Clinical Research Directory

The Impact of Fast Antimicrobial Sensitivity Testing Tools on Stewardship Antibiotic and Clinical Outcome (ACT-FAST)

The ACT-FAST study aims to compare commercially available Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (R-AST) tools with the current standard of care for patients with Bloodstream Infections (BSI). The primary objective is to evaluate whether "early targeted" antibiotic prescriptions, guided by these rapid tests, can improve antimicrobial stewardship and patient clinical outcomes. To facilitate the evaluation of various diagnostic tools-including those currently on the market and those emerging in the near future-this study utilizes an adaptive clinical trial platform. This flexible design allows for the continuous assessment of different R-AST technologies within a single master protocol, ensuring that the most effective diagnostic strategies are identified efficiently.

Prediction and Prevention of Bloodstream Infections After Kidney Transplantation

Background: Kidney transplant (KTx) recipients receive life-long immunosuppression, which increases the risk of severe infections. Bloodstream infections (BSI) are common after transplantation and are associated with high mortality and morbidity. Prophylactic antibiotic treatment of all KTx recipients does not provide overall benefit, but a personalized strategy of prophylactic treatment of KTx recipients at high risk of BSI with targeted antibiotics has not been assessed. Primary aim: To determine if prophylactic pivmecillinam in high-risk KTx recipients decreases the incidence of Enterobacterales BSI in the first 1-6 months post-transplantation. Secondary aim: To assess if prophylactic pivmecillinam reduces all-cause mortality, hospital admissions, graft loss, changes in the gut and urine resistome and microbiome, and increases quality of life in high-risk KTx recipients. Design and target group: Multi-center double-blinded randomized controlled trial of 150 KTx recipients at high risk of BSI who will be randomized 1:1 to either pivmecillinam 400 mg once daily or placebo from months 1-6 post-transplantation. KTx recipients will be included from Rigshospitalet, Aarhus University Hospital and Odense University Hospital. 60 participants in each study arm will provide urine and stool samples at randomization and at the end of intervention for metagenomic sequencing of the bacterial microbiome and resistome. Perspectives: This trial will provide evidence necessary to assess if KTx recipients at high risk of BSI benefit from targeted prophylactic antibiotics and address a critical knowledge gap of how to reduce mortality and morbidity due to BSI after KTx. The study will also serve as proof-of-concept for a personalized approach to infection prevention in other populations at high risk of severe infections. Results from the study may easily be implemented since there is already a clinical set-up for prevention of viral infections in KTx recipients.

Next Generation Pathogen Sequencing for Prediction of Adverse Events

The majority of children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer will experience one or more episodes of fever or infection during their course of therapy. The most common microbiologically documented infection is bloodstream infection (BSI), which can be associated with severe sepsis or death. Current methods of diagnosis require a significant load of live bacteria in the blood making early detection difficult. Delayed diagnosis and delayed optimal therapy of BSIs are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This study seeks to identify whether next generation sequencing (NGS) of pathogens can identify patients with impending bloodstream infection. This would enable preemptive targeted therapy to replace antibacterial prophylaxis which often leads ot high-density broad-spectrum antibiotic exposure and contributes to subsequent development of antibiotic resistance. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: * To estimate the sensitivity and specificity of next generation pathogen sequencing for prediction of bloodstream infection in children with cancer at high risk of infection.

Antibiotic Duration and Outcomes in High-Risk Febrile Neutropenia Patients

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a personalized duration of antibiotic therapy, based on clinical stability, is as effective as a standard duration of at least 10 days in hospitalized patients with hematologic malignancies (such as leukemia or lymphoma) who develop febrile neutropenia and Gram-negative bacteraemia. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Can a personalized antibiotic duration increase the number of days free from anti-Gram-negative therapy within 28 days without compromising patient safety? * How does the duration of antibiotic therapy (short vs. prolonged) affect the rate and modality of gut microbiota reconstitution? Researchers will compare: * Group A (Personalized Duration): Antibiotics are stopped after the patient maintains clinical stability (no fever and stable vital signs) for 72 consecutive hours. * Group B (Standard of Care): Antibiotics are continued for a standard duration, typically at least 10 days, based on current clinical surveys and physician decision. Participants will: * Be randomized to receive either the personalized or the standard duration of antibiotic therapy once a Gram-negative infection is confirmed in the blood. * Be monitored for 28 days to assess for new fever episodes, recurrence of infection, and overall survival. * If participating in the microbiological sub-study, provide biological samples (blood, feces, and rectal swabs) at specific time points (at the onset of fever, at the end of treatment, and at day 28). * Undergo specialized laboratory testing (Whole Metagenomic Sequencing) on the collected samples to evaluate the evolution of their intestinal and blood microbiota and the presence of antibiotic-resistant genes.

