Clinical Research Directory

Comparison of Tracheal Intubation in Ramp vs Sniffing Position Using Customized vs Fixed Pillow

The goal of this clinical trial is to find out whether the ramp position or sniffing position is better for endo tracheal intubation which provides better hemodynamic stability and short intubation time and good laryngoscopic view in regards of cormack lehane grading.

A Study on Median Effective Concentration of Ciprofol Combined With Remifentanil Via Target-controlled Infusion for Inhibiting Tracheal Intubation Stimulation Under qNOX Index Monitoring

1. The combined induction of intubation with propofol and remifentanil is widely used in clinical anesthesia, primarily through a single intravenous injection. Target-controlled infusion (TCI) technology, which combines pharmacology with clinical practice, offers a more stable and precise infusion mode; 2. This project aims to explore the half-effective concentration (EC50) of propofol combined with remifentanil for inhibiting tracheal intubation stimulation through a sequential approach under the monitoring of qNOX pain index.

Validity of Frailty Screening Tools as a Measure for Postoperative Outcomes

Frailty is a common geriatric syndrome defined as a clinical state of decreased physiologic reserve resulting in increased vulnerability to stressors. It is associated with several unfavorable postoperative complications independent of age such as readmission, length of hospital stay and mortality. To address these concerns, medical societies have acknowledged a need for routine screening to identify elderly patients who are at high risk for major complications before undergoing surgery. In the absence of a golden standard for frailty assessment, there are multiple assessment tools available. However, the challenge with many frailty tools is that they can be time-consuming, and require expertise and clinical training.This poses a challenge for screening a large elderly population before surgery. Some frailty assessment tools, such as PRISMA7 (The Program of Research to Integrate Services for the Maintenance of Autonomy), timed up and go (TUG) and the clock drawing test (CDT), have been demonstrated to be quick, simple and easy to use with minimal training. The PRISMA-7 is a frailty screening questionnaire that consists of seven dichotomous items considering age, gender, health problems that affect activities of daily living (ADLs), assistance from others with ADLs, having to count on someone if needed, and the use of mobility aids. The TUG test is used for assessing fall risk and frailty in older patients. It is measured by the time it takes an individual to stand up from a seated position, walk three meters and return back to a seated position. There is no standard cut-off for TUG, however, a cut-off of \> 10 seconds has been used to identify frailty. Cognitive impairment in older surgical patients may predispose patients to executive dysfunction that many elderly patients experience postoperatively and has shown to be a risk factor for surgical complications. Some studies suggest a strong relationship between cognitive impairment and physical frailty resulting in cognitive frailty when evaluating older adults.The CDT has shown to be a valuable screening tool for cognitive concerns. When administering the CDT, a patient receives instructions to draw a clock. Performing the test requires auditory comprehension, planning, sustained attention, visual-spatial skills and executive skills. The prevalence of surgical frailty in Iceland has not been researched thoroughly enough to provide an accurate estimate. This is important to reveal the number of senior surgical patients at high risk of adverse postoperative outcomes who could benefit from a preoperative intervention. However, there is a lack of consensus on an optimal frailty assessment to screen patients for identifying frail patients prior to surgery, and more research is needed to evaluate which group of patients would benefit the most from prehabilitation. The scientific value of this study is to elucidate the extent of frailty risk and its associated postoperative outcomes in older surgical patients undergoing elective surgery. We opt to find a convenient screening routine prior to surgery to identify patients at risk of frailty. Therefore, the study aims to validate three frailty screening methods and to assess a positive screening result as an independent risk factor for adverse postoperative outcomes in a cohort of elderly surgical patients undergoing elective surgery. We hypothesize that elderly patients at risk of frailty have a higher rate of surgical complications than patients not at risk of frailty. Patients aged ≥ 70 years who undergo elective surgery will be prospectively examined at the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care of Landspítali. The screening assessments to be evaluated are the Program of Research to Integrate Services for the Maintenance of Autonomy (PRISMA-7), a combination of Timed Up \& Go (TUG), Clock Drawing Test (CDT) and the FRAIL questionnaire, and a combination of PRISMA-7, TUG and CDT. Additional clinical data and outcomes will be obtained from the electronic medical records of Landspítali. The postoperative outcomes measured will be 180-day mortality, surgical complications, 90-day readmission, delirium, non-home discharge and length of hospital stay. Patients who screen positive on the CDT (≤ 2/3 points) and TUG (≥ 11 seconds) will be considered frail. Those who do not screen positive on both of these tests will be part of the control group (non-frail).

