Clinical Research Directory

GMPA Versus PPI for Gastric Protection and aGVHD Risk

The goal of this clinical trial is to observe whether different gastric protection strategies affect the incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are routinely used for gastric protection during transplantation, but their prolonged use may suppress gastric acid, alter gut microbiota, and potentially increase the risk of aGVHD. Teprenone, a gastric mucosal protective agent (GMPA), enhances mucosal defense mechanisms including promoting mucus secretion, increasing gastric mucosal blood flow, and facilitating epithelial cell repair, without affecting gastric acid secretion, and may therefore preserve microbial diversity and modify aGVHD risk. This study compares two strategies: continuous PPI use versus switching from PPIs to teprenone after transplantation. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Does switching from PPIs to teprenone after transplantation reduce the cumulative incidence of aGVHD within +100 days post-transplantation compared with continuous PPI use? * What adverse events do participants experience with teprenone versus continuous PPI therapy? * Does teprenone therapy provide better preservation of gut microbial diversity and lower rates of gastrointestinal and infectious complications compared with continuous PPI use? In this prospective, randomized, parallel-controlled, single-center trial, approximately 198 patients undergoing allo-HSCT will be enrolled and assigned in a 1:1 ratio using a central randomization system. The experimental group (teprenone group) will receive standard-dose PPIs (esomeprazole, 40 mg/d, intravenous/oral) during conditioning and switch to teprenone (50 mg tid, orally) after transplantation through day +100. The control group (PPI group) will receive continuous standard-dose PPIs from conditioning through day +100. Probiotic use is prohibited from conditioning through day +100 in both groups. All other anti-infective, GVHD prophylaxis, and supportive care regimens are identical between the two groups. The primary endpoint of this study is the cumulative incidence of aGVHD within +100 days post-transplantation. Secondary endpoints include grade II-IV and grade III-IV aGVHD, lower gastrointestinal aGVHD, steroid-refractory aGVHD, gut and salivary microbiome dynamics (α-diversity, β-diversity, and specific taxa at pre-conditioning, day 0, day +14, and day +28), plasma biomarkers related to intestinal barrier integrity, systemic inflammation, and immune regulation , infectious and gastrointestinal complications (febrile neutropenia, diarrhea, C. difficile infection, bacteremia, EBV/CMV reactivation, upper GI bleeding, reflux), and 1-year survival outcomes (non-relapse mortality, overall survival, GVHD-free/relapse-free survival). During the study, participants will: * Receive the assigned gastric protection regimen (teprenone or PPI) according to randomization * Undergo regular assessments for safety and efficacy monitoring, including aGVHD surveillance and infection screening * Provide fecal and saliva samples at pre-conditioning, day 0, day +14, and day +28 post-transplantation for microbiome analysis * Provide peripheral blood samples at pre-conditioning, day 0, day +14, and day +28 post-transplantation for exploratory analysis * Be followed for up to 1 year post-transplantation

Reducing Blood Culture Contamination With the Use of a Needle-less Blood Draw Device (The PIVO Trial)

Blood cultures (BCs) are a blood test to look for an infection. Two problems with the sample collection are contamination by germs outside of the blood and not collecting enough blood in the tube, resulting in unusable samples. Many patients requiring a BC also have a peripheral intravenous catheter ("catheter") but these are not normally used for blood sampling. This means that patients receive many painful needles for both catheter insertion and blood sampling. There is a needle-free blood collection device (PIVO Pro) which can be used with a catheter to collect a blood sample. The goal of the PIVO Trial is to see if using the PIVO Pro for blood culture sample collection will have a lower amount of contamination than the usual method of blood sample collection. Patients 18 and older at 3 emergency departments will be included. Research nurses will look for patients in emergency who need a blood culture sample taken and they will be asked if they want to be involved in the trial. Half of the participants will use the PIVO Pro to take their blood sample and half will have the usual way of collecting blood. Participants do not have to do anything specifically for the trial. Information about the blood collection and results of the blood culture will be collected from the medical records and recorded for the trial.