Efficacy and Safety of 7 Versus 14 Days of Antibiotic Treatment for Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Bacteraemia

Phase IV, open-labeled, randomized and multicenter clinical trial to demonstrate the superiority of antibiotics with authorized indication for 7 days versus 14 days in the treatment of bloodstream infections produced by P. aeruginosa (BSI-PA).

Advanced Dressings for CVC Infection Prevention in PICU

Randomised, single-blind clinical trial comparing chlorhexidine gluconate-impregnated transparent dressings versus conventional transparent dressings in the prevention of central venous catheter-related bloodstream infections (CVC-BSI) in paediatric patients admitted to a tertiary hospital PICU. Outcomes include incidence of BRCVC, catheter colonisation, dressing-related skin complications, and number of dressing changes.

European Prospective Bloodstream Infection Cohort

Background: Bloodstream infections (BSIs) and sepsis continue to pose significant public health challenges, contributing to high morbidity and mortality worldwide. According to the Global Burden of Diseases Study, BSIs and sepsis are associated with approximately 20% of global deaths. However, the clinical characteristics of BSIs have evolved over recent years, showing significant variability across different countries and continents. The diversity in management standards across regions further complicates the generalization and transferability of research findings. Despite the critical need for comprehensive data, BSI research in Europe remains fragmented, often limited to national-level studies. Project Aim: The EPIC-BSI project aims to address these challenges by establishing a multinational, collaborative bloodstream infection cohort across Europe and globally. The primary objectives are to: * Integrate national BSI research into a cohesive multinational cohort that enable large-scale comparative research by standardizing BSI incidence data, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, and patient outcomes across European countries and beyond. * Monitor shifts in BSI characteristics, including the emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms, and changes in risk groups, diagnostics, and therapies. * Create a foundation for future studies and collaborations, such as integrating BSI data with international antibiotic usage, population data, health policy data, or by biobanking blood-borne pathogens for sequencing. The study is divided into three arms focusing on BSI epidemiology (EPIC-BSI registry), diagnostics (EPIC-BSI Diagnostic Study) and management (EPIC-BSI Management study). The EPIC-BSI Management study is partitioned in different levels of data contribution to reduce barriers for centres and enable broad participation. Specific Objectives and Endpoints: EPIC-BSI Registry: * Primary aim/endpoint: Establish an international prospective BSI cohort with anonymized inclusion of all BSI cases from participating centres allowing estimation of BSI incidence by pathogen in the participating centres. * Secondary aims/endpoints: * Analyse the incidence of BSIs across different settings and countries. * Monitor changes in patient demographics (age, gender) and acquisition modes. * Track shifts in antimicrobial resistance patterns. * Review effects of infection control practices on MDRO-BSI frequency EPIC-BSI Diagnostic Study: * Primary aim/endpoint: Biannual evaluation of diagnostic procedures and standards regarding BSI at participating centres * Secondary aims/endpoints: * Assess the availability and use of (new) clinical and microbiological diagnostics. * Identify gaps in diagnostic practices and time lags between scientific evidence, guideline publication and clinical implementation of new diagnostic utilities. EPIC-BSI Management Study: * Primary aim/endpoint: Analyse clinical data from BSI cases to evaluate management practices regarding the effect on in-hospital mortality and outcome on day 90 after onset incl. patient-reported outcomes (Desirability-of-outcome-ranking (DOOR) or health-related quality of life metrics) * Secondary aims/endpoints: * Identify differences in clinical management across countries and hospital types. * Analyse the impact of antimicrobial resistance patterns on clinical outcomes. * Evaluate the effectiveness of different established therapeutic regimens.

Clinical Performance Study of Microbio InfectID-BSI for Detection of Bacteria and Yeast With Patient Blood Samples

The objective of the study is to determine the efficacy of the Microbio InfectID-BSI qPCR kit in a clinical laboratory environment using patient whole blood for pathogen detection and identification versus standard of care methods from blood culture. The objective of this study is to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the Microbio InfectID-BSI qPCR kit by the evaluation of clinical blood samples versus standard of care methods from blood culture.

Optimising TREATment for Severe Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections

TREAT-GNB is an innovative trial to expedite the evaluation of various antibiotic choices and treatment strategies for severe multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections, specifically bloodstream and lower respiratory tract infections. This approach combines platform trial elements with adaptive clinical designs to streamline the evaluation of various treatment options and optimise resource utilisation. The overall aim of the TREAT-GNB platform trial is to identify interventions that improve survival in patients with severe infections due to Gram-negative bacteria. In the CR-GNB silo of TREAT-GNB, the primary objective is to quantify the effect on all-cause mortality at 28 days of a range of interventions in patients with bloodstream infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and hospital-acquired pneumonia caused by CR-GNB.

