Oral Morphine Versus Ibuprofen

Oral Morphine Versus Ibuprofen for Post-fracture Pain Management in Children: a Randomized Controlled Study

Children 5-17 years of age who have sustained a non-operative distal forearm (radius and/or ulna) or clavicular fracture will be randomized to receive either ibuprofen or oral morphine as needed for pain relief for the first 24 hours following discharge from the emergency department. Pain will be assessed using the self-report Faces pain scale revised (FPS-R). We hypothesize that oral morphine will result in greater pain relief than ibuprofen.

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients with known hypersensitivity to either ibuprofen or morphine
• chronic users of NSAIDS or opioids
• fractures requiring operative management
• associated injuries requiring analgesia
• poor English fluency
• pregnancy

Inclusion Criteria:

• All patients aged 5 to 17 years with a non-operative forearm or distal radius fracture