Department of Emergency Medicine Research

The Carilion Clinic Department of Emergency Medicine will soon begin enrolling for their Carilion RAP-funded study: Capsadyn^TM Use for the Treatment of Cannabinoid-Induced Hyperemesis Syndrome (Capsadyn^TM for CIHS). This study is part of a partnership between a local company, Chorda Pharma, and Carilion Clinic to investigate the clinical usefulness of a capsaicin cream that is innovatively formulated not to cause the compound’s characteristic burning sensation, potentially allowing for higher therapeutic doses of this over the counter (OTC) drug.

For this study, Chorda’s Capsadyn^TM (or a placebo) will be applied to patients' skin who present to the Roanoke Memorial Hospital Emergency Department with cyclical vomiting following consumption of cannabis products and who consent to participate. A vital component of the study design involves investigating whether there is a relationship between effectiveness and the size of the area to which the product is applied. The hope is that using this novel OTC capsaicin cream will allow patients suffering from CIHS to experience fewer interventions and shorter visits while in the Emergency Department. Dr. Keel Coleman (Principal Investigator), Dr. Paul Stromberg (Sub-Investigator), and Jared Gordon (Clinical Research Coordinator) will be conducting this work along with support from other members of the EM Research Team.

Image: Dr. Coleman (right), Dr. Stromberg (left), and CRC, Jared Gordon (center background), work in the Emergency Department to develop the study drug application protocol