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RecruitingNCT06980727Updated Nov 3, 2026

Comparative Efficacy of IV Dexamethasone vs. Nebulized Terbutaline for Renal Colic Pain in the ED

A Phase 3 interventional study of Terbutaline 2.5 mg and Dexamethasone in Renal Colic, sponsored by University of Monastir. Recruiting at 1 site in Tunisia. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-03.

Sponsored by University of Monastir · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Aug 2026; still recruiting 3 months later.
Updated Nov 3, 2026Now RecruitingSite recruiting status changedGo to Updates ↓
Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
500
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Adult patients (18-55 years of age) with clinical diagnosis of acute renal colic (sudden sharp colic flank pain with or without radiation to genitalia or groin and with or without urinary symptoms) who had pain score of 5 or more measured by 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS), will be included. Will be excluded those who had history of cardiovascular, hepatic, renal or metabolic diseases, patients with evidence of sepsis or clinical suspicion of urinary tract infection, hemodynamically unstable patients (systolic blood pressure \<90 mmHg), patients with uncontrolled diabetes, pregnancy, breastfeeding, patients unable to understand verbal and/or written information, patients receiving analgesics within 6 hours before presentation, serum potassium less than 3.7 mmol/l, concomitant use of any beta blockers (including beta-blocker containing eye drops), prolonged-release long-acting β-agonists, use of short-acting β2-agonists within the 6 h preceding presentation to the emergency department, any contraindication to the use of terbutaline, history of drug dependence or chronic consumption of alcohol. Will be also excluded patients with known allergy to paracetamol or terbutaline, patients with abdominal tenderness as a sign of peritoneal inflammation and those with any clinical suspicion for diseases other than urolithiasis, including abdominal aortic aneurysm or dissection.

02

Conditions studied

  • Renal Colic

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Keywords

  • Renal Colic
  • Dexamethasone
03

In context

Renal Colic

79 studies on the registry are indexed under Renal Colic; 10 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 500 is above the median of 118 across 60 interventional studies indexed under Renal Colic.

Browse Renal Colic studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Monastir is the lead sponsor of 114 studies on the registry; 29 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Adults aged 18-65 years
  • Clinical diagnosis of acute renal colic (defined as sudden sharp colicky flank pain with or without radiation to the genitalia or groin, and with or without urinary symptoms)
  • Pain score of 5 or more measured using the 10-cm NRS scale

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, or metabolic diseases
  • Evidence of sepsis or clinical suspicion of urinary tract infection
  • Hemodynamically unstable (systolic blood pressure \< 90 mmHg)
  • Uncontrolled diabetes
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding
  • Inability to understand verbal and/or written information
  • Received any analgesics within 6 hours prior to presentation
  • Serum potassium \< 3.7 mmol/L
  • Concomitant use of:

Any beta-blockers (including beta-blocker-containing eye drops)

Prolonged-release long-acting β-agonists

Short-acting β2-agonists within 6 hours prior to presentation

  • to terbutaline use
  • Known allergy to paracetamol or terbutaline
  • Abdominal tenderness suggestive of peritoneal inflammation
  • Clinical suspicion of conditions other than urolithiasis, including:
  • Abdominal aortic aneurysm
  • Aortic dissection
  • History of drug dependence or chronic alcohol consumption
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Factorial assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
500 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo group

    In this group patient will receive 1000mg intravenous injection of paracetamol in combination with 4ml intravenous normal saline as placebo, and 5ml nebulisation of normal saline during 10min.

    Drug: Placebo

  • Active comparator
    Dexamethasone group

    In this group, patients will receive 1000mg intravenous injection of paracetamol in combination with 4ml intravenous dexamethasone (8mg), and 5ml nebulisation of of normal saline during 10min as placebo.

    Drug: Dexamethasone

  • Active comparator
    Terbutaline group

    In this group, patients will receive 1000mg intravenous injection of paracetamol in combination with 4ml IV normal saline as placebo, and 5mg Terbutaline in 5ml nebulisation during 10min

    Drug: Terbutaline 2.5 mg

Interventions

  • In this study group, patients will receive 1000mg intravenous injection of paracetamol in combination with 4ml IV normal saline as placebo, and 5mg terbutaline in 5ml nebulisation during 10min.

  • Patients will receive 1000mg intravenous injection of paracetamol in combination with 4ml of 2ml intravenous dexamethasone (8mg) and 2 ml of saline sérum, and 5ml nebulisation of of normal saline during 10min as placebo.

  • DrugPlacebo

    Patients will receive 1000mg intravenous injection of paracetamol in combination with 4ml of intravenous saline serum (placebo) with 5ml nebulized of normal saline (placebo) during 10min as placebo.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change level of NRS by 50%.

    The efficacy of the drug with regards to reducing the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) A scale from 0 to 10 with 0 meaning "no pain" and 10 meaning "worst imaginable pain."during the follow-up. Criteria for treatment response was determined as pain reduction level by 50% based on the primary NRS score or NRS score of four or lower.

    Time frame: 120 minutes post-intervention

Secondary outcomes

  1. Adverse effects

    The occurrence of adverse effects

    Time frame: 120 minutes post-intervention

  2. Rescue analgesia.

    The number of patients who need rescue analgesia.

    Time frame: 120 minutes post-intervention

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

Updates

1 registry update since Sep 25, 2026
Status
Not yet recruiting→Recruiting
changed Nov 3, 2026
Sites
University Hospital Fattouma Bourguiba Monastir is now Recruiting
Nov 3, 2026
Show all 1 update
  1. Nov 3, 2026
    Not yet recruiting→Recruiting
    University Hospital Fattouma Bourguiba Monastir is now Recruiting
    + 2 other changes: verification date and date precision

From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06980727
Responsible party
Pr. Semir Nouira (Professor, University of Monastir) — Principal investigator
First posted
May 20, 2025
Start date
Aug 8, 2026
Primary completion
Dec 1, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Mar 1, 2028 (estimated)
Last update
Nov 3, 2026

Study contacts

Semir Nouira, Professor
Contact
semir.nouira.urg@gmail.com
216_731-06046

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Studies of the drugs tested here: Terbutaline · Dexamethasone

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