Clinical Research Directory

Asia Pediatric Intensive Care Epidemiology and Outcomes Study

The overall objective of this study is to improve the standard of care of critically ill pediatric patients. The specific aims are to describe the clinical profile and outcomes of all admissions to Asian pediatric ICUs, determine the risk factors associated with poor outcomes, determine quality indicators for benchmarking ICU performance across sites and develop and train artificial intelligence algorithms to predict mortality, length of ICU stay and resource utilization.

Returning to Everyday Tasks Utilizing Rehabilitation Networks-III (RETURN-III)

Millions of patients survive care in medical and surgical Intensive Care Units (ICUs) every year, only to suffer from a new or accelerated dementia-like process, called post-ICU long-term cognitive impairment (ICU-LTCI). ICU-LTCI causes considerable problems with personal relationships, return to work, and everyday tasks, such as managing medicines and money. No treatment for these patients is currently available. Technology using computerized cognitive rehabilitation could improve ICU-LTCI by harnessing the healing potential of the brain (i.e., neuroplasticity). This intervention is scalable, portable, and economical. The investigators will evaluate the effectiveness of computerized cognitive rehabilitation in a randomized controlled trial of 160 ICU survivors. The investigators hypothesize that this intervention could improve cognition. This research has high potential to influence rehabilitation strategies for Veteran and civilian ICU survivors.

Impact of an Alarm Management Protocol on Noise Pollution and Patient Safety in Intensive Care Units

Resuscitation patients are monitored for various physiological parameters. When these parameters exceed abnormal thresholds, an audible alarm is triggered. Given the complexity of physiological situations and the number of monitored parameters, the number of alarms within an intensive care unit is significant. In the literature, the number ranges from 100 to 350 alarms per patient per day. Among these alarms, 74 to 99% are deemed irrelevant as they provide false or insignificant information. This study will enable to assess the efficacy of a restrictive protocol for managing alarms as a means of rationalizing their use.

Intravenous Fish Oil Based Lipid Emulsion to Enhance Recovery in High-Risk Cardiac Surgery Patients

The MODIFY CSX study is a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial conducted in heart centers in Germany and Italy. A total of 550 high-risk cardiac surgery patients will receive either 0.20 g fish oil/kg body weight (BW) + standard of care versus same volume of placebo (NaCl) + standard of care.

Effects of Two Different Eye Care Practices on Eye Complications in Mechanically Ventilated Intensive Care Patients

This study was designed as a prospective, randomized controlled experimental study aiming to compare different approaches to eye care in intensive care patients receiving mechanical ventilation. In this study, patients receiving mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit will be randomly assigned to four groups using a simple randomization method: 1. Control Group: Standard Eye Care 2. Intervention Group 1: Eye Care with Eye Care Kit 3. Intervention Group 2: Eye Care According to Eye Care Protocol 4. Intervention Group 3: Eye Care with Both Protocol and Eye Care Kit Research Hypotheses H1: Eye care provided using a care protocol is more effective in preventing the development of complications compared to standard eye care. H2: Eye care provided using an eye care kit is more effective in preventing the development of ocular complications compared to standard eye care. H3: The combined use of an eye care kit and a care protocol is more effective in preventing the development of ocular complications compared to using the care protocol alone. H4: The use of an eye care kit is more effective in preventing the development of ocular complications compared to the use of a care protocol.

COVID-19 - Study of the Kinetics of the Immune Response During the Intensive Care Unit Stay in Adult Patients Infected With SARS-CoV-2: Multicentric Non Interventional Study

Infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (COVID-19) has recently been identified as a pandemic due to the speed and global scale of its transmission. In Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (AURA), the epidemic began in February 2020 and the number of infected people is still important. Between 15 and 20% of COVID-19 patients develop an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) leading to their hospitalization in intensive care. Their clinical progression can be rapidly harmful with the development of severe ARDS associated with an increased risk of death. Preliminary data on the immune response of COVID-19 patients describe the induction of a moderate inflammatory response and the occurrence of major progressive lymphopenia over time associated with potential immunosuppression. Up to 50% of secondary infections are reported in deceased COVID-19 patients. However, no prospective study has exhaustively described the kinetics of the immune response of COVID-19 patients in intensive care. The precise description of the immune response over time in adult patients with a proven infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the study of the relation between this response and the increased risk of organ failure (severe ARDS), death or nosocomial infection will allow us to better understand the pathophysiology of the immune response induced by COVID-19 in order to (i) identify new therapeutic strategies targeting the host response in patients in intensive care (ii) to develop biological markers to stratify patients for future clinical trials evaluating these immunoadjuvant treatments in COVID-19.