Intravenous Antibiotic Treatment at Home

The purpose of the study is to develop and evaluate a new model for across services interaction with the use of welfare technology and telemedicine. The model includes innovative and new routines for the exchange of patient information, quality systems and procedures between the municipality and the hospital. This model will first be tested for use in intravenous antibiotic therapy. The results of the study will be used to further develop the service. In the larger context, it is desirable to provide knowledge that is transferable to other diagnostic groups, treatment methods and geographical areas.

PReclude Infection EVEnts With No Prophylaxis Transperineal Biopsy 2

Approximately one million transrectal prostate biopsies are performed annually in the U.S., and the risk of post- biopsy infection is increasing due to greater antibiotic resistance of rectal flora. Preliminary data demonstrates that a transperineal MRI-targeted biopsy approach under local anesthesia compared to the standard practice transrectal MRI-targeted prostate biopsy has a much lower risk of infection, comparable pain/discomfort and may improve detection of prostate cancer. This randomized controlled trial will be the first prospective study to evaluate in-office transperineal MRI targeted prostate biopsy. The investigators hypothesize that a transperineal MRI-targeted biopsy approach under local anesthesia compared to the standard practice transrectal MRI-targeted prostate biopsy has a much lower risk of infection, comparable pain/discomfort and may improve detection of prostate cancer.

Procalcitonin as a Prognostic Predictor in Patients With Acute Infectious Disease Hospitalized in the Internal Medicine Department.

Procalcitonin is a well-known biomarker used to distinguish between bacterial and viral infections, assess a patient's risk category, and serve as a prognostic indicator. However, existing data are derived primarily from relatively young patients in intensive care units; there is a lack of information regarding the prognostic significance of procalcitonin in older patients hospitalized in internal medicine wards.

New Techniques for Using a Saline Wash as a Diagnostic Tool for Pneumocystis Pneumonia

This study will examine the effectiveness of a new laboratory method for detecting pneumocystis organisms in a salt-water (saline) oral wash. Pneumocystis infection in people with weakened immunity especially patients with HIV infection or cancer, organ transplant recipients and people receiving immune suppressing therapy can cause life-threatening pneumonia. Currently, pneumocystis infection is diagnosed by sputum analysis or bronchoalveolar lavage. For the sputum analysis, patients are induced to produce a sputum sample (liquid discharge from the lung) using a saline mist; however, many hospitals lack the expertise to perform this procedure. The second method, bronchoalveolar lavage, involves inserting a flexible tube into the lung and injecting saline to produce a specimen for diagnosis. This method, however, is time-consuming and can be uncomfortable. New techniques may allow the use of an oral wash to diagnose pneumocystis, even though an oral sample contains far fewer organisms than are obtained with the current methods. This study will examine whether new techniques, such as nucleic acid amplification, may enable a simple oral wash to be used effectively for diagnosis of pneumocystis infection. Patients 3 years of age and older with weakened immunity who have acute pneumonia may be eligible for this study. In addition, people at increased risk of infection with pneumocystis, including health care professionals, family members of patients, and other patients in health care facilities, may participate. Participants will have a medical history and review of medical records to determine their health status and determine if they have had recent respiratory problems or documented PCP. They will then provide an oral wash sample. For this procedure, subjects first rinse their mouth well. Then, they vigorously swish 50 milliliters of saline for 5 to 10 seconds and immediately repeat the procedure to provide two specimens. Washes may be requested daily, weekly, monthly, or for a period of time to be specified. Participants will also have two tubes of blood drawn (total of 20 milliliters, or 4 teaspoons) to test for evidence of pneumocystis. Although no other tests are required for this protocol, participants may be asked to provide optional add'l samples, as follows: If a sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage sample is required in the course of the patient s clinical mgmt, enough material will be obtained, if possible, for research purposes as well as what is needed for routine care. An induced sputum sample may be requested just for this protocol. For this procedure, a mask with a saline mist is placed over the face, inducing a cough that, it is hoped, will produce sputum from the lungs.

