Study Design
The present study was a randomized, double-blind clinical trial with parallel design and a 1:1 allocation ratio in the intranasal ketamine and intravenous ketorolac groups. The study was conducted based on the CONSORT guidelines.
Sample and sampling method
The study population included all patients with non - traumatic acute headaches referred to Imam Reza Hospital based in Kermanshah, Iran. The sample size is calculated according to Meredith et al.s' and Zitek et al.s' studies with the confidence level of 95% and the test power of 80% (17, 18). The number of samples required in each group was 35 subjects. In order to increase the reliability and ensure sufficient study power, 70 subjects were assigned to each group. Thus, 140 subjects in total were considered in the study. Among these samples, 70 were considered for the ketamine intranasal intervention group and 70 for the intravenous ketorolac intervention group. The inclusion criteria were primary (Migraine, tension, and cluster)(19), being in the 18–65 age group, with self-reported severity of 4 or greater on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (0–10), and willingness to participate in the study. Exclusion criteria were weight < 45 kg or > 115 kg, vital sign abnormalities including heart rate < 50 beats/min or > 150 beats/min, systolic blood pressure < 80 or > 200 mm Hg, oxygen saturation < 92%, or respiratory rate < 8 or > 30 breaths/min, patient with a history of alcohol abuse, intracranial hypertension, ischemic heart disease, human immunodeficiency virus or immunosuppression, a renal disease requiring dialysis, liver disease, poorly controlled thyroid disease, active bleeding, or current use of anticoagulants (20). Also, patients with Functional neurological disorder (FND), headache with an impaired level of consciousness, headaches with comorbidity, pregnant and lactating women were excluded from our study.
Measurement instrument
The study instrument included a questionnaire consisting of 3 parts. The first part was related to the demographic information (including age, sex, history of drug sensitivity, and history of headache). In the second part, the heart rate, blood pressure, fatigue, dizziness, general discomfort, and nausea were recorded one hour after the intervention. The third section was devoted to recording patients' pain scales based on VAS before prescribing the drug, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, and 120 minutes after receiving the drug. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) is the same pain ruler with a horizontal line graded from 0 to 10 (21). VAS is the most widely used and easiest means of measuring the pain in the world, whose validity and reliability, both English and Persian versions, have been reviewed and approved in previous studies(22,23). 0 non-pain, 1-3 mild pain, 4-6 moderate pain, 9-7 severe pain, and 10 indicate the most severe pain according to this tool (24,25).
Intervention
Approval was first obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), and then sampling was conducted. After taking a history and physical examination of patients by the emergency medicine resident and evaluation them in terms of inclusion and exclusion criteria, qualified samples were entered into the study. The sampling method was simple random. After identifying the qualified patients, they were randomly assigned a specific three-digit code. The last digit on the right of the three-digit code determined the patient's group. If this number was 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, patients belonged to the intravenous ketorolac group, and if it was 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9, they it belonged to the intranasal ketamine group. Thus, 70 people were assigned to the intranasal ketamine group, and 70 people were assigned to the intravenous ketorolac group. At first, the socio-demographic information form and the pain intensity of the patients were completed and recorded. After a practiced nurse placed the IV, ketorolac-treated patients received 30 mg IV ketorolac, and ketamine -treated patients received 0.75 mg/kg (maximum 75 mg) intranasal ketamine via a MAD Nasal™ intranasal mucosal atomization device affixed to a 10-cc syringe (Teleflex Medical Europe Ltd, Westmeath, Ireland) (20, 26). A specific medication was prepared, and its dose was determined by the triage nurse based on the patient's code. It was administered by the emergency physician, who was unaware of the study protocol. Subjects allocated to the intranasal ketamine arm received 1000 mL of normal saline in a bag identical to that administered to the intravenous ketorolac arm for subject blinding. Subjects in the intravenous ketorolac arm also inhaled a dose of atomized intranasal saline (0.015 mL/kg, maximum 1.5 mL) via a MAD Nasal™ intranasal mucosal atomization device affixed to a 10-cc syringe (Teleflex Medical Europe Ltd, Westmeath, Ireland). We did not blind nursing staff to the patients' medications, though we did blind patients and investigators.
Outcome
The VAS (from 0 cm: painless to 10 cm: the most severe pain) was used to measure the pain. On arrival, 30, 60, and 120 minutes after intervention, the sheet containing VAS was given to patients and asked to mark their level of pain. Also, the side effects of the drugs were recorded one hour after the intervention. The patients were asked to report if they have any side effects. These side effects included fatigue, dizziness, general discomfort, and nausea (20, 27). In addition to these side effects, increased heart rate and blood pressure were measured and recorded (28). The patients also were asked to inform the investigator if they have any other unpleasant sensation.
Data Analysis
Data analysis was performed with descriptive statistics (mean, percentage and standard deviation), and analytical statistics Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Mann-Whitney U test), and SPSS statistical software version 18.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). First, the normality of the data was investigated by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. In order to compare the pain severity in different time ranges, repeated measures of ANOVA, and to compare the side effects between the two groups, t-test was used. The significance level was set at < 0.05.
Ethical considerations
Approval was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences with reference number: IR.KUMS.REC.1398.068, and also registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials on 29 September 2019, with the registration number: IRCT20180108038276N3, and URL:( https://en.irct.ir/trial/41516 ). Details of the study included the aim, intervention process, and confidentiality of the explicitly described information to all subjects. Subjects that were willing to participate in this study entered the study after obtaining written consent.