Clinical Research Directory

Lactate/Albumin Ratio and Mortality in Respiratory Failure

This retrospective observational study aims to evaluate the association between the lactate-to-albumin ratio (LAR) measured at ICU admission and 28-day mortality in adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit with acute respiratory failure. The study will also compare the prognostic value of LAR with that of existing clinical and laboratory parameters.

Patient- and Family-centred Care in the Adult Intensive Care Unit: a Feasibility Study

Background: In the intensive care unit (ICU), delirium in patients and long-term mental health challenges in both patients and their family members are highly prevalent. To address these issues, patient- and family-centered care has been recommended to alleviate the burdens associated with critical illness and ICU admission. We have developed the patient- and FAMily-centered care in the adult ICU intervention (FAM-ICU intervention). This multi-component intervention comprises several concrete and manageable components and operationalizing patient- and family-centered care principles in clinical practice. In this protocol, we describe a study aiming to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the FAM-ICU intervention in the adult ICU setting, including the feasibility of collecting relevant patient- and family-member outcome data. Referenc: Bohart et al. 2024. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand . 2025 Jan;69(1):e14539. doi: 10.1111/aas.14539. Epub 2024 Oct 24. Method: We will conduct a pre-/post two-group study design. We plan to recruit 30 adult ICU patients and their close family members at Herlev University Hospital in Denmark. The pre-group (n = 15) will receive usual care and the post-group (n = 15) will receive the FAM-ICU intervention. The FAM-ICU intervention involves interdisciplinary training of the ICU team and a systematic approach to information sharing and consultations with the patients and their family. Feasibility outcomes will include recruitment and retention rates, intervention fidelity, and the feasibility of participant outcome data collection. Acceptability will be assessed through questionnaires and interviews with clinicians, patients, and family members. Data collection is scheduled to begin in January 2025. Discussion: This study will assess the feasibility and acceptability when implementing the FAM-ICU intervention and the feasibility of conducting a main trial to investigate its effectiveness on delirium in patients and the mental health of patients and family members. The data from the feasibility study will be used to guide sample size calculations, trial design, and final data collection methods for a subsequent stepped-wedge randomized controlled trial.

National, Non Interventional Study of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Children and Newborns

After 7 then 13 valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) implementation in France in children, we will evaluate the impact of this vaccination on invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). We will describe the clinical characteristics of IPD, pneumococcus serotyping, underlying conditions and vaccination status.

Prevalence, Phenotypes, Predictors and Prognostic Implication of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Pulmonary Hypertension

The investigators propose a prospective, observational study to determine the impact of OSA and associated physiological parameters on clinical outcomes in patients with pulmonary hypertension. The prevalence, phenotypes, and predictors of OSA in the setting of pulmonary hypertension will also be investigated. Adult patients diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension by right heart catheterization are eligible. Recruited patients will undergo an overnight cardiorespiratory study using a Level III portable device before hospital discharge. The cardiorespiratory tracings during sleep will be analyzed and audited by a certified sleep physician. The patients will be divided into two groups based on the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI): OSA (AHI ≥ 5) and non-OSA (AHI\<5) groups. Hypoxemic parameters such as time percentage spent with oxygen saturation below 90% and nadir oxygen saturation were all collected. Baseline clinical characteristics, such as the Epworth sleepiness scales, were also obtained. The primary endpoint of this study was clinical worsening (CW), defined as the composite event of a reduction in exercise capacity, worsening in World Health Organization functional class, non-elective hospitalization for pulmonary hypertension, or all-cause mortality. Secondary endpoints include individual outcomes of clinical worsening and all-cause mortality.

Dynamic Inflammatory Changes and Nutritional Risk Scores in ICU Patients Aged 65 Years and Older

"This prospective observational study aims to evaluate the prognostic value of dynamic changes in the serum uric acid-to-albumin ratio (UAR) measured on admission (Day 0) and on Day 3, along with mNUTRIC and PNI scores, regarding 28-day mortality in intensive care patients aged 65 and older."

Mortality and Muscle Mass Loss in Critically Ill Patients.