Rapid Response Home Care as an Alternative to Acute Admission

This single-center, randomized, unblinded quality-improvement study evaluates whether a structured home-based rapid response team (RRT) intervention can safely reduce total hospital days among adults referred to the emergency department with suspected infection. Patients referred from general practitioners or the regional medical helpline (1813) between 09:00 and 22:00 are randomized 1:1 using Zelen's design to either standard in-hospital evaluation or a home-based assessment pathway delivered by a mobile clinical response team.

Clinical Assessment and Treatment in the Nursing Home as an Alternative to Hospital Admission

This multicenter, cluster-randomized, unblinded quality-improvement study evaluates whether home-based clinical assessment by municipal acute care teams can safely reduce hospital admissions among nursing home residents experiencing acute illness or clinical deterioration during out-of-hours periods. Participating nursing homes in the Capital Region of Denmark will be randomized to either usual care (contacting the regional medical helpline, 1813) or the intervention pathway, in which nursing home staff contact a municipal acute care team directly. The acute care team performs an on-site clinical assessment and, when needed, consults a senior physician in the hospital emergency department to establish a treatment and observation plan, which may include continued management at the nursing home under hospital responsibility. The study compares the intervention with usual care with respect to hospital admissions and mortality among nursing home residents.

Diagnosis and Management of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases

This protocol is being established to cover the evaluation of patients with inflammatory and/or infectious diseases which are not covered under previously existing protocols. The purpose of such a protocol is that frequently patients are referred to us with either diagnosed or undiagnosed illnesses which would be of interest to our teaching program or which would serve as a source of patients to subsequently be entered into established, ongoing protocol studies. Such patients will be admitted to the protocol and handled according to accepted medical practice of diagnosis and treatment.

Early Sepsis Recognition Tool

This study seeks to develop early recognition tools specially designed for children meeting the Phoenix definition and explore implementation science aspects by investigating facilitators and barriers to adopting Phoenix sepsis criteria in clinical practice. This addresses the critical need for systemic, evidence-based approaches to paediatric sepsis identification across diverse healthcare settings in Asia.

Surgical Recovery Support Pillow for Spine Surgeries

The present study investigates the feasibility of a support pillow for use after spinal surgical procedures, and more particularly, to protect the midline region of the back following spinal surgery. Existing cushioning pillows do not accommodate the anatomy of the human back nor the requirements of isolating a vertical spinal incision. For example, donut-style or ring-shaped pillows are designed for entirely different purposes, such as hemorrhoidal relief, and cannot provide the desired spinal relief. As a result, there is no suitable, dedicated support structure that allows a patient to rest on their back while eliminating pressure on the surgical site. Accordingly, there is a need for a device that permits postoperative spinal surgery patients to sit or lie in a supine or reclined position without the surgical incision contacting or being compressed by any supporting surface.

NADPH Oxidase Correction in mRNA-transfected Granulocyte-enriched Cells in Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD)

Background: CGD is caused by a gene mutation. For people with CGD, their cells cannot kill germs well, so they can get frequent or life-threatening infections. Researchers want to see if a new procedure can help a person s cells kill germs for a short time. It uses messenger RNA (mRNA) to deliver correct instructions for the gene mutation to the cells. Objective: To test a procedure in which mRNA is added to a person s blood cells. Eligibility: Males aged 18-75 with CGD with a mutation in the gene that makes the protein gp91phox. Design: Participants will be screened with: Medical history Physical exam Blood and urine tests Swab to test for strep throat Some screening tests will be repeated during the study. Participants will be admitted to the NIH Clinical Center hospital for at least 7 days. They will have apheresis. For this, a medicine is injected under their skin to prepare their white blood cells for collection. An IV line is placed into an arm vein. Blood goes through the IV line into a machine that divides whole blood into red blood cells, plasma, and white blood cells. The white blood cells are removed, and the rest of the blood is returned to the participant through an IV line in their other arm. The next day, they will get their mRNA-corrected cells via IV. They will be monitored for 3 more days. After discharge, participants will keep a symptom diary. They will be contacted weekly for one month, and then once a month. They will have a follow-up visit 3 months after the infusion.

