First Participant Enrolled in CARES for Kids Surgical Pain Management Study

The first patient for the CARES for Kids Study was recruited at the University of Michigan. CARES for Kids is a pragmatic, randomized clinical trial that compares two commonly prescribed analgesic regimens on key outcomes after surgery.

The CARES for Kids study is being conducted across four major sites in the United States: the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Children's Hospital Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California; Nationwide Children's Hospital in Toledo, Ohio; and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, with each playing a critical role in advancing research to enhance pain management for adolescents and young adults after surgery.

These sites were selected to recruit patients aged 12-20 undergoing three common outpatient surgical procedures including tonsil removal (tonsillectomy), knee scope (arthrosocpy), and gallbladder removal (laparoscopic cholecystectomy) to examine which pain medication regimen leads to the best outcomes.

Participants in CARES for Kids are randomized to receive one set of prescriptions that includes common pain relievers such as acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofenin, or a similar set of prescrpitions plus a low-dose of opioids and followed for one year.

A key milestone with first participant enrolled in CARES for Kids, the study anticipates recruiting a total of 900 participants. Learn more about the study at cares4kids.org