Sedation With Dexmedetomidine-esketamine Combination and Delirium in ICU Patients

Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) often develop anxiety and agitation, sleep disturbances, and delirium. Delirium occurrence is associated with worse early and long-term outcomes. Dexmedetomidine and ketamine are recommended for sedation and analgesia in postoperative ICU patients, but each may induce side effects. The sedative effects of dexmedetomidine can help mitigate the neuropsychiatric side effects of esketamine. Recent studies showed that dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination improved analgesia and sleep quality without increasing side effects. This trial is designed to test the hypothesis that dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination for sedation and analgesia in postoperative ICU patients may reduce delirium.

Effect of a Virtual Reality Program on Patient Comfort in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit

Admission to a surgical intensive care unit (ICU) following major surgery is associated with a number of discomforts, not only related to the disease itself, but also to the care provided or the ICU environment itself (lights, sounds, pain, sleep deprivation, thirst...). This discomfort is real, and can be associated with psychological consequences. The investigators hypothesized that the use of immersive virtual reality (IVR) with HypnoVR® is feasible and can help reduce discomfort in intensive care.The ZION trial is a prospective, monocentric trial, randomizing 194 patients admitted in a surgical intensive care unit after a major surgery. The inclusion criterion are patients admitted in a surgical intensive care for at least 48 hours following major surgery (cardiac, thoracic or major abdominal surgery). Patients will be allocated to the intervention group (n=97) or the control group (n=97). In the intervention group, patients will receive IVR using HypnoVR®, twice a day, during the ICU stay (2 to 5 days). In the control group, postoperative care will be conducted according to standard cares without IVR. The primary endpoint will be the 18-items IPREA questionnaire on the day of ICU discharge. The secondary endpoints will include intensity of discomfort symptoms (anxiety, pain, dyspnea, thirst and sleep deprivation), incidence of delirium, cumulative morphine consumption at ICU discharge, length of ICU stay, and anxiety or depression at 1 month after discharge from intensive care and patient experience of device use.

Neutrophils to Lymphocytes and Platelets Ratio, Procalcitonin, and Total Leucocytic Count as Indicators of Prognostic Outcome in Septic Patients in the Intensive Care Unit.

This study aims to compare Neutrophil to Lymphocyte and Platelet Ratio, Procalcitonin, and Total Leucocyte Count as indicators of prognostic outcome in septic patients in the intensive care unit.

Normative Values for Peripheral Muscle Strength in Critical Patients and Healthy Individuals

Muscle strength is an important indicator of overall health and is a factor that has been associated with increased mortality in critical patients. Its measurement must be reliable and reproducible to ensure a quality outcome for clinical applicability. Recently, the use of digital handheld dynamometers in intensive care has gained support; however, analysis becomes challenging due to the absence of standardized reference equations for the Brazilian population. The aim of this study is to develop reference equations for the Brazilian population and define specific cutoff points for men, women, healthy individuals, and critical patients.

The Effect of Mobilization Coverall on Anxiety, Comfort, Physical Privacy and Satisfaction

This study is designed as crossover randomized controlled trial to examine the effect of a mobilization coverall designed for intensive care patients on anxiety, comfort, physical privacy and satisfaction.

Dexmedetomidine and Outcomes of Elderly Admitted to ICU After Surgery

Sleep disorder and delirium are common problems in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, and may lead to poor prognosis. The investigators' previous study showed that nighttime infusion of low-dose dexmedetomidine improved the sleep quality and decreased the incidence of delirium in ICU patients after surgery. Long-term follow-up of these patients showed that low-dose dexmedetomidine also improved 2-year survival and the quality of life in 3-year survivors. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of low-dose dexmedetomidine on the long-term outcome of elderly patients admitted to the ICU after noncardiac surgery.

Effect of Albumin Replacement on Oxygen Delivery in Sepsis Patients

Fluid resuscitation is a critical component of sepsis treatment. Research has shown that intravenous (IV) fluid therapy in sepsis positively impacts cardiac output and thereby oxygen (O2) delivery through a complex interaction of central venous pressure, right atrial pressure, venous resistance, ventricular compliance, cardiac contractility, and systemic vascular resistance. The 2021 sepsis prevention guidelines recommend balanced crystalloids as first-line therapy. However, no studies in the literature have evaluated the effect of albumin on O2 delivery. In our study, the investigators aim to assess the impact of albumin replacement on O2 delivery in sepsis patients in the intensive care unit.