Tattooing and Piercing Among Medical Students

The aim of this study is to evaluate medical students' attitudes towards tattoos and piercings and to measure their awareness of associated dermatological risks.

Cross-sectional Characterization of Idiopathic Bronchiectasis

Background: \- Bronchiectasis is a type of lung condition in which the lungs airways are abnormally stretched and widened. This stretching and widening makes it difficult for mucus and other substances to move out of the lungs, encouraging the growth of bacteria and leading to breathing problems or infection. Bronchiectasis can be caused by genetic disorders or diseases such as tuberculosis or rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers are interested in developing better ways to diagnose and treat a lung problem called idiopathic or unexplained bronchiectasis. Objectives: \- To better describe the physical characteristics, radiographic patterns, and airway microbiology of unexplained bronchiectasis and to look for possible genetic links or risk factors. Eligibility: * Individuals at least 18 years of age who have a chronic cough and who have had a CT scan that has revealed signs of bronchiectasis. * Current smokers or those who have smoked for at least 10 years, as well as individuals who have known causes of bronchiectasis or who have had organ transplants, are not eligible to participate. Design: * Participants will have one outpatient clinic visit for evaluation with a physical examination including detailed body size measurements and medical history and for collection of blood samples for routine lab tests and genetic analyses and a chest x-ray if no recent one is available. * Participants will also have tests of lung function, and measurement of a gas called nitric oxide in the nose. Participants whose initial tests show abnormal results may also be asked to have a nasal scrape to collect cell samples and/or a skin sweat test to measure salt concentrations. * Participants will also have a sputum specimen collected during the visit and will be asked to collect two additional early morning sputum samples and a mouth rinse at home within 2 weeks of the clinic visit, and mail the sample collection materials to the research team.

Prediction and Prevention of Bloodstream Infections After Kidney Transplantation

Kidney transplant recipients take medicines that suppress the immune system to prevent rejection of the transplanted kidney. As a result, they have a high risk of infections, especially urinary tract infections (UTIs). Some of these infections can spread to the bloodstream and cause serious illness, hospitalization, loss of kidney function, or death. Currently, there is no established strategy to prevent these serious bacterial infections in kidney transplant recipients who are at highest risk. The PREDICT study is investigating whether a low daily dose of the antibiotic pivmecillinam can reduce the risk of bacterial urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections after kidney transplantation. The study focuses on kidney transplant recipients who have bacteria detected in their urine during the first month after transplantation, as previous research suggests that these patients have a particularly high risk of developing serious infections later. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 180 adult kidney transplant recipients will be assigned by chance to receive either pivmecillinam or a matching placebo from 1 to 6 months after transplantation. Neither participants nor study staff will know which treatment has been assigned during the study. All participants will continue to receive standard post-transplant care and monitoring. The main goal of the study is to determine whether prophylactic pivmecillinam can reduce the occurrence of infections caused by Enterobacterales bacteria, including urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections, during the first 6 months after transplantation. The study will also evaluate the effects of treatment on serious clinical outcomes, safety, quality of life, antimicrobial resistance, and long-term kidney transplant outcomes. The study hypothesis is that targeted antibiotic prophylaxis with pivmecillinam in kidney transplant recipients at increased risk of infection will reduce the incidence of Enterobacterales urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections during the high-risk period after transplantation compared with placebo.