Virtual Group Prehabilitation Education (Surgery School) Feasibility Trial

One in four patients requiring planned major surgery have complications. Prehabilitation; which involves increasing physical activity, improving nutrition and supporting emotional well-being prior to surgery can reduce these complications and improve recovery. Group preoperative prehabilitation classes (surgery schools) are advocated by the Centre for Perioperative Care and are standard care in many hospitals, despite a lack of evidence for their effectiveness in improving patient outcomes. In phase 1 an 2 of this research investigators used patient experiences and co-participatory methods to optimise an existing intervention to make it as acceptable and as engaging as possible. The resulting education package is called 'GoPREPARE' Investigators now intend to test the practicalities of trialing GoPREPARE on preoperative patients with cancer. 24 patients awaiting surgery will be recruited from University Hospital Plymouth and randomly allocated equally to: Group - GoPREPARE and Group 2- standard care. Participants will complete lifestyle questionnaires before during and after their hospital stay. To evaluate the experience, \~8 participants will be interviewed. 5 clinical staff involved in the trial will also take part in a focus group. The information collected will be analysed to assess if it is feasible to conduct a larger trial.

Surgical COrncerns and Psychological Evaluation of Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery

This study wants to obtain more information regarding the patient's concerns since concerns of the patient about the procedure is found as a predictor for the development of chronic post-surgical pain. This step is crucial in translating early identification of a high-risk population into preventive policies. Using a semi-structured interview, the investigators aim to gather this additional information, which is essential in the development of an (individualized) biopsychosocial care pathway in the future.

Perioperative Immunonutrition Under Enhanced Recovery After Surgery

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effect of perioperative immunonutrition supplement in gynecologic cancer patients. The main questions it aims to answer are: * is there any difference in the nutritional outcomes and functional outcomes between intervention and conventional groups? * is there any difference in the post-surgical outcomes between intervention and conventional groups? Participants (intervention) will be provided the immunonutrition supplement before and after operation. Researchers will compare intervention group with conventional group to see if there is any difference in postoperative outcomes.

Recovery Control Tower Feasibility Pilot

A pilot study in perioperative telemedicine that aims to demonstrate the efficiency, and safety of integrating telemedicine into the PACU environment. This pilot study will expand on our previously conducted proof-of-concept study for a telemedicine solution in the PACU. If this pilot study proves to be successful, the study team intends subsequently to expand such a telemedicine solution to multiple clinical locations.

Carotid Artery Corrected Flow Time and Inferior Vena Cava Collapsibility Index for Prediction of Hypotension After Induction of General Anesthesia in Geriatric Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery

In this observational study, we will assess cFT by Carotid ultrasound and IVC collapsibility index for prediction of hypotension after induction of general anesthesia in geriatric patients undergoing elective surgery.

Impact of Total Coronary Revascularization Via Left Anterior Thoracotomy (TCRAT) vs. Robotic-Assisted Harvesting of LIMA (ITcrats)

The two types of total coronary revascularization via left anterior thoracotomy (TCRAT) might have their potential benefits and disadvantages. The proposed randomized clinical trial here will compare 'RA-TCRAT' with 'Nonrobotic TCRAT' procedures concerning effects on hospital stays, overall healthcare costs, safety, and feasibility. If the two TCRAT procedures are comparably effective and safe, the 'Nonrobotic TCRAT' procedure is probably preferred as it seems easier to use. However, if the 'Nonrobotic TCRAT' procedure is less effective and less safe than the "robotic TCRAT,' that procedure should be preferred.

Ultrasonographic Airway Assessment in Predicting Difficult Laryngoscopy in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery

This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonographic airway examination in predicting difficult laryngoscopy in pediatric patients undergoing elective surgery.

Gastric Ultrasound in Elective Surgical Diabetic Patients

The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of gastric ultrasound in elective surgical diabetic patients.