Clinical Research Directory

BIS in ICU Interventional Study

This study will test whether using a Bispectral Index (BIS) monitor to guide sedation can reduce the amount of sedative medication given to adults in the intensive care unit (ICU) after cardiac surgery. BIS is a non-invasive, EEG-based monitor that shows a number from 0-100 to reflect level of consciousness. Researchers will compare BIS-guided sedation to standard sedation guided by clinical scales (such as the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale, RASS). About 144 participants will be randomly assigned (1:1) to one of two groups at two hospitals in Austria (Medical University of Graz and Klinikum Wels-Grieskirchen). In the BIS group, clinicians will use BIS values and standard care to titrate sedation and will aim to avoid sustained BIS values below 50. In the control group, sedation will follow standard practices using clinical scales; BIS will be recorded but hidden from caregivers. The trial is open-label for treating staff; outcome assessors and data analysts will be blinded. Participants will be in the study during their ICU sedation and mechanical ventilation period (typically more than 6 hours), with follow-up through ICU and hospital discharge. The primary outcome is the time-averaged dose of propofol (mg/kg/h) given during continuous ICU sedation until weaning (up to 72 hours). Secondary outcomes include duration of ventilation and sedation, depth of sedation measures, sedative and catecholamine doses, pulmonary infections (including ventilator-associated pneumonia), ICU and hospital length of stay, delirium, and in-hospital mortality. Risks are minimal and may include mild skin irritation from forehead electrodes. Possible benefits include improved sedation management; benefits are not guaranteed. Taking part is voluntary.

REmotely Monitored, Mobile Health Supported Multidomain Rehabilitation Program With High Intensity Interval Training for COVID-19

Multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial providing mobile health supported physical rehabilitation to 120 patients who have been critically ill with COVID-19 and who complete at least one exercise session.

PICU Up!: A Pilot Stepped-wedge Trial of a Multicomponent Early Mobility Intervention for Critically Ill Children

Recent decreases in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) mortality rates have been offset by increased morbidity and length of stay for vulnerable young patients. Heavy sedation, bedrest, and delirium contribute to a PICU culture of immobility. While studies in adult ICU patients demonstrate the clinical benefits of early mobilization, fewer than 25% of critically ill children mobilize early in the children's PICU stay. The investigators have demonstrated the safety and feasibility of the 'PICU Up!' Mobility Program, which integrates sleep promotion, delirium prevention, sedation optimization as a bundle to increase mobilization. However, the generalizability and broader impact on patient- and family-centered outcomes is unknown. Therefore, there is an urgent need for trials that blend both clinical effectiveness and implementation research to create a PICU culture of mobility and improve the value of PICU care. The overall objective of the proposed research is to determine the impact of a transdisciplinary and multifaceted early mobility program on clinical outcomes and ICU-acquired morbidities in critically ill children. Additionally, the investigators will identify barriers and facilitators to high-performance bundle adoption.

Peripheral pULSe Assessment and Arterial pRessure (PULSAR)

This prospective multicenter observational study aims to investigate the relationship between palpable peripheral pulses and simultaneously measured arterial blood pressure in adult patients with circulatory shock or impending circulatory failure. Peripheral pulse palpation is routinely used in emergency medicine, trauma care, critical care, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation as a rapid clinical assessment of circulation. However, the association between palpable pulses and actual arterial blood pressure remains poorly validated. Patients treated in emergency departments, intensive care units, operating rooms, and other acute care settings will undergo routine pulse palpation at predefined anatomical locations including carotid, femoral, and radial arteries. Simultaneously measured non-invasive and/or invasive arterial blood pressure values will be recorded from routine clinical monitoring systems. Additional clinical variables relevant to circulatory status will also be collected. The study seeks to define blood pressure thresholds associated with pulse palpability and evaluate the agreement between invasive and non-invasive blood pressure measurements in patients with circulatory shock.

NIBP Validation Study

The purpose of this study is to compare measurements of blood pressure (BP) between the Philips non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) system (including NIBP cuff and portable patient monitor) and invasive radial for Subject Group 2 and 3, and radial or umbilical arterial line for neonates (A-line) in critical care patients.