The aim of the study is to monitor changes in muscle mass in critically ill patients and to verify whether a decrease in muscle mass of ≥10% during the first 7 days of hospitalization is associated with increased 28-day mortality. We will be used ultrasound for measurement the rectus femoris cross sectional area.

Evaluation of Three Trauma Mortality Scores in Adults Admitted to Intensive Care in Tunisia

The goal of this retrospective observational study is to learn how well three simple trauma scores predict death during the hospital stay in adults admitted to intensive care after an injury in Tunisia. The scores are the Glasgow Coma Scale, Age, and Systolic Blood Pressure score (GAP); the Mechanism, Glasgow Coma Scale, Age, and Systolic Blood Pressure score (MGAP); and the New Trauma Score for Triage (T-NTS). Researchers will review existing medical records for admissions from 1 January 2018 through 31 December 2025. They will not assign treatment or contact participants. The main question is how accurately the three scores distinguish participants who died in the hospital from those discharged alive. Secondary analyses will examine agreement between score-based risk and observed mortality and performance for mortality by day 7 after ICU admission.

Clinical Evidence With Biomarker Confirmation for PPMI in PCI Clinical Trials Study

The goal of this prospective, multicenter, non-randomized observational study is to better identify and understand periprocedural myocardial injury among adults undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for stable coronary artery disease or stabilized non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Can a clinical criteria checklist identify patients with an increased likelihood of cardiac biomarker elevation following PCI? * Are positive clinical criteria and different post-PCI levels of troponin I, troponin T, and CK-MB associated with all-cause mortality or hospitalization for heart failure at one year? Researchers will compare participants with a positive clinical criteria checklist with those with a negative checklist to assess differences in post-PCI biomarker elevations and one-year clinical outcomes. Outcomes will also be compared between participants discharged on the same day and those hospitalized overnight. Participants will: * Undergo PCI using commercially approved devices according to local standards of care. * Have blood samples collected before and after PCI to measure cardiac biomarkers. * Have relevant clinical and PCI procedural information collected, including completion of a clinical criteria checklist by the study team before discharge. * Be followed for one year to determine whether they have died from any cause or been hospitalized for heart failure.

NIH-AARP Diet and Health Secondary Research Study Based on OH95CN025 Data

Background: The NIH and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) conducted a Diet and Health Study. It studied the links between diet, cancer, and cause of death in a group of middle-aged people in the U.S. Researchers want to learn more about how diet and lifestyle can affect cancer and mortality. Objective: To clarify links between diet, lifestyle, cancer, death, and chronic diseases. Eligibility: AARP members ages 50 to 71 who took part in study #OH95CN025 and lived in California, Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina, Louisiana, Atlanta, or Detroit in 1995 1996. Design: This study will use existing data and samples. Participants will not be contacted. Participants personal data, like name, date of birth, and address, will be used. This data will be kept private. Their data and samples will get a unique ID. Data from other follow-up studies will be used. Cancer outcome data will be obtained from the 8 sample areas. Many participants have moved to Arizona, Nevada, and Texas. Data will be obtained from those states as well. Cause of death and date of death will be obtained from the National Death Index. Cheek swab samples were gathered from 2004 to 2005. They will be used to study the oral microbiome. The University of Washington (UW) will be added as a study site. UW will study air pollution. The process of linking with the Virtual Pooled Registry Cancer Linkage System will be explored. It uses one system. Right now, 11 state systems are used to get and link data. Paper records will be stored in locked file rooms. Electronic data will be stored on secure servers.