Continuous Veno-venous Hemodialysis and Continuous Veno-venous Hemodiafiltration on Urea Reduction Rate in Intensive Care Patient

In patients requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) in the intensive care unit (ICU), continuous techniques are predominantly using due to better hemodynamic tolerance. The most employed techniques in ICU are continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) and continuous venovenous hemodialysis (CVVHD). To our knowledge, there are no prospective studies comparing the efficiency of these two techniques with the same dose of dialysis (and the same filter). In the CompEER study, we aim to compare the efficiency of CVVHD and CVVHDF on urea reduction rate in intensive care patients with acute kidney injury. The research hypothesis is that CVVHD citrate technique is as effective as CVVHDF heparin technique for urea reduction and provides prolonged and stable clearance, facilitating antibiotic management during RRT.

Calibration of Esophageal Balloon Catheter in Spontaneous and Mandatory Mechanical Ventilation

Calibration of the esophageal balloon catheter (Pes catheter) is important for the right measurement of the esophageal pressure (Pes) and subsequent interpretation of the derived transpulmonary pressures during mechanical ventilation. Both relative changes and absolute values of Pes can be affected by inappropriate filling of the esophageal balloon and by the elastance of the esophagus wall. Therefore one should calibrate the balloon to determine the best filling pressure. Calibration of the Pes catheter has only been validated in mandatory ventilation but not in support modes in which the patient triggers the ventilator and is supported by the mechanical ventilator. Because the forces in the thoracic cage behave differently in comparison with a controlled mode, it is to be expected that the calibration process in a support mode yields different filling volumes in comparison with the calibration process in a controlled mode. This would lead to a more reliable filling volume in support mechanical ventilation and a more reliable derivation of transpulmonary pressure and therefore to a better treatment of patients.

Analysis of the Evolution of Mortality in an Intensive Care Unit

The intensive care units is of the main components of modern healthcare systems. Formally, its aim is to offer the critically ill health care fit to their needs; ensuring that this health care is appropriate, sustainable, ethical and respectful of their autonomy. Intensive medicine is a cross-sectional specialty that encompasses a broad spectrum of pathologies in their most severe condition, and specifically has as its foundation the practice of comprehensive care of the patient with organ dysfunction and susceptible to recovery. Although critically ill patients are a heterogeneous population, they have in common the need for a high level of care, often requiring the use of high technology, specific procedures for the support of organ dysfunction and the collaboration of other medical and surgical specialties for their management and treatment. Since their origins in the late 1950s, intensive care units have been adapting to the changes arising from the best scientific evidence. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, there were some successful clinical trials published that had tested alternative management strategies in the ICU. Mechanical ventilation is an intervention that defines the critical care specialty. Between 1970 and the 1990s, the management focused on normalizing arterial blood gas with aggressive mechanical ventilation. Over the ensuing decades, it became apparent that performing positive pressure ventilation worsened lung injury. The pivotal moment in the mechanical ventilation story would be the low versus high tidal volume trial. This trial shifted the focus away from normalizing gas exchange to reducing harm with mechanical ventilation. Further, it paved way for further trials testing ventilation interventions (PEEP strategy, prone position ventilation) and nonventilation interventions (neuromuscular blockade, corticosteroids, inhaled nitric oxide, extracorporeal gas exchange) in critically ill patients. That evidence-based intensive care medicine has undoubtedly had an influence on the outcome of critically ill patients, in general, and, particularly, of patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Temporal changes in mortality over the time have been scarcely reported for patients admitted to intensive care unit. Objective of this study is to estimate the changes over the time in several outcomes in the patients admitted to an 18-beds medical-surgical intensive care unit from 1991 (year of start of activity) to 2026

Role of Non-Selective Beta-Adrenergic Blocker in Severe TBI

The role of nonselective beta adrenergic blocker as antistress agent in severe traumatic brain injury

Open Surgical, Modified Seldinger's and US Techniques for Jugular Central Line Insertion in Infants

The aim of this study was to compare the three approaches: open technique, modified Seldinger's technique and closed ultrasound-guided Central venous catheterization insertion for central line insertion in infancy as regards safety, success of cannulation, technique time, and preservation of the patency of the internal jugular vein.

Validation of Vital Signs Recording With VT-Patch Connected Devices in Children

: Patient readmission to PICU is a major point of concern for physicians because, although being a rare event, it has been strongly associated with more morbidity and death. Patient monitoring once they have left the PICU is drastically modified, and small connected devices could be an option to early identify patients at risk of PICU readmission. Such devices have been manufactured for the recording of vital signs in adults, but they do not exist for children. Besides, studies have recently shown that devices that use optical sensors may be less accurate in individuals with dark skin pigmentation since dark skin tones impose a limitation on optical biometric sensing. The wearable and medical device industry has not sufficiently addressed this issue yet. This is one of the main challenges that need to be addressed in this area to make sure the connected devices using this technology will work with all different skin colours including very dark skin.

