Clinical Research Directory

Long Term Outcomes After Vestibular Implantation

Although cochlear implants can restore hearing to individuals who have lost cochlear hair cell function, there is no widely available, adequately effective treatment for individuals suffering chronic imbalance, postural instability and unsteady vision due to bilateral vestibular hypofunction. Prior research focused on ototoxic cases has demonstrated that electrical stimulation of the vestibular nerve via a chronically implanted multichannel vestibular implant can partially restore vestibular reflexes that normally maintain steady posture and vision; improve performance on objective measures of postural stability and gait; and improve patient-reported disability and health-related quality of life. This single-arm open-label study extends that research to evaluate outcomes for up to 8 individuals with non-ototoxic bilateral vestibular hypofunction, yielding a total of fifteen adults (age 22-90 years at time of enrollment) divided as equally as possible between ototoxic and non-ototoxic cases.

Aminoglycoside Administration in Septic Patients

Sepsis is one of the main causes of mortality and morbidity in an ICU setting, while the responsible microorganisms most frequently isolated are multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria. Aminoglycoseides (AG) seem to be particularly effective in dealing with these microbes, however their potential toxicity, especially nephrotoxicity, often makes them an unsuitable treatment option. This becomes particularly evident in patients with already impaired renal function, a common occurrence in septic patients requiring ICU treatment. AG are bacteriocidal antibiotics the efficiency of which depends on the maximum concentration in patients' serum (Cpeak). Pathophysiological changes in critically ill patients, result in significant distribution of the drug extravascullary resulting in a decreased concentration of the biologically active component. On the other hand, impaired renal clearance results in high serum drug levels (C trough) making the desired once-daily administration not always achieved. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis of successful clearance of AG after achieving satisfactory serum levels and therefore their maximum effect minimizing potential toxicity, by using continuous veno-venous haemodiafiltration in patients with sepsis or septic shock and impaired renal function. This way, the aforementioned antibiotics could become a more frequent and potentially earlier choice for physicians in the treatment of sepsis and septic shock patients from multidrug-resistant microbes.