Clinical Research Directory

TRacheostomy in DElphi for iNTensive Care' (TRiDENT)

The aim of this study is to develop international consensus-based recommendations for tracheostomy care in critically ill patients. Using the Delphi method, the study seeks to identify key practices in post-tracheostomy management, including tube downsizing and decannulation strategies, infection prevention and site care, restoration of communication and swallowing, and the recognition and management of tracheostomy-related complications. By engaging a multidisciplinary panel of international experts involved in tracheostomy care, the study aims to reduce variability in current practice and support the development of standardized, evidence-informed approaches across different clinical settings.

Mechanical Insufflation-Exsufflation in Critically Ill Patients

Mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (MI-E) is an established airway clearance technique for patients with chronic conditions like neuromuscular diseases. However, its use in critically ill ICU patients remains inconsistent and lacks standardized guidelines. Despite growing research, current practices vary widely in patient selection, treatment protocols, and safety management, with limited high-quality evidence to support clear recommendations. To address this gap, an international, multidisciplinary Delphi consensus study is needed to establish expert-based best practices and feasible guidelines for the safe and effective implementation of MI-E in the intensive care setting.

Standardizing Right Hemicolectomy for Colon Cancer

A surgical intervention might be highly variable amongst surgeons and centers. This variability has a potential relevance concerning clinical outcomes. For right-sided colon cancer, the laparoscopic right hemicolectomy (LRHC) knows substantial variation. Especially since the surgical technique has been evolving during the latest decade with the introduction of intracorporeal anastomosis, a dissection technique within the correct embryological planes (complete mesocolic excision) and central vascular ligation of the segmental branches at its origin, resulting in an optimal lymph node dissection. Given the insights from recent studies showing the association between quality of surgery and relevant clinical outcomes, there is a great need for a formative quality assessment of LRHC. Detailed objective assessment of the LRHC is currently not performed in clinical practice nor in surgical training. Quality assessment of LRHC has great potential to improve surgical training and furthermore, implementation of a standardized technique will ultimately lead to better quality of care for patients suffering from right-sided colon cancer. The main objective of this study is to improve surgical outcomes for patient with right-sided colon cancer by a prospective sequential interventional cohort study that aims to standardize the surgical technique with subsequent controlled implementation after standardized review of the current practice in a nationwide multicenter setting. The primary endpoint is the 30-day morbidity according to the Clavien-Dindo classification system.