The Application of Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound in Acute Kidney Injury in ICU

The goal of this study is to quantitatively assess renal microcirculation changes by contrast-enhanced ultrasound and to obtain systemic hemodynamic information by ultrasound Doppler at the same time, to analyze the relationship between renal microcirculation changes and systemic hemodynamic changes, and to explore its predictive value in renal function recovery in patients with critical acute kidney injury. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. To explore the quantitative parameters of contrast-enhanced ultrasound which can reflect the changes of renal microcirculation. 2. To explore the relationship between renal microcirculation and systemic hemodynamics. 3. To explore the value of renal microflow changes quantitatively evaluated by contrast-enhanced ultrasound in predicting renal function recovery.

Effects of Nonpharmacological Interventions in Sleep Quality, Anxiety, and Delirium for Patients of Adult Intensive Care Units

This study will investigate the effect of nonpharmacological intervention in sleep quality, anxiety and delirium among adult ICU patients.

Patient-reported Outcome and Patient-reported Experience After Status Epilepticus

Status epilepticus (SE) is a common life-threatening neurological emergency in which prolonged or multiple closely spaced seizures can result in long-term impairments. SE remains associated with considerable mortality and morbidity, with little progress over the last three decades. The proportion of patients who die in the hospital is about 20% overall and 40% in patients with refractory SE. Morbidity is more difficult to evaluate, as adverse effects of SE are often difficult to differentiate from those attributed to the cause of SE. Our experience suggests that nearly 50% of patients may experience long-term functional impairments. The precise description of the consequences of these functional impairments and their impact on quality of life after SE requiring intensive care management has been little studied. Indeed, if cognitive, physical and mental impairments are now identified in the populations of patients who required intensive care under the term postresuscitation syndrome (PICS), neuronal lesions consecutive to the SE itselfor to its cause could be responsible for these different functional alterations. Thus, the following have been described: (i) cognitive disorders in the areas of attention, executive functions and verbal fluency, visual and working memory disorders, but also spatio-temporal disorders; (ii) physical disorders such as the so-called post-resuscitation polyneuromyopathy; and (iii) mental disorders such as anxiety disorders, depressive states or those related to post-traumatic stress. Assessment and characterization of patient-reported outcomes is essential to complement the holistic assessment of clinically relevant outcomes from the patient's perspective. The POSEIDON study was a cross-sectional collection of PROs and HR-QOL components, and associated with patient functional outcomes, in those who required ICU management for status epilepticus. We propose here to continue the description of potential alterations after a subsequent ME, namely a longitudinal study (POSEIDON 2) which will also include the evaluation of patient-reported experience (PREMS) and the measurement of family burden.

Oxygen Consumption (VO2), Effort, and Weaning in the Mechanically Ventilated Patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

In patients who are mechanically ventilated for more than 72 hours weaning failure is a common issue. The Spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) is often done to assess if the patient can be extubated with a high chance of success. However, re-intubation rates are between 15 - 20 % after a successful SBT. The rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI) is an important parameter used in an SBT. Because the high incidence of extubation failure (re-intubation within 48 hours) a search for a better parameter than the RSBI is warranted. Using the measured end-tidal oxygen (etO2) of mechanically ventilated patients it is possible to calculate the VO2, which is a measure of patient effort. The VO2 is a parameter with the potential to predict weaning success or failure, together with other parameters of patient effort like the work of breathing (WOB), pressure time product (PTP) and esophageal pressure swings, reflecting muscle strength of the diaphragm. Therefore, the investigators want to investigate if these parameters are associated with an SBT success or failure.

Prediction of Undesired Obstruction in External Ventricular Drains.

Acute obstructive hydrocephalus often complicates intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). The insertion of an external ventricular drain (EVD) is typically necessary in order to alleviate intracranial pressure by draining excess fluid. However, dysfunction of the EVD whether due to malposition or obstruction, can exacerbate hydrocephalus in an already compromised brain. EVD dysfunction must therefore be promptly detected and treated. Consequently, identifying high-risk patients and closely monitoring them is imperative. While IVH is known to increase the risk of obstruction in the natural cerebrospinal fluid outflow tract, its association with ventricular drain obstruction remains unproven.