Clinical Research Directory

Blood Glucose Screening in Patients With Advanced Periodontits: the Role of Specialist Periodontal Care in Identifying Hyperglycaemia and Supporting Patient Centered Treatment

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease and individuals with advanced periodontitis are at increased risk of hyperglycaemia. Bacterial plaque, smoking as elevated blood glucose levels are considered key modifiable risk factors for periodontal disease progression. Conventional periodontal care aims to remove and control bacterial deposits and to smoking cessation. Despite the bidirectional relationship, where periodontitis may also contribute to impaired glycaemic control, glycaemic status is rarely niether assessed nor adressed in dental care. The aim of this project is to implement and evaluate routine blood glucose testing as part of the periodontal examination in specialist dental care. Patients diagnosed with advanced periodontitis (Stage III or IV according to the current classification) will be offered capillary blood glucose testing during their periodontal assessment. The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of hyperglycaemia among patients with advanced periodontitis and to evaluate clinician-reported and patient-reported experiences of routine blood glucose testing as part of the periodontal assesment in specialist periodontal care.

Intermittent Versus Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Intensive Care Unit

Glucose control is an important part of supportive care for critically ill patients. Achieving optimal glucose control in such situations is challenging due to frequent fluctuations in blood glucose levels. These changes are often difficult to detect because the monitoring procedures are complex and require significant staff involvement, frequent blood draws, and consequent blood loss. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is a simple and minimally invasive technique that has been approved and increasingly used by people with diabetes mellitus. However, its effectiveness in terms of glucose control management and accuracy in conditions with severe organ dysfunction has not been established. The goal of this study is to assess the performance of CGM-guided glucose control in comparison to the standard glucose monitoring procedure. Additionally, the accuracy of CGM measurements under critical conditions will be evaluated against the standard of care.

Developing an AI Pharmacy Chatbot for the Population of Hong Kong

The primary objective of this study is to is to develop a conversational AI service (chatbot) in Hong Kong to assist patients and caregivers with inquires related to Hospital Authority (HA)-prescribed medications, and to evaluate its effectiveness in answering medication-related questions. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. How satisfied are the patients and caregivers with this pharmacy chatbot? 2. How will the pharmacy chatbot impact eligible patients or caregivers on their (or the patient they are caring for) medication adherence, knowledge, and the consultation time with HA pharmacists? There will be an intervention group and a control group: 1. The intervention group will be invited to use the AI Pharmacy Chatbot online for 7 days through WhatsApp, a commonly used social media platform in Hong Kong. They can inquire about their medications prescribed under HA and get instant, validated answers from the chatbot. 2. The control group will not use the chatbot during the intervention period. To evaluate the chatbot's usability, researchers will measure patient satisfaction through usability questionnaires issued to the intervention group after their intervention period. Differences in medication adherence, medication knowledge, and HA pharmacist consultation time will also be measured between the intervention and control groups after the intervention period, to determine the chatbot's impact.

Glucose Levels in Acute Pancreatitis and the Impact of Insulin Depletion and Bacterial Endotoxaemia

There are currently no early predictive biomarkers for severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) that would allow stratification of patients for potential early interventional therapies. Hyperglycaemia is frequently observed to accompany and contribute to severe AP. However, the underlying mechanism is multifactorial, including in the acute phase of injury, where elevated adrenaline, cortisol and glucagon and inflammatory cytokine-induced insulin resistance all contribute to hyperglycaemia. The investigators propose that the extent of collateral injury of pancreatic β-cells and consequent loss of insulin secretion during the course of acute pancreatitis (AP) underlies disease severity. The investigators will measure plasma C-peptide (as a reliable readout of endogenous insulin), with moment-to-moment glucose monitoring (using subcutaneous continuous glucose monitoring devices), and bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in a prospective cohort of 30 severe AP patient blood samples taken every 5 days for up to 5 weeks of hospitalization.

Dapagliflozin as Prophylaxis for Glucocorticoid-Induced Hyperglycemia

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate whether dapagliflozin can help prevent glucocorticoid-induced hyperglycemia (GIH) in hospitalized patients requiring high-dose glucocorticoids (GCs). This trial will also assess the safety of dapagliflozin when used alongside GCs. The main questions the trial aims to answer are: Does dapagliflozin reduce the incidence of GIH in patients receiving high-dose GCs? What side effects or adverse events occur in patients taking dapagliflozin alongside high-dose GCs? Researchers will compare dapagliflozin to standard glucose monitoring (SGM) to determine if dapagliflozin is effective in preventing GIH in patients receiving high doses of GCs. Participants will: Take dapagliflozin (10 mg/day) or undergo standard glucose monitoring during their hospital stay. Visit the hospital for regular check-ups and glucose testing during their treatment. Record their glucose levels multiple times a day and report any adverse events they experience.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) After Kidney Transplantation

This study examines glucose levels measured by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in the immediate period following kidney transplantation among recipients with diabetes, without diabetes, and with pre-diabetes. The primary objective is to analyse differences in mean sensor glucose between these three groups. CGMs are applied to participants within 72 hours after kidney transplantation, with a total of 54 participants divided equally across the three groups (18 in each). Secondary objectives include assessing additional glucose profile indices, adherence to relevant guidelines, changes in HbA1c, the impact of immunosuppression and steroid dosage, and beta cell function.