Simple Observational Critical Care Studies

Each year approximately 3000 patients are admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). In-hospital mortality of patients with emergency admission approaches 25%. Predicting outcome in the first hours after ICU admission, however, remains a challenge. An vast amount of scoring systems has been developed for mortality prediction. Well known models, such as the LODS, MODS, CCI, SOFA, ODIN and the different generations of the APACHE, MPM and SAPS, are increasingly compared with new models, such as the SICULA, ICNARC, ANZROD and SMS-ICU. The predictive value of scoring systems deteriorates over time due to changes in patient characteristics and treatment, making it crucial to update existing models or develop new models. Other reasons given for the need of models are the complexity and lack of availability of variables in some of the existing scoring systems, the better discriminating value while using simple, standardly measured variables, and the limited generalizability of some scoring systems in different patient populations. Not only are simple systems (such as the CIS and SMS-ICU) found to be at least as predictive for mortality as complex models such as the APACHE IV, but, while using simplified systems, mortality can also be reasonably predicted within only a few hours after admission. Both simplicity and the potential to predict mortality shortly after admission increase the usability, and consequently the reliability, of those prediction models. This increases the potential of those models to be used in practice. Most studies however compare only two to four models in their patient population and lack in their description of the performance of the different models. Parameters necessary to compare the performance of models are at least calibration, discrimination, negative predicting value, positive predicting value, sensitivity and specificity. Lacking an adequate description of the performance of the model limits to what extent the study can be used to compare models in different populations. Thus, all usable models should be compared with newly build models, and the performance of the different models should be extensively described to allow comparison of the models. Not only models based on simple, readily available variables available within hours after admission are promising, but also the concept of combining measurements straight after ICU admission with information on the course of illness. It is likely that the course of a variable over time is more indicative than a static measurement. This study will provide a structure in which every patient admitted to the ICU will be investigated and included within 3 hours and after 12 hours after admission, making longitudinal measurements and various add-on studies possible. Longitudinal measurements are the first example of an add-on study; another example is the capability of nurses and physicians to predict outcome. Current evidence suggests that physicians might predict mortality more accurately than scorings systems. This finding may, however, be highly biased, since at least physicians play a major role in end-of-life decision making. More recent studies also focus on the accuracy of nurses in predicting mortality, with diverse outcomes. The role of other health care professionals, like residents and students, remain to be studied. Implementing a systematic data collection process is the first step towards making data-driven research possible, a growing need in medical disciplines such as critical care, which requires increasingly more accurate prognostic models. Therefore, the aim of this study is to systematically collect data of all selected variables, thus minimizing incompleteness, and allowing for the calculation of mortality prediction scores according to currently available mortality or severity of disease prediction models. Moreover, during investigation reliability of measurements could be checked for validity. This creates the possibility to compare the performance of all models in one population and identify models which are useful to predict severity of disease. A registry will be created with this primary objective which also provides the opportunity to start multiple ''add-on'' studies for specific research questions. Examples of add-on studies are 1) the association between time-dependent variables which are longitudinally measured, and mortality/acute and chronic co-morbidity, 2) the association between fluid status and acute kidney injury, and 3) not only the capability of the treating physician to predict mortality, but also the capability of the nurses, residents and students to do so. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to expand the infrastructure for a registry with longitudinal and repeated measurements, shortly after admittance, which is flexible to incorporate temporarily added specific research questions on the outcome of critically ill patients.

Indirect Calorimetry Guided Energy Provision in Critically Ill Patients With Obesity

The DIRECT trial is a prospective, multi-centre, two arm parallel feasibility pilot randomised controlled trial. The primary aim is to determine the feasibility of using repeat indirect calorimetry measurements to direct energy delivery in critically ill patients with obesity. The trial will recruit 60 mechanically ventilated patients from 4-6 ICUs in Australia and New Zealand.

iNO300 Therapy in Critically Ill Patients With Pneumonia

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn the formation and recovery rate of methemoglobin (MetHb) in severely sick patients with pneumonia who receive high doses of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) therapy at 250 parts per million (ppm), not exceeding 300 ppm. Meanwhile, the benefits of the therapy to treat severely sick patients with pneumonia will be explored. Patients who are 18 years or older, newly diagnosed with pneumonia, and severely sick with requirement of a breathing machine could be included. The main questions it aims to answer are: How does methemoglobin change through the iNO treatment? Does iNO therapy increase the number of patients recovering from pneumonia? Researchers will compare iNO treatment to placebo, which means using the same device as the treatment group without delivering the study drug. Participants will: * Receive iNO treatment starting at 250 ppm, not exceeding 300 ppm, 40 min, every 6 hours, from day 1 to day 5 * Be followed up for 60 days

Reestablishing Sleep and Circadian Alignment in Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) Patients Via a Mechanistic RCT of an Sleep Chronobundle

More than 5 million patients are admitted to the intensive care unit every year in the United States; most of these patients experience profound sleep and circadian disruption. Promotion of circadian alignment (i.e., alignment of the body's clocks) would make it possible to strategically schedule behaviors such as sleep and eating at normal body clock times, which is predicted to improve sleep quality and metabolic function. This project will test the ability of a sleep chronobundle (i.e., sleep promotion and circadian treatment bundle) to normalize circadian alignment and subsequently test if this realignment also improves sleep and metabolism.

