Clinical Research Directory

ESCAPE10: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Outcomes of Severe Community-acquired Pneumonia in Elderly PatientsAcquired Pneumonia (sCAP) in Elderly Patients"

The ESCAPE 10 study is a multinational, retrospective, observational cohort study that aims to investigate the epidemiology and outcome determinants of severe community-acquired pneumonia (sCAP) in elderly patients (≥65 years). Conducted across multiple European countries, the study will include at least 500 patients admitted to acute care hospitals with radiologically confirmed sCAP, with enrollment distributed evenly between epidemic (winter) and non-epidemic (summer) seasons. The primary objective is to assess 28-day mortality. Secondary objectives include evaluating in-hospital mortality, pneumonia-related complications, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay, ventilation needs, and identifying clinical risk factors associated with poor outcomes. Additionally, the study aims to propose a set of quality indicators for sCAP management and assess gender-related differences and clinical subphenotypes in the post-COVID-19 era. Data will be retrospectively collected from medical records, with no interventions applied. Findings from this study are expected to guide improvements in clinical care, patient safety, and outcome prediction models in elderly populations with sCAP.

Long COVID and Its Associations With Health Outcomes in Older Adults

The Peking University Health Cohort in Anning, Yunnan (PKUHC-AN) is a prospective cohort study carried out in Anning, Yunnan. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on older adults' health, and to provide high-quality evidence of real world research for the optimization of prevention and control strategies of COVID-19 and other emerging infectious diseases. Data will be collected regarding health status, history of COVID-19 infections and vaccines, lifestyle and socioeconomic characteristics, as well as the short- and long-term health outcomes.

Variation in Drug Interactions in People With HIV (PLWH) Aged 60 Years and Older.

Several cohort studies have recently shown a significant increase in the mean age of PLWH ( People Living With HIV) and in the prevalence of people in advanced age in the various cohorts, as a result of the marked increase in the mean life expectancy of these people achieved by modern antiretroviral combination therapies. However, the high prevalence of comorbidities exposes PLWH in old age to the need to take multiple drug treatments in addition to antiretroviral therapy, with the gradually increasing risk of unfavorable pharmacokinetic interactions between antiretroviral drugs and drugs taken to treat the comorbidities. This project consists of an observational, cohort, retrospective, single-center study and aims to evaluate the variation in the number and type of clinically significant drug interactions between antiretroviral therapy and concomitant therapies in PLWH aged \>60 years on stable antiretroviral therapy who, for any reason at the Clinician's discretion, have made a switch from ongoing antiretroviral therapy to the bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide regimen.

Antibiotic Dosing in Geriatric Patients At the Emergency Department

In this pilot study, we will investigate whether - with the current dosing regimens, used in the Ghent University Hospital - pharmacodynamic targets regarding beta-lactam antibiotics (more specific Amoxicilline-Clavulanate, Piperacillin-Tazobactam and Temocillin) are attained in frail patients admitted to the geriatric department.

Effectiveness and Tolerability of Influenza Vaccine in Patients at Risk for Severe and Complicated Influenza

The aim of the study is to evaluate simultaneously the immunological and clinical efficacy and tolerability of an influenza vaccine, inactivated, quadrivalent, with cleaved virus, in patients at risk for severe and complicated influenza routinely vaccinated against influenza in family medicine clinics or specialty clinics (pediatric, internal medicine, cardiology, gynecological diabetes, pregnant women, transplant).