Analysis of the Evolution of Mortality in an Intensive Care Unit

The intensive care units is of the main components of modern healthcare systems. Formally, its aim is to offer the critically ill health care fit to their needs; ensuring that this health care is appropriate, sustainable, ethical and respectful of their autonomy. Intensive medicine is a cross-sectional specialty that encompasses a broad spectrum of pathologies in their most severe condition, and specifically has as its foundation the practice of comprehensive care of the patient with organ dysfunction and susceptible to recovery. Although critically ill patients are a heterogeneous population, they have in common the need for a high level of care, often requiring the use of high technology, specific procedures for the support of organ dysfunction and the collaboration of other medical and surgical specialties for their management and treatment. Since their origins in the late 1950s, intensive care units have been adapting to the changes arising from the best scientific evidence. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, there were some successful clinical trials published that had tested alternative management strategies in the ICU. Mechanical ventilation is an intervention that defines the critical care specialty. Between 1970 and the 1990s, the management focused on normalizing arterial blood gas with aggressive mechanical ventilation. Over the ensuing decades, it became apparent that performing positive pressure ventilation worsened lung injury. The pivotal moment in the mechanical ventilation story would be the low versus high tidal volume trial. This trial shifted the focus away from normalizing gas exchange to reducing harm with mechanical ventilation. Further, it paved way for further trials testing ventilation interventions (PEEP strategy, prone position ventilation) and nonventilation interventions (neuromuscular blockade, corticosteroids, inhaled nitric oxide, extracorporeal gas exchange) in critically ill patients. That evidence-based intensive care medicine has undoubtedly had an influence on the outcome of critically ill patients, in general, and, particularly, of patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Temporal changes in mortality over the time have been scarcely reported for patients admitted to intensive care unit. Objective of this study is to estimate the changes over the time in several outcomes in the patients admitted to an 18-beds medical-surgical intensive care unit from 1991 (year of start of activity) to 2026

Association of ICU Admission Time, Age Stratification, and Clinical Frailty Scale With 30-Day Mortality in Geriatric Oncology Patients

Geriatric oncology patients frequently require intensive care admission and are at increased risk of adverse outcomes due to advanced age, frailty, and critical illness. Delays in admission from the emergency department to the intensive care unit (ICU) may further contribute to poor prognosis. This retrospective cohort study aims to evaluate the association of ICU admission time, age stratification, and Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) score with 30-day mortality among geriatric cancer patients admitted from the emergency department to the Anesthesiology and Reanimation Intensive Care Unit. Secondary objectives include assessing the relationship of these factors with intensive care unit length of stay, hospital length of stay, and in-hospital mortality. The findings may contribute to improved risk stratification and optimization of critical care management in geriatric oncology patients.

Rehabilitation Practices in Critically Ill Patients Receiving Invasive Mechanical Ventilation in the Intensive Care Unit.

This international, multicenter, observational study aims to describe rehabilitation practices in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) worldwide. The primary objective is to provide an overview of current rehabilitation strategies used in ICUs globally. Secondary objectives include assessing the relationship between rehabilitation and key ICU outcomes such as ICU and hospital mortality, length of stay, duration of invasive ventilation, extubation failures, and long-term outcomes including quality of life and functional performance 28 days post-ICU discharge. The study will also compare rehabilitation practices across different geographic and economic regions to identify potential disparities. The study is structured into three modules, with participation contingent on local resources and feasibility. The BASIC Module (mandatory for all centers) gathers fundamental data on rehabilitation practices and their association with patient outcomes. The EXTENDED Module (optional) collects more detailed information on the type, timing, duration, and safety of rehabilitation interventions, including passive exercises, active mobilization, respiratory therapies, dysphagia training, occupational therapy, and cognitive support. The EXTENDED FOLLOW-UP Module (optional) evaluates the patient's quality of life and functional recovery 28 days after ICU discharge. By examining global rehabilitation practices and their impact on patient outcomes, this study aims to improve rehabilitation strategies in ICUs, contributing to better patient care, recovery, and long-term health outcomes.

Long-term Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Living Kidney Donors

The investigative team will conduct a population-based, matched retrospective cohort study across Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia using linked administrative healthcare databases to evaluate the long-term risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) among living kidney donors compared with matched healthy nondonors. Living kidney donors who donated between 1992 and 2024 will be included and matched 1:10 to a carefully selected population of nondonors based on key demographic and clinical characteristics. The primary outcome is a composite of cardiovascular death, hospital admission for myocardial infarction, or hospital admission for ischaemic stroke. Secondary outcomes will examine each component of the composite separately and all-cause mortality. The results will provide evidence to inform clinical guidelines, support informed decision-making for potential donors and recipients, and guide counselling by transplant clinicians.

