected pain medication does not disrupt appropriate physiological mechanisms that are beneficial towards the maintenance of blood pressure and vital organ blood flow during that hemorrhagic insult. Current guidelines for the selection of pain medications of a hemorrhaging soldier are based upon limited scientific evidence, with the vast majority of supporting studies being conducted on anesthetized animals. Thus, the interaction between hemorrhagic shock and pain medications commonly employed on the battlefield is yet to be determined in the conscious humans.
This study will test the hypothesis that sufentanil will impair the capacity for a conscious human to tolerate a hemorrhagic insult.
The obtained data will provide the necessary scientific evidence in humans to support the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (CoTCCC) guidelines on the analgesic of choice for moderate to severe injuries where the casualty is in hemorrhagic shock. Notably, such data will identify the analgesic that least compromises a human's ability to tolerate a hemorrhagic insult, ultimately providing critical information to the combat medic on which analgesic should be employed for such an injury.
- Conditions
- Healthy
- Being tested
- Sufentanil, Placebo
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
SufentanilDrug
Subjects will receive Sufentanil while the effects of this drug on tolerance to a hemorrhagic insult will be assessed.
PlaceboOther
Subjects will receive a placebo pill while the effects of this placebo on tolerance to a hemorrhagic insult will be assessed.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Sufentanil | Experimental | Sufentanil (30 microgram tablet) will be administered via a sublingual pill Receives: Drug: Sufentanil |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Placebo will be administered via a sublingual pill Receives: Other: Placebo |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Tolerance to Simulated Hemorrhage
Tolerance to a simulated hemorrhagic challenge will be assessed, for both the placebo and sufentanil limbs, by causing progressive central hypovolemia via lower-body negative pressure. This progressive lower-body negative pressure (LBNP) challenge will be performed until the onset of syncopal symptoms (defined as: profound bradycardia, a precipitous drop in arterial blood pressure and accompanying narrowing of pulse pressure, a sustained systolic blood pressure less than 80 mmHg, and/or subjective symptoms such as light-headedness, sweating, nausea, or dizziness). The primary variable will be the quantification of lower-body negative pressure that is required to cause these symptoms. This quantification will be objectively measured via a cumulative stress index which is calculated as the sum of the product of the LBNP level and the duration of each level, until test termination (i.e., 40 mmHg x 3 min + 50 mmHg x 3 min, etc).
Measured: 6 hours
Secondary outcomes (1)
Pain Assessment
Pain assessments will be conducted using a digital algometer to obtain maximum pain thresholds caused by pressure. This pain assessment technique is conducted by applying the tip of a hand-held digital algometer on the subject's digit. Force is gradually increased and the peak force is recorded when the subject first reports a painful sensation. Removal of the pressure from the algometer immediately relieves the painful sensation and the subject can voluntarily stop the test at any time. This assessment will be performed when the subject has received placebo and sufentanil.
Measured: 6 hours
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Jul 2021
- Study start1 Mar 2022
- Primary completion8 Sep 2023
- Study completion8 Sep 2023
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 HealthyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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 1/2
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 46 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Craig Crandall, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04959812
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STU-2021-0579
- Status last verified
- Jun 2025
- First submitted
- 29 Jun 2021
- Last updated
- 26 Jun 2025
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 26 Jun 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Analgesics in the Pre-hospital Setting: Implications on Hemorrhage Tolerance - Sufentanil
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04959812
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- STU-2021-0579
- Conditions
- Healthy
- Phase
- Phase 1/2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 46 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Mar 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 8 Sep 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 8 Sep 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 13 Jul 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 11 Jul 2024
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will examine how sufentanil (a commonly used pain medication) will alter responses to simulated blood loss in humans. To simulate blood loss in the research laboratory, participants will complete a test with their lower body in a custom-designed vacuum chamber for a brief period of time.
Detailed description
Pain management on the battlefield is critical for the wellbeing of the soldier. Given that a hemorrhagic injury on the battlefield is virtually always associated with pain, it is paramount that the selected pain medication does not disrupt appropriate physiological mechanisms that are beneficial towards the maintenance of blood pressure and vital organ blood flow during that hemorrhagic insult. Current guidelines for the selection of pain medications of a hemorrhaging soldier are based upon limited scientific evidence, with the vast majority of supporting studies being conducted on anesthetized animals. Thus, the interaction between hemorrhagic shock and pain medications commonly employed on the battlefield is yet to be determined in the conscious humans.
This study will test the hypothesis that sufentanil will impair the capacity for a conscious human to tolerate a hemorrhagic insult.
The obtained data will provide the necessary scientific evidence in humans to support the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (CoTCCC) guidelines on the analgesic of choice for moderate to severe injuries where the casualty is in hemorrhagic shock. Notably, such data will identify the analgesic that least compromises a human's ability to tolerate a hemorrhagic insult, ultimately providing critical information to the combat medic on which analgesic should be employed for such an injury.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Sufentanil | Experimental | Drug: SufentanilSufentanil (30 microgram tablet) will be administered via a sublingual pill |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Other: PlaceboPlacebo will be administered via a sublingual pill |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 45 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- 18-45 years of age
- Healthy
- Non-obese (body mass index less than 30 kg/m2)
- Body mass greater than or equal to 65 kg
- Speak English
Key exclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Subjects not in the defined age range
- Subjects who have cardiac, respiratory, neurological and/or metabolic illnesses
- Any known history of renal or hepatic insufficiency/disease
- Pregnancy or breast feeding
- Body mass less than 65 kg
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 |
|---|---|---|
| SufentanilSubjects will receive Sufentanil while the effects of this drug on tolerance to a hemorrhagic insult will be assessed. | Drug | Sufentanil |
| PlaceboSubjects will receive a placebo pill while the effects of this placebo on tolerance to a hemorrhagic insult will be assessed. | Other | Placebo |
Primary outcome
Tolerance to Simulated Hemorrhage
Time frame: 6 hours
Tolerance to a simulated hemorrhagic challenge will be assessed, for both the placebo and sufentanil limbs, by causing progressive central hypovolemia via lower-body negative pressure. This progressive lower-body negative pressure (LBNP) challenge will be performed until the onset of syncopal symptoms (defined as: profound bradycardia, a precipitous drop in arterial blood pressure and accompanying narrowing of pulse pressure, a sustained systolic blood pressure less than 80 mmHg, and/or subjective symptoms such as light-headedness, sweating, nausea, or dizziness). The primary variable will be the quantification of lower-body negative pressure that is required to cause these symptoms. This quantification will be objectively measured via a cumulative stress index which is calculated as the sum of the product of the LBNP level and the duration of each level, until test termination (i.e., 40 mmHg x 3 min + 50 mmHg x 3 min, etc).
1 secondary outcome
Pain Assessment
Time frame: 6 hours
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 26 Jun 2025.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 1/2 study testing Sufentanil in people with Healthy, run by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at 2 sites 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 5 inclusion and 9 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 26 Jun 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this combined phase mean?
Phase 1 studies test a treatment in a small group of people for the first time or in a new way, mainly to check safety and find the right dose.
Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 11 Jul 2024). 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?
Tolerance to Simulated Hemorrhage (time frame: 6 hours). 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 26 Jun 2025.