Metagenomics for Ocular Inflammation

The aim of this study is to apply a diagnostic test called 'metagenomic sequencing' to identify the involvement of potential infections in patients with ocular inflammation, where this hasn't been detected by currently available standard testing. For many people with ocular inflammation, no cause is ever found for their disease. In some cases, an infection or infectious trigger is suspected, but currently available tests are inadequate. Metagenomic sequencing can identify almost every globally known infection (bacteria, virus, fungi, parasites) in a sample. Therefore, it has the potential to identify an infection that has caused or triggered ocular inflammation, and as a consequence may help to identify specific treatments. It has the potential to improve our understanding of how to diagnose and treat people with this problem. This study will allow us to test the technique that has been previously optimised for brain infections, on ocular fluids. Participants will be 18 years of age or over and have active ocular inflammation which is suspected to be due to an infection, or an autoimmune process which has been triggered by an infection, but identification of this infection has not been possible using the investigations available as part of standard NHS care. Participants will be identified by the treating clinical team as requiring a sample of fluid from inside of the eye, and some of this fluid will be sent for metagenomic sequencing alongside standard testing. This study will be conducted at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London and will last for approximately a year. Participants will undergo additional non-invasive ocular imaging on the day of their clinic visit, but will not have to attend any additional research visits.

DRONE-WOUND Study: Severe Infection After Drone-Related Combat Trauma

Drone-related combat injuries have become one of the most devastating mechanisms of injury in modern warfare. These injuries often cause extensive tissue devitalization, contamination, open fractures, vascular injuries, and complex soft tissue damage, which may substantially increase the risk of severe wound infection, multidrug-resistant bacterial infection, repeated surgical procedures, limb loss, and sepsis. However, the relationship between the extent of tissue devitalization and the development of severe infection has not been systematically investigated. The DRONE-WOUND Study is a prospective observational cohort study designed to evaluate the association between tissue devitalization and severe wound infection in patients with drone-related combat trauma. The study will collect detailed clinical, surgical, microbiological, and radiological data from injured patients treated at participating trauma centers. Measures of tissue injury, contamination, surgical management, microbiological findings, and infection outcomes will be analyzed to identify factors associated with severe infection and poor clinical outcomes. The findings of this study are expected to improve understanding of the mechanisms leading to infection after drone-related injuries, support early identification of high-risk patients, and inform future strategies for surgical management, antimicrobial therapy, and infection prevention in combat trauma. Ultimately, the study aims to improve limb salvage, reduce infectious complications, and enhance outcomes for patients with severe drone-related injuries.

Persona Revision Knee System Outcomes

The study will evaluate the performance, clinical benefits and safety of the Persona Revision Knee System in patients who have received primary or revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA) treatment. This will be done using a multicenter, single-arm, consecutive series, retrospective cohort study with prospective follow-up.

Improving Implementation of Evidence-based Approaches and Surveillance to Prevent Bacterial Transmission and Infection

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are associated with increased patient morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. ESKAPE (Enterococcus, S. aureus, Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Enterobacter spp.) pathogens are particularly pathogenic because they have increased capacity to acquire resistance and virulence traits. The investigators have proven that a multifaceted program involving improved basic perioperative preventive measures can generate substantial reductions in S. aureus transmission and significant reductions in SSIs (88% reduction as compared to usual care). In this study, the investigators aim to examine the relative effectiveness of each component of this program in controlling ESKAPE transmission and reducing SSIs and to identify an optimal implementation strategy for national dissemination. Randomization occurs at the site level, and sites adopt preventative programs. This work will improve perioperative patient safety for the 51 million patients who undergo surgery each year.

Single Dose Intravenous Antibiotics for Complicated Urinary Tract Infections in Children