Longevity Metrics AI/ML Development Study

This study builds AI models that score diagnostic screening tests, and that predict screening results, clinical judgment, and life expectancy. Longevity Metrics collects a battery of clinical tests on each participant, in whole or in part, and follows every participant for life. The sit-to-rise test and the timed walk are scored by hand today, from a person's count. A model scores the same test from video instead. It also measures what no one can count by eye - speed, asymmetry, steadiness - so one capture yields both the original score and additional measurements, intended to enrich the model and strengthen what it predicts. Every test in a participant's record measures the same body, so the tests are correlated: a test that was performed carries information about one that was not. A model trained across the library learns those relationships and estimates a missing result from the results that are present. Each estimate is checked against records where that part was actually measured, and over decades against death and disease through linkage to the 100-Year Human Aging Study (NCT07563777). The hypothesis is that the full battery can eventually be predicted across modalities with high accuracy using a few short video clips, replacing most in-person screening. That would let preventive screening reach people and places a physical laboratory cannot. How far the input can be reduced is the question this study exists to answer. Every model is a physician-reviewed clinical decision aid until it is cleared by the FDA.

Human Observatory Study

The Human Observatory Study is a prospective observational and ecological surveillance study building a continuously-updating world model for human health, disease, and death at the individual and population level. Individual multi-system clinical data from enrolled participants are linked to a continuously-ingested ecological data infrastructure spanning environmental exposures, social determinants, genealogical and family history records, mortality data, and population health databases at geographic resolutions from home address to global scale and beyond. The resulting model generates individual screening recommendations informed by population-level causal estimates, and population-level causal forecasts anchored by present-timepoint individual clinical biology. This linkage creates a feedback architecture designed to improve both simultaneously.

100-Year Human Aging Study

The 100-Year Human Aging Study is a prospective, pragmatic, observational trial enrolling participants across fixed clinical sites, mobile clinical sites, and an online participation pathway (current and future) to undergo comprehensive multi-system health screening and longitudinal follow-up until death. Participants are followed to determine whether measurements taken at enrollment and repeated across the lifespan - individually and in combination - predict all-cause mortality, cause-specific mortality, incident serious disease, and functional disability. The study is designed to generate the surrogate endpoint validation data that longevity medicine currently lacks.

Mean Platelet Volume (MPV) as an Early Predictor of Mortality in Intensive Care Patients With Cancer

This study aims to investigate whether Mean Platelet Volume (MPV) and other blood count parameters measured at admission can predict mortality in cancer patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Patients with cancer are highly vulnerable to complications and organ failure, making early risk assessment vital for improving treatment strategies. Researchers will retrospectively review the medical charts and electronic health records of adult patients who stayed in the anesthesia ICU for longer than 24 hours between 2020 and 2025. No new laboratory tests, interventions, or patient contact will occur. The collected data will be analyzed to determine the relationship between initial MPV levels and patient survival outcomes.