Effectiveness of a Structured Multidimensional Tele-rehabilitation Intervention in Cardiac Patients With Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (CARDIO-PICS)

This two-arm, parallel-group randomized clinical trial investigates the effectiveness of an additional telerehabilitation program compared with standard care in patients with Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS). The post-rehabilitation phase is crucial for consolidating recovery and ensuring continuity of care, with telerehabilitation offering a promising tool to enhance long-term adherence and outcomes. The primary objective is to evaluate whether a structured, multidisciplinary remote rehabilitation program can reduce the risk of rehospitalization and mortality while improving clinical, functional, and psychosocial recovery. Approximately 326 patients aged 30-75 years will be enrolled after inpatient rehabilitation and randomly assigned to either a four-month structured telerehabilitation program or standard post-discharge follow-up. All participants will undergo assessments at 4 and 12 months to monitor physical, cognitive, psychological, and metabolic recovery, with the ultimate aim of promoting a more complete and sustained rehabilitation after critical illness.

Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy, Impact on Intensive Care Unit Length of Stay

This large national cohort study, including over 500,000 patients, where around 5% are treated with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) , aims to evaluate the association between time to initiation of CRRT and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS).

Trial on the Impact of Indirect Calorimetry-Guided Nutritional Support on Patient-Centered Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients - The OPTICal Study

This multicentric randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate whether indirect calorimetry (IC)-guided nutritional support improves patient-centered outcomes in critically ill adult patients compared to standard formula-based nutritional strategies. The study includes mechanically ventilated patients expected to remain in the ICU for more than 72 hours. The intervention group will receive nutritional targets based on measured resting energy expenditure using the QNRG+ device, with a gradual escalation of energy delivery following current ESPEN guidelines. The primary outcome is quality of life at 3 months post-ICU admission, assessed using the EQ-5D-5L. Secondary outcomes include functional recovery, muscle preservation, infection rates, and rehospitalization. This study is the first to assess the long-term impact of IC-guided nutrition on recovery and quality of life using a patient-centered approach.

MyokinE100 System: Closed Loop Electrical Muscle Stimulation to Mitigate ICU Acquired Weakness in Medical ICU Patients

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a new medical device that sends electrical signals to the thigh muscles is safe and easy to use for people in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) who are at risk of losing muscle strength. It will also explore whether this treatment can help slow down muscle weakening. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Do participants develop medical problems when receiving electrical muscle stimulation in the ICU? * Is electrical muscle stimulation a practical way to help reduce muscle weakness in critically ill patients? Researchers will compare the control group (standard of care) to the intervention group (standard of care plus 60-minute sessions of electrical muscle stimulation daily during the ICU stay) to see if the device is safe and easy to use. Participants will: * Receive either standard of care or standard of care plus electrical muscle stimulation of the thigh muscles * Have their muscle strength checked during the study * Complete a survey three months after ICU discharge to check on their recovery

Prognostic Value of Novel Biomarkers on Adverse Renal Outcomes in High-Risk Cardiac Surgery Patients

This project aims to detect novel biomarkers from preoperative and early postoperative serum and urine samples of patients to screen and analyze the risk factors for predicting adverse postoperative renal outcomes in high-risk patients in cardiac surgery.

Intubation Checklist in the Intensive Care Unit

This retrospective study aims to explore whether the introduction of a preprocedural checklist for intubation in the intensive care unit (ICU) is associated with a lower incidence of intubation-related complications. Using a database where protocols from intubations in the ICU before implementing a checklist and after we will investigate whether a checklist affects early desaturation and hypotension after intubation.

RECOMMEND Platform Trial

The goal of this platform trial is to determine the efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness of various interventions in patients with acute cardiorespiratory failure requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) The main question the platform trial aims to address is to determine the effect of a range of interventions on survival, organ support and resource utilisation to day 28 for hospitalised patients receiving ECMO. Researchers will compare various interventions within multiple platform trial domains to see if the interventions have effects on survival, organ support and resource utilisation for the patient cohort. Participants will be enrolled in accordance with the platform trial's domain structure to answer the research questions.

CALLY Index, Frailty and SOFA-2 for Mortality Prediction in Geriatric ICU Patients

This study aims to evaluate the prognostic value of the C-reactive protein-albumin-lymphocyte (CALLY) index, Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), and SOFA-2 score in predicting mortality among geriatric intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The primary outcome is ICU mortality. Secondary outcomes include 28-day mortality, ICU length of stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, need for renal replacement therapy, and vasopressor requirement. The study also investigates whether the combined use of these parameters improves predictive performance compared to conventional scoring systems such as APACHE II.

