Post-tonsillectomy PainPhase 4NCT07760207
Topical Magnesium Sulfate Versus Peritonsillar Bupivacaine for Post-Tonsillectomy Pain Relief in Children
A Phase 4 study testing Magnesium Sulfate and Bupivacaine in people with Post-tonsillectomy Pain and Tonsillectomy, run by Assiut University.
Trial summary
Tonsillectomy (tonsil removal) is a very common surgery for children, but it often causes significant throat and ear pain afterward. Doctors usually inject a numbing medicine, such as bupivacaine, into the area around the tonsils to help control this pain. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 8 to 15 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Post-tonsillectomy Pain, Tonsillectomy, Postoperative Pain
- What is being tested?
- Magnesium Sulfate and Bupivacaine
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- Sep 2026to Oct 2027
- Phase
- Phase 4
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 8 to 15 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Pediatric patients aged 8-15 years undergoing elective tonsillectomy.
Who cannot join
- Patients younger than 8 years or older than 15 years.
- Known allergy to magnesium sulfate or bupivacaine.
- Pre-existing neurological disorders (for example, neuromuscular diseases, epilepsy) that could affect pain perception or magnesium metabolism.
- Pre-existing cognitive impairment or developmental delay affecting pain assessment.
- Chronic pain syndromes or regular use of analgesics.
- Coagulopathy or bleeding disorders.
About this study
Official title: Topical Magnesium Sulfate Versus Peritonsillar Bupivacaine Infiltration for Post-Tonsillectomy Analgesia: A Prospective, Randomized Trial
Tonsillectomy (tonsil removal) is a very common surgery for children, but it often causes significant throat and ear pain afterward. Doctors usually inject a numbing medicine, such as bupivacaine, into the area around the tonsils to help control this pain. However, these injections require needles, which can cause swelling, distort tissue, and slightly increase the risk of bleeding or infection, and the pain relief typically only lasts for about 4 to 6 hours.
This study is investigating a needle-free alternative to see if it provides effective pain relief. The researchers are testing a medication called magnesium sulfate, which blocks certain pain receptors and can be applied directly to the surgical site using a soaked gauze pad instead of a needle injection.
Read more
The main goal of this clinical trial is to compare how well topical magnesium sulfate relieves pain compared to standard bupivacaine injections in children undergoing tonsillectomy.
The study will include 40 children between the ages of 8 and 15 years old. During the surgery, while under general anesthesia, half of the children will receive the topical magnesium sulfate pad applied to the surgical area for 5 minutes, and the other half will receive the standard bupivacaine injection. After the surgery, researchers will measure the children's pain levels using visual pain scales featuring faces and numbers. They will also track how much extra pain medication the children need, how well their surgical wounds heal, and if they experience any adverse effects.
Read the detailed description
Postoperative pain following tonsillectomy is a primary cause of morbidity in the pediatric population, frequently leading to "tonsillectomy distress syndrome," which is characterized by severe odynophagia, referred otalgia, and psychological distress. The underlying pathophysiology of this pain is complex, involving both mechanical trauma to the pharyngeal constrictor muscles and the chemical irritation of the vagus and glossopharyngeal nerve endings.
While perioperative analgesia is traditionally managed with local anesthetic infiltration, such as bupivacaine, its analgesic efficacy is typically limited to a short duration of 4 to 6 hours. Furthermore, the physical act of needle infiltration can induce tissue edema, distort surgical planes, and potentially elevate the risk of postoperative complications, including infection and hemorrhage.
Recent advancements in pain management have highlighted the role of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in peripheral tissues, presenting new avenues for non-invasive analgesia. Magnesium sulfate serves as an NMDA receptor antagonist by blocking its calcium channel in a voltage-dependent manner. This trial investigates whether applying magnesium sulfate topically to the tonsillar fossa can provide effective postoperative analgesia without the inherent risks associated with needle infiltration.