GMPA Versus PPI for Gastric Protection and aGVHD Risk

The goal of this clinical trial is to observe whether different gastric protection strategies affect the incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are routinely used for gastric protection during transplantation, but their prolonged use may suppress gastric acid, alter gut microbiota, and potentially increase the risk of aGVHD. Teprenone, a gastric mucosal protective agent (GMPA), enhances mucosal defense mechanisms including promoting mucus secretion, increasing gastric mucosal blood flow, and facilitating epithelial cell repair, without affecting gastric acid secretion, and may therefore preserve microbial diversity and modify aGVHD risk. This study compares two strategies: continuous PPI use versus switching from PPIs to teprenone after transplantation. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Does switching from PPIs to teprenone after transplantation reduce the cumulative incidence of aGVHD within +100 days post-transplantation compared with continuous PPI use? * What adverse events do participants experience with teprenone versus continuous PPI therapy? * Does teprenone therapy provide better preservation of gut microbial diversity and lower rates of gastrointestinal and infectious complications compared with continuous PPI use? In this prospective, randomized, parallel-controlled, single-center trial, approximately 198 patients undergoing allo-HSCT will be enrolled and assigned in a 1:1 ratio using a central randomization system. The experimental group (teprenone group) will receive standard-dose PPIs (esomeprazole, 40 mg/d, intravenous/oral) during conditioning and switch to teprenone (50 mg tid, orally) after transplantation through day +100. The control group (PPI group) will receive continuous standard-dose PPIs from conditioning through day +100. Probiotic use is prohibited from conditioning through day +100 in both groups. All other anti-infective, GVHD prophylaxis, and supportive care regimens are identical between the two groups. The primary endpoint of this study is the cumulative incidence of aGVHD within +100 days post-transplantation. Secondary endpoints include grade II-IV and grade III-IV aGVHD, lower gastrointestinal aGVHD, steroid-refractory aGVHD, gut and salivary microbiome dynamics (α-diversity, β-diversity, and specific taxa at pre-conditioning, day 0, day +14, and day +28), plasma biomarkers related to intestinal barrier integrity, systemic inflammation, and immune regulation , infectious and gastrointestinal complications (febrile neutropenia, diarrhea, C. difficile infection, bacteremia, EBV/CMV reactivation, upper GI bleeding, reflux), and 1-year survival outcomes (non-relapse mortality, overall survival, GVHD-free/relapse-free survival). During the study, participants will: * Receive the assigned gastric protection regimen (teprenone or PPI) according to randomization * Undergo regular assessments for safety and efficacy monitoring, including aGVHD surveillance and infection screening * Provide fecal and saliva samples at pre-conditioning, day 0, day +14, and day +28 post-transplantation for microbiome analysis * Provide peripheral blood samples at pre-conditioning, day 0, day +14, and day +28 post-transplantation for exploratory analysis * Be followed for up to 1 year post-transplantation

Home-based Acute Care for Older Persons Initiated by the Emergency Medical and Ambulance Services - a Retrospective Observation of Effects on Healthcare Utilisation and Mortality

This observational study aims to examine outcomes of home-based acute care delivered by a mobile healthcare team in persons aged 75 years and older following an episode of acute illness. The study will assess whether home-based acute care initiated by the emergency medical dispatch centre or ambulance services is non-inferior to emergency department care with regard to care needs and mortality.

SurgWeek-2: Identifying the Global Burden of Post Operative Complications: an International Prospective Cohort Study Protocol

This study aims to assess and improve the global outcomes following surgery. Every year approximately 313 million operations are performed, with 50 million people experiencing a complication and unfortunately 3.5 million people will die following these operations. This study will assess how outcomes vary following surgery throughout the world and explore system access, quality and efficiency. The secondary aims of this study are to (1) assess the use of antibiotics and the impact of resistant organisms globally, (2) assess who dies after an operation and whether there are factors that were identified that could have prevented the death, (3) assess the assess and outcomes to minimally invasive and robotic surgery, (4) assess the outcomes of the Bellwether procedures (laparotomy, caesarean delivery, open fracture management) as these are conditions used to assess the functioning of a health system. The study will take place for six week in May-June 2026 and will aim to collect data from 100,000 patients across 1000 hospitals in 100 countries to give a global perspective on the above outcome measures. The data will be analysed by hospital income group to understand how resources impact on outcomes. By combining global data on clinical outcomes with information on hospital resources, this study hopes to provide valuable insights into how to improve surgical care across diverse settings, making recommendations that lead to better access to safe, timely and affordable care for surgical problems worldwide.

Prospective Cohort Study of 4,837 Post-myocardial Infarction Patients (Alpha Omega Cohort)

The Alpha Omega Cohort is a prospective study of 4,837 state-of-the-art drug-treated Dutch patients aged 60-80 years who had a clinically diagnosed myocardial infarction up to 10 years before enrolment. During the first 40 months of follow-up, patients took part in an experimental study of low doses n-3 fatty acids (Alpha Omega Trial, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00127452). At baseline (2002-2006), data on medical history, medication use, diet, lifestyle and other factors were collected by means of questionnaires. Patients were physically examined by trained research nurses and blood samples were obtained. Follow-up for vital status and cause-specific mortality is ongoing. The trial was approved by a central medical ethics committee (Haga Hospital, The Hague, The Netherlands) and all patients provided written informed consent.

