PRioRTI: PReventing chronic pain after whiplash Road Traffic Injury
Recommended treatments (advice, exercise, simple analgesics) do little to reduce chronic pain after road traffic injury (RTI).
Inappropriate prescription of opioids is common. Pregabalin, approved in Australia for neuropathic pain and epilepsy, is increasingly used off-label for acute whiplash - this is despite the lack of supporting evidence and concerns about side effects. Pregabalin blocks the development of pain central sensitisation, features of which are associated with poor recovery after whiplash RTI.
We recently completed a clinical trial of pregabalin for acute whiplash initiated within 48 hours of injury in the hospital Emergency Department. The trial was feasible, and pregabalin had promising and sustained effects over placebo to prevent chronic pain. Repurposing pregabalin for use in acute injury is a novel approach to prevent chronic pain.
Aims
Funded by a Medical Research Future Fund grant awarded to Professor Michele Sterling and team, we'll trial the use of pregabalin for use in acute injury resulting from neck and/or back pain as a result of non-catastrophic RTI. The main aims are to:
- Determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a short course of pregabalin commenced in the emergency department and transitioned to primary care on clinical outcomes at 6 weeks, 3-, 6-, and 12-months post-whiplash injury in patients ‘at-risk’ of poor recovery.
- Conduct an evaluation to provide a detailed understanding of barriers/facilitators to implementation from the perspectives of patients and clinicians.
Research Sites
Sites are being finalised for this trial. This is a multi-site trial, recruiting from emergency departments in QLD, NSW and WA.
Research Team
Coordinating Principal Investigator
Professor Michele Sterling, The University of Queensland 
Clinical Trials Manager
Lisa Ferguson, The University of Queensland
Consumer Advisory Group Coordinator
Kim Smith, The University of Queensland
Chief Investigators
Professor Michele Sterling, The University of Queensland
Professor Stephan Schug, University of Western Australia
Professor Chung-Wei Christine Lin, The University of Sydney
Professor Tony Celenza, University of Western Australia
Emeritus Professor Geoffrey Mitchell, The University of Queensland
Professor Robert Ware, Griffith University
Professor Luke Connelly, The University of Queensland
Professor Paul Hodges, The University of Queensland
Dr David Klyne, The University of Queensland
Dr Rachel Elphinston, The University of Queensland
Dr Jenny Setchell, The University of Queensland
Associate Professor Jane Nikles, The University of Queensland
Associate Professor Michael Dinh, The University of Sydney
Research Fellows
Dr Scott Farrell, The University of Queensland
Dr Karime Mescouto, The University of Queensland
Data Manager
Ms Maryrose Malt, The University of Queensland
Funding Partners
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