Retention and Re-Engagement in Treatment for Addiction Following Serious Injection Related Infections (RETAIN)

This project is a pilot study of an adapted intervention of an existing Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) treatment retention intervention called Recovery Management Checkups (RMC). This intervention has been adapted to better fit the experiences and unique issues of those that have been hospitalized with serious injection related infections (SIRI) based on the findings from a prior qualitative study from the principal investigator. This project plans to test the adapted intervention within a smaller group of participants to assess feasibility, acceptability, and calculate early findings of intervention efficacy. Hospitalizations for SIRIs are a unique entry point for patients to start their recovery journey with medications for OUD (MOUD), but many people do not remain on long-term treatment, despite evidence that indicates MOUDs reduce death and re-hospitalization after SIRIs. The study objectives are to: * Assess the implementation feasibility of the adapted RMC model for patients with SIRI and OUD. * Establish preliminary estimates of intervention efficacy. * Make further adaptions to the intervention that will reduce both known and unknown barriers to care and increase effectiveness in future larger scale trials. Findings from this pilot study will result in further intervention refinement to better fit the target population, and serve as the basis for a larger randomized control trial that will have aims focused on more in-depth analysis of the efficacy of this program

The Clinical Impact of Cobas® Eplex Blood Culture Panels for the Diagnosis of Bacteremia and Fungemia

A quality improvement study on the diagnostics and clinical management of bloodstream infection episodes. Patients of all ages and genders with positive blood cultures collected for standard patient care are included in the study. In the intervention group of patients, positive blood cultures will be analysed with the cobas® eplex (Roche) blood culture panels in addition to conventional, standard-of-care (SOC) culture methods. The control group will include patients with positive blood cultures analysed using conventional, standard-of-care (SOC) culture methods. The study aims to determine the effect of rapid molecular testing using the cobas® eplex blood culture panels (Roche) in the clinical management of bloodstream infections and more specifically the effect of the eplex result on the time to most effective/targeted antibiotic treatment. The primary objective is to investigate the difference in time to most effective antibiotic treatment between the control and intervention group. The secondary aims are to analyze the concordance of results and compare the user-friendliness, hands-on time and turnaround times of the eplex to the SOC culture methods as well as to compare the difference in the length of stay, antibiotic intensity score at 96h after Gram staining and patient outcome (30-day, all cause mortality and 30-day readmission) in the control and intervention group.

Rapid Molecular Diagnosis of Sepsis in the Intensive Care Unit

Rapid diagnosis of sepsis is crucial for treatment and survival. Currently, blood culture takes 48 hours-5 days to complete. After starting antimicrobial treatment blood culture results are not reliable. As a result, empirical broad spectrum antimicrobial therapy is mostly used. This implies possible antimicrobial over- or under treatment which is associated with increased antimicrobial resistance development. Early identification of the causative pathogen of sepsis will therefore have a major impact on the adequate treatment and reduction of high mortality rates. To date, there is not a single molecular diagnostic test available on the market to detect all putative causative bacterial pathogens of sepsis. In this study, the investigators will develop and validate a completely new molecular sepsis approach based on pathogen DNA detection, as an alternative to culture.

18-fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in S. Aureus Bacteraemia

Having bacteria in the blood can be very dangerous. This is called bacteraemia (or bacteremia) or bloodstream infection. It can lead to problems across the whole body, which is what happens in sepsis. Bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) cause one kind of bacteraemia. Up to a third of people with this condition die within three months, even with antibiotics. One reason for such severe problems is that the bacteria can spread almost anywhere in the body, and hide in places where they are very hard to find. When people with S. aureus bacteraemia come into hospital and have had antibiotics, doctors sometimes cannot tell if they still have an infection source (called a 'focus') hiding in their body. The focus can be like an abscess and may need removing or the pus draining out. A focus might be obvious, if there is pain or swelling, or it might be hidden and deep. If these 'foci' can be found, then doctors can treat them and this helps to cure patients. To improve survival for patients with these life-threatening infections, it is vital that doctors find the focus of S. aureus bacteraemia as quickly as possible. However, the research team do not know the best way to do this. Most patients with S. aureus bacteraemia have a chest X-ray and a scan of the heart valves. Patients may go to the scanning department lots of times while doctors try to work out where these foci are. This is uncomfortable and takes a lot of time. In about 1 in 5 cases the doctors still cannot find the focus. This is very worrying for patients, their relatives and doctors. This study has been designed by researchers, doctors and patient advocates. It aims to work out if fewer patients may die when a specific type of scan called a 'PET/CT' is done quickly, because it finds more foci. To do this the team plan to do a clinical trial in patients with S. aureus bacteraemia. Half of the patients will receive the usual tests that patients currently get and the other half will receive an extra scan as soon as possible. The patients will be chosen randomly (like the flip of a coin) to go into one of the 2 groups. A year into the trial, an independent committee will check the results to make sure the extra scan is finding more foci. If this is the case, the trial will carry on. At the end of the study, we will share the results globally. The findings are expected to change the way this dangerous condition is managed, so patients do better.