Azithromycin for Child Survival in Niger II

Several randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that azithromycin mass drug administration (MDA) reduces child mortality, but increases antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for this intervention specify that implementation must be accompanied by continued monitoring of mortality and AMR. Niger is expanding the azithromycin MDA program nationwide. To establish monitoring of mortality and AMR as part of this program as well as to leverage the infrastructure to evaluate other child health interventions, AVENIR II is designed as an adaptive platform trial with monitoring and re-randomization every 2 years.

Limited Versus Extended Trophic Feeding (LET-FEED) Trial

Study Hypothesis/Question In infants born very preterm, advancing enteral feeds after 24 hours from birth (limited trophic feeds) versus after 72 hours (extended trophic feeds) reduces the risk of all-cause late onset sepsis (LOS) without increasing the risk of other adverse outcomes. Study Design Type This is a multi-center, open-label, parallel-group, individual randomized controlled trial comparing two different trophic feeding regimens in preterm infants born between 25w0d and 31w6d. These infants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group, receiving limited trophic feeding (20 to 25 mL/kg/day for one day) or the control group, receiving extended trophic feeding (20 to 25 mL/kg/day for three days) prior to advancing enteral feeds until full feeding volume (140 mL/kg/day) is achieved. Eligibility Criteria Preterm infants with gestational ages between 25 0/7 and 31 6/7 weeks and a birthweight of \<1500 grams who are admitted to six participating neonatal units will be eligible for inclusion. Infants with \<5th percentile for weight at birth, vasopressor use within first 24 hours of life major congenital/genetic anomalies affecting enteral feeding, growth, or mortality, and those with a terminal illness in which decisions to withhold or limit support have been made will be excluded. Infants of parents or legal guardians who are unable to provide consent within 36 hours of birth will also be excluded. Study Intervention/Methods Written parental informed consent will be obtained prenatally or within the first 36 hours of birth. Infants will be randomized to receive limited trophic feeds of 24 to 36 hours or extended trophic feeds for 72 hours prior to the advancement of enteral feeds. Infants will be fed parent's own milk (POM) with donor human milk as the alternative if POM is unavailable. Primary Outcome Late-onset sepsis, defined as positive blood, urine, and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures in the presence of compatible clinical signs of sepsis, occurring after postnatal day 3 and before hospital discharge, and treated with antibiotics for 5 days or more. Secondary Outcome(s) The trial will assess various secondary outcomes including length of hospital stay, all-cause in-hospital mortality, duration of IV fluids and central line utilization, necrotizing enterocolitis (Bell's stage IIa or higher), severe intraventricular hemorrhage (grade III or IV either unilaterally or bilaterally), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (oxygen requirement or positive pressure ventilation at 36 weeks corrected gestational age), or retinopathy of prematurity requiring intervention. Additionally, growth metrics throughout hospitalization will be evaluated using change in weight, length, and head circumference z-scores from birth to 36 weeks' corrected gestational age between infants in the limited and extended trophic feeding groups. We will also evaluate the 2 year developmental outcomes of a subset of participants who consent to follow up. This will include the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-4th edition Language, Cognitive, and Motor domain scores at 2 years corrected age.

Azithromycin for Child Survival in Niger: Mortality and Resistance Trial

The MORDOR trial found that biannual distribution of azithromycin to children 1-59 months old reduced child mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO) released conditional guidelines for this intervention, which include targeting azithromycin distributions to children 1-11 months of age in high mortality settings.Targeting treatment to children 1-11 months old could reduce antimicrobial resistance by limiting antibiotic distributions while treating children at the highest mortality risk. However, this targeted intervention has not yet been tested. The AVENIR mortality/resistance trial aims to assess the efficacy of age-based targeting of biannual azithromycin distribution on mortality as well as determine the impact of age-based targeting on antimicrobial resistance.