To ensure procedural standardization across the study, all tonsillectomies in this prospective, randomized trial will be performed utilizing a cold dissection technique under general anesthesia. Postoperatively, patients will be systematically evaluated to assess pain intensity, mucosal healing via a 5-point fibrin and epithelialization grading scale, and the overall requirement for rescue analgesics.
- Conditions
- Post-tonsillectomy Pain, Tonsillectomy, Postoperative Pain, Tonsillectomy Distress Syndrome, Odynophagia
- Being tested
- Magnesium Sulfate, Bupivacaine
- Keywords
- Tonsillectomy, Magnesium Sulfate, Bupivacaine, Analgesia, Pediatric, Peritonsillar Infiltration
- Medical subject headings
- Pain, Postoperative, Agnosia
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Magnesium SulfateDrug
Topical application via a sterile gauze soaked in 5 mL of 20% magnesium sulfate (2mg/kg) packed into the fossa for 5 minutes post-hemostasis.
BupivacaineDrug
Peritonsillar infiltration involving the injection of 2 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine into the superior, middle, and inferior poles of the peritonsillar space.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Group A: Topical Magnesium Sulfate | Experimental | Participants in this group will have a sterile gauze soaked in 5 mL of 20% magnesium sulfate (2 mg/kg) packed into the tonsillar fossa for 5 minutes post-hemostasis. Receives: Drug: Magnesium Sulfate |
| Group B: Peritonsillar Bupivacaine | Active comparator | Participants in this group will receive an injection of 2 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine directly into the peritonsillar space, specifically at the superior, middle, and inferior poles. Receives: Drug: Bupivacaine |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Postoperative Pain Intensity Assessed by the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale
The Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale is a visual assessment tool that features a series of six cartoon faces showing different emotional expressions to help pediatric patients communicate their pain levels. The scale ranges from a minimum score of 0, which corresponds to a happy, smiling face meaning "No Hurt," to a maximum score of 10, which corresponds to a sad, crying face meaning "Hurts Worst". Higher scores on this scale indicate greater pain intensity, reflecting a worse patient outcome.
Measured: At 24 hours postoperatively
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted12 Aug 2026
- Study startSep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completionSep 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionOct 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Post-tonsillectomy PainStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Assiut UniversityThe 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 4
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Assiut University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Abd El-Rahman Ahmed Aboulwafa, Assiut University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07760207
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Topical MgSO4 vs Bupivacaine
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 7 Aug 2026
- Last updated
- 12 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 12 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Topical Magnesium Sulfate Versus Peritonsillar Bupivacaine Infiltration for Post-Tonsillectomy Analgesia: A Prospective, Randomized Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07760207
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Topical MgSO4 vs Bupivacaine
- Conditions
- Post-tonsillectomy Pain, Tonsillectomy, Postoperative Pain, Tonsillectomy Distress Syndrome, Odynophagia
- Keywords
- Tonsillectomy, Magnesium Sulfate, Bupivacaine, Analgesia, Pediatric, Peritonsillar Infiltration
- Phase
- Phase 4
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Assiut UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Sep 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Oct 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 12 Aug 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Tonsillectomy (tonsil removal) is a very common surgery for children, but it often causes significant throat and ear pain afterward. Doctors usually inject a numbing medicine, such as bupivacaine, into the area around the tonsils to help control this pain. However, these injections require needles, which can cause swelling, distort tissue, and slightly increase the risk of bleeding or infection, and the pain relief typically only lasts for about 4 to 6 hours.
This study is investigating a needle-free alternative to see if it provides effective pain relief. The researchers are testing a medication called magnesium sulfate, which blocks certain pain receptors and can be applied directly to the surgical site using a soaked gauze pad instead of a needle injection.
The main goal of this clinical trial is to compare how well topical magnesium sulfate relieves pain compared to standard bupivacaine injections in children undergoing tonsillectomy.