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are commonly encountered in children, with 7% diagnosed with at least one UTI by the age of 19 years. The evidence for treatment of uncomplicated UTI is clear; oral antibiotics are as good as intravenous (IV) antibiotics, usually for a total of 7 days. Complicated UTIs (cUTIs) on the other hand, are common reasons for hospital admissions for IV antibiotics and constitute a major burden for healthcare systems. There is considerable variation in care for children who present with UTI and have complicating features such as vomiting, dehydration, urological abnormalities or have a previous history of UTI. Australian and international guidelines lack clear, evidence-based recommendations to guide treatment in this group. Without gold standard evidence, these children will continue to receive unnecessary IV antibiotics, longer hospital stays and poorer health outcomes. This multicentre, non-inferiority randomised trial will investigate if One dose - single dose of IV followed by 2 days oral antibiotics is as non-inferior to Three doses for children with UTI and co-existing complicating factors presenting to the Emergency Department (ED). In other words, this study will compare if a single dose of IV antibiotics plus two days oral antibiotics is as clinically effective as 3 doses antibiotics in resolving UTI symptoms at 72 hours after the first dose of IV antibiotics, for complicated UTIs in children presenting to the ED. All participants will receive a total of 7 days of antibiotics for the complicated urinary tract infection. If 1 dose IV and 2 days oral antibiotics is found to be as good as 3 days, the duration of IV antibiotics for complicated UTI can be reduced along with avoidance of the inherent risks of unnecessary hospital admission by administering a single IV dose in an outpatient/ED setting. On the other hand if a single IV dose results in prolonged symptoms or treatment failure, this will inform practice for the proportion of children who have a single dose of IV antibiotics in the ED and are sent home on oral antibiotics. Regardless of the outcome, this trial will inform clinical practice for complicated UTI to improve health outcomes for this group.

Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing for the Diagnosis of Fracture-related Infection

The value of next-generation sequencing (NGS) using Nanopore technology has been demonstrated in the case of diabetic patients' wounds or in prosthetic joint infections. The aim of this study is to demonstrate its relevance as a new diagnostic approach for fracture-related infections (FRI). Bone samples from patient with FRI will be submitted to shotgun metagenomic Next-generation sequencing using Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) in order to establish its diagnostic value in this context in comparison with the reference method.

The Extended Study of Prevalence of Infection in Intensive Care IV

The goal of this observational study is to learn how common infections are in intensive care units (ICUs) around the world and how they are treated. The study will look at all adults in the ICU during a single 24-hour period. The main questions it aims to answer are: * What types of infections and antibiotic-resistant bacteria are most common in ICUs worldwide? * How do resistance patterns affect how participants are treated and how they recover? How are antibiotics used in ICUs, and how do hospitals practice antibiotic stewardship? * What organ support treatments do participants with infections receive? * What are the outcomes of participants with severe infections, including survival at hospital discharge (up to 60 days)? Researchers will compare ICUs across regions and income levels to see how infection patterns, treatments, and outcomes differ around the world. Participants will: * Be counted if they are present in the ICU at any time during the study day. * Have information collected from their medical record about their health, the infection they may have, treatments they receive, and their outcome at ICU and hospital discharge (up to 60 days). Because this is an observational study, participants will not receive any new treatments as part of the study.

Impact of Genotyping P450 2C19 on Hospitalization Period

Monocentric study with the objective to evaluate the impact of genotyping CYP2C19 on the hospitalization period. The genotyping will permit to adapt at best the Voriconazole posology.

PancRea: Risk Factors and Outcomes of Infected Pancreatic Necrosis

Severe acute pancreatitis is a common reason for intensive care unit (ICU) admission and is associated with prolonged hospital stays and high morbidity and mortality rates. The Atlanta classification differentiates mild, moderate, and severe acute pancreatitis, and each of these categories correlates with morbidity and mortality. Mortality remains high, between 10% and 39%, in severe and moderately severe acute pancreatitis. After the first week, about 30% of patients with necrotizing pancreatitis develop infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN). IPN is a risk factor for mortality.The treatment of IPN combines antibiotics with interventions to remove the infected intra-abdominal material, preferably using minimally invasive techniques such as percutaneous and endoscopic drainage, which have been proven beneficial. In several studies biological markers such as procalcitonin and interleukin 8 were effective in predicting IPN. However, few clinical risk factors for IPN have been reported. Identifying risk factors may help to improve standardized strategies for early diagnosis and treatment, and then patients outcome. Our primary objective was to identify risk factors for IPN in patients admitted to the ICU for acute pancreatitis. Our secondary objective was to describe the management and outcomes of IPN