Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40403745›Full record

Trial reportJournal of travel medicine2025

Prochlorperazine maleate versus placebo for the prophylaxis of acute mountain sickness: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Elan Small, Harrison Steins, Martin Musi, Julia Perry, Elizabeth Goldberg, Mary Ryan, Lake Crawford, Brian Strickland, Tiana Linkus, Caleb Phillips and 10 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of travel medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Elan SmallDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Section of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12401 E 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Harrison SteinsRocky Vista University, College of Osteopathic Medicine, 8401 South Chambers Road, Englewood, CO, 80112, USA.
Martin MusiDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Section of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12401 E 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Julia PerryDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Section of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12401 E 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Elizabeth GoldbergDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Section of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12401 E 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Mary RyanDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Section of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12401 E 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Lake CrawfordDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Section of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12401 E 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Brian StricklandDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Section of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12401 E 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Tiana LinkusDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Section of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12401 E 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Caleb PhillipsDepartment of Computer Science, University of Colorado Boulder, 1111 Engineering Drive, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
Ryan PatersonDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Section of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12401 E 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Nathaniel ZonaDepartment of Orthopedics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12631 East 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Max SmolkinDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Section of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12401 E 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Mia DerstineDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Section of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12401 E 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Jay LemeryDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Section of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12401 E 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Jennifer L HoffmanDepartment of Physics & Astronomy, University of Denver, 2112 East Wesley Avenue, Denver, CO, 80208,  USA.
Steven R HickDepartment of Geography & the Environment, University of Denver, 2050 East Iliff Avenue, Denver, CO, 80208, USA.
Adit A GindeDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Section of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12401 E 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Peter HackettDepartment of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 East 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Linda E KeyesDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Section of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12401 E 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.

Funding

GAPcare II: The Geriatric Acute & Post-acute Care Coordination Program for Fall Prevention in the Emergency DepartmentK76AG059983 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · PI GOLDBERG, ELIZABETH · 2019 to 2024
$1.5M
GeoSentinal FoundationInternational Society of Travel MedicineNIA NIH HHS K76 AG059983
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAcute mountain sickness (AMS) is a debilitating condition that may occur on ascent to high altitude, with limited options for chemoprophylaxis. The pathophysiology of AMS is poorly understood, though it may be similar to migraine. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of prochlorperazine, a first-line agent for acute migraine, for AMS prophylaxis.

methodsWe performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving healthy, unacclimatized adult participants, primarily from the Denver area (1609 m), who received either oral prochlorperazine or placebo three times daily for 24 hours during rapid ascent to Mount Blue Sky, Colorado (4348 m). We evaluated individuals who received at least the first dose of placebo or intervention following a modified intent-to-treat approach. Participants travelled by vehicle to 3910 m, then hiked to the summit of Mount Blue Sky, where they slept overnight. The primary outcome was AMS incidence as defined by the 2018 Lake Louise Questionnaire, which was assessed on the evening of ascent and the following morning.

resultsWe analysed 56 participants (25 women), with a mean age of 39 [IQR 28-49], with 28 participants in each study arm. Key baseline characteristics were equally distributed and well-matched between study arms. The incidence of AMS was 28 (50%), with 18 (64%) in the placebo arm and 10 (36%) in the prochlorperazine arm (P = 0.06). The absolute risk reduction was 28.6%, the number needed to treat was 4 and the odds ratio was 0.28 (95% C.I. 0.11-0.94). There were no serious adverse events, and there were no significant differences in the side effects between arms, including for drowsiness (P = 0.47).

conclusionOur results suggest that prochlorperazine is effective in preventing AMS. Larger studies are warranted to validate our findings.

Indexed as

Altitude SicknessProchlorperazineAcute DiseaseAdultColoradoDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMountaineeringTreatment OutcomeProchlorperazineAcute mountain sicknessclinical trialhigh altitude illnessprevention

Identifiers

PMID40403745
PMCPMC13032023

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.