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Acupuncture for Sickle Cell Pain

N/A
Waitlist Available
Led By Deepika Darbari, MD
Research Sponsored by Deepika Darbari
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Subjects with SCD (HbSS, HbSC, HbSβ0 thalassemia, HbSOArab)
Be younger than 65 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up duration of the study upto 5 years
Awards & highlights

Study Summary

This trial will study whether acupuncture is an acceptable and feasible treatment for sickle cell disease patients who are hospitalized for pain, and whether it reduces their use of opioids and has an impact on their circulating cytokines and neuropeptides.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for individuals with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) who are hospitalized for pain management and can give informed consent. It's not suitable for pregnant or lactating women, those with serious infections like osteomyelitis, acute chest syndrome needing oxygen, or skin conditions preventing acupuncture.Check my eligibility
What is being tested?
The study is exploring the use of acupuncture as an additional treatment to reduce pain in patients with SCD. The goal is to see if it's a feasible option that patients accept and whether it affects opioid usage and certain blood markers related to pain.See study design
What are the potential side effects?
Acupuncture may cause minor side effects such as soreness, bleeding or bruising at needle sites, dizziness, fainting, and rarely infection. However, many find it less invasive than other medical procedures.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below
Select...
I have sickle cell disease (SCD) such as HbSS, HbSC, HbSβ0 thalassemia, or HbSOArab.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~duration of the study upto 5 years
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and duration of the study upto 5 years for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Outcome measures can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary outcome measures
Recruitment ratio
Secondary outcome measures
Opioid use in morphine milligram equivalents (MME)
Other outcome measures
Concentration of circulating cytokines and neuropeptides

Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Treatment ArmExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Acupuncture will be provided up to once daily for one or more days till the day of discharge or 5 days, whichever occurs first. Patients will continue to receive their standard pain management regime including IV opioids, ketorolac and fluids. Minimum number of sessions received by the acupuncture group will be one.
Group II: Control ArmActive Control1 Intervention
Standard of care for SCD patients who are hospitalized for acute pain and typically includes IV opioids, ketorolac and fluids.

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

Deepika DarbariLead Sponsor
Deepika Darbari, MDPrincipal InvestigatorChildren's National Research Institute

Media Library

acupuncture Clinical Trial Eligibility Overview. Trial Name: NCT04122378 — N/A
Sickle Cell Disease Research Study Groups: Treatment Arm, Control Arm
Sickle Cell Disease Clinical Trial 2023: acupuncture Highlights & Side Effects. Trial Name: NCT04122378 — N/A
acupuncture 2023 Treatment Timeline for Medical Study. Trial Name: NCT04122378 — N/A

Frequently Asked Questions

These questions and answers are submitted by anonymous patients, and have not been verified by our internal team.

Are individuals aged 35+ eligible for admission to this research project?

"The age range for enrolment into this clinical trial is 8 to 22 years old, as outlined in the eligibility criteria."

Answered by AI

Can I join the research study based on my qualifications?

"Eligible candidates are aged 8 to 22 and have the diagnosis of anemia and sickle cell. 50 participants will be chosen for this clinical trial in total."

Answered by AI

Is access to this research available for potential participants?

"As per clinicaltrials.gov, this medical research is no longer recruiting participants. It debuted on October 23rd 2018 and was last modified on July 21st 2022. However, there are still 198 other active trials that are actively looking for volunteers at the current moment in time."

Answered by AI
~11 spots leftby Oct 2025