NAI for Sepsis With Persistent Lymphopenia

This is a Phase 2, randomized, open-label study evaluating the safety and efficacy of nogapendekin alfa inbakicept (NAI, ANKTIVA®) in combination with standard of care versus standard of care alone in critically ill adults with sepsis and persistent lymphopenia. The study aims to determine whether NAI can improve 28-day mortality by addressing the immunosuppressive phase of sepsis characterized by persistent lymphopenia (absolute lymphocyte count \<1,000 cells/µL). Participants will be randomized 1:1 to receive either NAI 1.2 mg subcutaneous injection on Days 3 (or earlier if ALC \<700 cells/µL), Day 14, and potentially Day 21 if ALC remains \<1,000 cells/µL, plus standard of care, or standard of care alone. The study will enroll approximately 50 participants (25 per arm) with persistent lymphopenia.

Combined Predictive Value of RSBI and CALLY Index in Predicting Weaning Success in ICU Patients

The primary objective of this prospective observational study is to evaluate the effectiveness of combining the Rapid Shallow Breathing Index (RSBI) and CRP-Albumin-Lymphocyte (CALLY) index to predict weaning success in adult patients within the intensive care unit. While weaning from mechanical ventilation is a critical clinical step, existing physiological metrics like RSBI do not fully capture a patient's inflammatory or nutritional status. This research introduces the CALLY index calculated as the ratio of the patient's immuno-nutritional reserve (Albumin and Lymphocytes) to systemic inflammation (CRP) as a complementary metabolic marker. By tracking approximately 105 participants at Basaksehir Cam and Sakura City Hospital, the study monitors weaning success over both a 48 hour and a 7 day period to identify both immediate and late phase extubation failures. The ultimate goal is to provide a more holistic prediction model that potentially reduces re-intubation rates and improves clinical outcomes by accurately identifying the optimal time for ventilator removal.

Predicting Poor Outcomes of Cardiac Surgery-Associated Acute Kidney Injury Using Novel Biomarkers

The aim of this study was to identify and validate novel biomarkers including functional tests for detecting AKI, AKI progression and other poor outcomes.

Predicting Mortality in Patients With Return of Spontaneous Circulation After Cardiac Arrest

This retrospective observational cohort study aims to identify early predictors of short- and mid-term mortality in adult patients who achieved return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after cardiac arrest. Eligible patients admitted to the intensive care unit between January 1, 2024 and May 31, 2025 were identified retrospectively from electronic medical records following institutional ethics approval. Clinical, biochemical, and resuscitation-related parameters recorded within the first 24 hours of ICU admission were analyzed. The primary objective was to determine factors independently associated with short-term mortality. Six-month mortality was additionally assessed using hospital records and the national death registry. The findings are expected to improve risk stratification and clinical decision-making in post-cardiac arrest care.

Validation of SOFA-2 for Mortality and Sepsis-3 Prevalence in Turkey

The goal of this observational study is to validate the effectiveness of the new SOFA-2 score in predicting mortality and to determine the current frequency of sepsis in adult patients admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in Turkey. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the SOFA-2 score accurately predict 30-day mortality in ICU patients? * What is the prevalence of Sepsis-3 and septic shock in Turkish ICUs? Researchers will compare the new SOFA-2 score to the existing SOFA-1 score to see if the new score provides better predictive accuracy for patient outcomes. Participants will not receive any experimental intervention. Researchers will collect data from routine medical care, including: * Vital signs, laboratory test results, and details of organ support (such as mechanical ventilation or dialysis) during the first 24 hours of admission. * Survival status at 30 days.

CONTINUation of Enteral Nutrition Prior to Extubation Compared to Standard Care

Critically ill patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) often need to be connected to a breathing machine (ventilator) and are unable to eat. During this time, liquid nutrition is delivered via a feeding tube to the stomach or bowel (termed enteral nutrition (EN)) to ensure nutrition needs are provided until such time that the patient can eat normally. The delivery of nutrition via EN is frequently interrupted due to procedures and changes in the gastrointestinal system that can cause digestion to be slow. One of the main contributors to EN interruptions is fasting prior to removal of the breathing tube (termed extubation). The practice of pausing EN prior to the removal of the breathing tube is historical and based on evidence for patients who are not within the ICU. There is currently no scientific consensus on whether pausing of EN is necessary, or for how long. Because of this, some clinicians choose to pause EN prior to removal of the breathing tube and some clinicians continue to provide EN. This study is a pilot randomised controlled trial of fasting patients for at least 4 hours prior to removal of the breathing tube compared with not pausing EN. The investigators hypothesise that this will reduce the number of hours of fasting in the 24 hours prior to extubation.

Effect of Giving Reduced Fluid in Children After Trauma

This study is designed to help decide how much intravenous (IV) fluid should be given to pediatric trauma patients. No standard currently exists for managing fluids in critically ill pediatric trauma patients, and many fluid strategies are now in practice. For decades, trauma patients got high volumes of IV fluid. Recent studies in adults show that patients actually do better by giving less fluid. The investigators do not know if this is true in children and this study is designed to answer that question and provide guidelines for IV fluid management in children after trauma.