The study will include 40 children between the ages of 8 and 15 years old. During the surgery, while under general anesthesia, half of the children will receive the topical magnesium sulfate pad applied to the surgical area for 5 minutes, and the other half will receive the standard bupivacaine injection. After the surgery, researchers will measure the children's pain levels using visual pain scales featuring faces and numbers. They will also track how much extra pain medication the children need, how well their surgical wounds heal, and if they experience any adverse effects.
Detailed description
Postoperative pain following tonsillectomy is a primary cause of morbidity in the pediatric population, frequently leading to "tonsillectomy distress syndrome," which is characterized by severe odynophagia, referred otalgia, and psychological distress. The underlying pathophysiology of this pain is complex, involving both mechanical trauma to the pharyngeal constrictor muscles and the chemical irritation of the vagus and glossopharyngeal nerve endings.
While perioperative analgesia is traditionally managed with local anesthetic infiltration, such as bupivacaine, its analgesic efficacy is typically limited to a short duration of 4 to 6 hours. Furthermore, the physical act of needle infiltration can induce tissue edema, distort surgical planes, and potentially elevate the risk of postoperative complications, including infection and hemorrhage.
Recent advancements in pain management have highlighted the role of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in peripheral tissues, presenting new avenues for non-invasive analgesia. Magnesium sulfate serves as an NMDA receptor antagonist by blocking its calcium channel in a voltage-dependent manner. This trial investigates whether applying magnesium sulfate topically to the tonsillar fossa can provide effective postoperative analgesia without the inherent risks associated with needle infiltration.
To ensure procedural standardization across the study, all tonsillectomies in this prospective, randomized trial will be performed utilizing a cold dissection technique under general anesthesia. Postoperatively, patients will be systematically evaluated to assess pain intensity, mucosal healing via a 5-point fibrin and epithelialization grading scale, and the overall requirement for rescue analgesics.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Group A: Topical Magnesium Sulfate | Experimental | Drug: Magnesium SulfateParticipants in this group will have a sterile gauze soaked in 5 mL of 20% magnesium sulfate (2 mg/kg) packed into the tonsillar fossa for 5 minutes post-hemostasis. |
| Group B: Peritonsillar Bupivacaine | Active comparator | Drug: BupivacaineParticipants in this group will receive an injection of 2 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine directly into the peritonsillar space, specifically at the superior, middle, and inferior poles. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 8 to 15 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Pediatric patients aged 8-15 years undergoing elective tonsillectomy.
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Patients younger than 8 years or older than 15 years.
- Known allergy to magnesium sulfate or bupivacaine.
- Pre-existing neurological disorders (for example, neuromuscular diseases, epilepsy) that could affect pain perception or magnesium metabolism.
- Pre-existing cognitive impairment or developmental delay affecting pain assessment.
- Chronic pain syndromes or regular use of analgesics.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Magnesium SulfateTopical application via a sterile gauze soaked in 5 mL of 20% magnesium sulfate (2mg/kg) packed into the fossa for 5 minutes post-hemostasis. | Drug | Group A: Topical Magnesium Sulfate |
| BupivacainePeritonsillar infiltration involving the injection of 2 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine into the superior, middle, and inferior poles of the peritonsillar space. | Drug | Group B: Peritonsillar Bupivacaine |
Primary outcome
Postoperative Pain Intensity Assessed by the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale
Time frame: At 24 hours postoperatively
The Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale is a visual assessment tool that features a series of six cartoon faces showing different emotional expressions to help pediatric patients communicate their pain levels. The scale ranges from a minimum score of 0, which corresponds to a happy, smiling face meaning "No Hurt," to a maximum score of 10, which corresponds to a sad, crying face meaning "Hurts Worst". Higher scores on this scale indicate greater pain intensity, reflecting a worse patient outcome.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 12 Aug 2026.
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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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 4 study testing Magnesium Sulfate and Bupivacaine in people with Post-tonsillectomy Pain and Tonsillectomy, run by Assiut University.
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 1 inclusion and 6 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 12 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
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.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
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?
Postoperative Pain Intensity Assessed by the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (time frame: At 24 hours postoperatively). 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 12 Aug 2026.