Clinical Research Directory

The ED-AWARENESS-2 Trial

The investigators will screen all mechanically ventilated ED patients for study eligibility and will enroll all consecutive patients satisfying inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study design is a pragmatic, multicenter, stepped wedge cluster randomized trial, enrolling at five sites over a 3-year period, divided into six time periods of six months. Prior to the study, each site will be randomized to their position within the design. One site will cross to the intervention period (i.e. succinylcholine as default neuromuscular blocker) every six months from the 2nd to 6th time period. Cluster order will be determined by computer-based randomization. To begin, each site will be exposed to control conditions; by the end of the study, each site will be exposed to intervention conditions. Patients in the control phase will receive usual care, and this phase will be entirely observational. After six months, a site will enter a 2-month transition phase. In this phase, the investigators will implement the intervention, similar to how they have implemented other ED-based interventions for mechanically ventilated patients. The investigators will engage and educate ED clinicians on the importance of AWP prevention and the study objectives. The intervention framework relies on the use of "nudges", without restricting choice. The use of neuromuscular blockers (i.e. "paralytic" medications) is already part of routine care in the ED in order to facilitate endotracheal intubation and initiation of mechanical ventilation for patients with acute respiratory failure. The two most common neuromuscular blockers used in the ED are succinylcholine and rocuronium. The preliminary data show a strong association between rocuronium (a longer-acting neuromuscular blocker) use and AWP. Therefore, this study aims to improve care by educating caregivers on AWP and the use of the neuromuscular blockers, which are already routinely used, and studying that process in a rigorous fashion. The default neuromuscular blocker in the intervention phase will be succinylcholine. Succinylcholine will be the default over rocuronium because: 1) it has safely been the default neuromuscular blocker of choice in the ED for \>40 years ; 2) its 5-minute duration of action greatly reduces AWP risk; 3) the preliminary data regarding an increased risk of AWP with rocuronium and 4) ED rocuronium use has increased despite no patient-centered studies showing benefit over succinylcholine. Passive alerts (i.e. graphics, pocket cards) will also be strategically placed in the ED, and active alerts will be used as reminders before every nursing shift (i.e. "the huddle"). After this transition phase, the site will begin the intervention phase, and patients will again receive clinician-directed care, just after the intervention.

Optimizing Tracheal Intubation Outcomes and Neonatal Safety

The purpose of the study is to assess the impact of a personalized intubation planning tool, the Personalized INtubation Safety (PINS) Bundle on intubation procedural safety and clinical outcomes among patients intubated in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) setting.

Induction Agent Choice With Early Mortality and Prognostic Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients

The aim of this retrospective cohort study is to compare the safety and efficacy of induction agents for tracheal intubation in critically ill adult patients.

A Two-Operator Technique for GlideScope-Assisted Endotracheal Intubation

The primary objective of this study is to compare the first attempt success rate of endotracheal intubation using the GlideScope video laryngoscope when performed by two operators versus a single operator. Secondary objectives include assessing the time to intubate, the need for optimization maneuvers, the effect of the presence of predictors of difficult intubation, the occurrence of adverse events during intubation such as oxyhemoglobin desaturation to less than 90% measured by pulse oximetry, the incidence of airway trauma, and the incidence and severity of post-op sore throat. The main question it aims to answer is: Is endotracheal intubation performed using the Glidescope video laryngoscope with an intubating stylet by two operators, non-inferior to the same procedure performed by single operator in terms of first attempt success rate? Researchers will compare first attempt success rate of endotracheal intubation using the GlideScope video laryngoscope when performed by two operators versus a single operator to see if assistance in using the GlideScope provides similar first attempt success rate of endotracheal intubation and thus guarantees securing a difficult airway. Participants will be enrolled in one of two groups over 9 months of work. They will be further stratified into blocks according to the presence of at least one predictor of difficult intubation. Patients allocated to the control group will be intubated using the GlideScope by a single operator and those allocated to the experimental group will be intubated using the GlideScope with the assistance of a second operator.

Comparison of First Attempt Success in Nasotracheal Intubation Using Macintosh Videolaryngoscope vs. Flexible Bronchoscope

Participants are randomly assigned to two groups: one group undergoes nasotracheal intubation using a videolaryngoscope, while the other group undergoes nasotracheal intubation using a flexible bronchoscope. The primary outcome is the first-attempt success rate, assessed at the time of tracheal tube placement. Additional outcomes include the degree of subglottic injury upon extubation, and the incidence and severity of sore throat and hoarseness at 1 hour and 24 hours postoperatively, as well as overall intubation success rates.

Improving Safety and Quality of Tracheal Intubation Practice in Pediatric ICUs

Advanced airway interventions are common high risk, high stakes events for children in intensive care units (ICU) and emergency departments (ED), with risk for life and health threatening consequences.

Incidence of Acute Laryngeal Injury Following Endotracheal Intubation

The purpose of this investigation is to delineate the incidence of acute and chronic laryngeal injury following intubation within our health system. In addition, this study seeks to identify risk factors for airway injury that may provide information to help reduce the incidence of injury or increase the speed of diagnosis through hospital based process measures. Study Aims 1. Determine the incidence of acute laryngeal injury in patients with prolonged intubation. 2. Determine the incidence of chronic laryngeal injury in the subset of patients with acute laryngeal injury 3. Initiate a randomized control trial to investigate the ability of azithromycin and budesonide to improve objective and subjective breathing measures in patients with Acute Laryngeal injury (ALgI) following endotracheal intubation.

Smart Checklist Implementation for Pediatric Tracheal Intubations in the ICU- Multicenter Study

The purpose of the study is to implement a patient-provider dyad tailored, Electronic Health Record (EHR)-informed, digitized Smart Checklist as a Quality Improvement (QI) intervention to support bedside clinician teams to reduce Adverse Airway Outcomes (AAO) across 6 diverse pediatric intensive care units (ICUs).

The Impact of Propofol and Ketamine on Cardiovascular Collapse During Induction for Intubation

This prospective observational study evaluates the impact of propofol and ketamine on the risk of cardiovascular collapse during induction for endotracheal intubation in critically ill patients. Induction agents play a crucial role in managing hemodynamic stability, particularly in this vulnerable population. Propofol, known for its vasodilatory and myocardial depressant effects, has been associated with significant hypotension during induction. Conversely, ketamine, with its sympathomimetic properties, is often considered a safer alternative for hemodynamic stability. In addition to comparing the incidence of cardiovascular collapse-defined as severe hypotension or cardiac arrest-this study examines the relationship between these induction agents and shock indices, including systolic shock index, diastolic shock index, age-adjusted shock index, and modified shock index. These parameters will provide a more detailed understanding of the hemodynamic effects of each agent and their clinical implications. The findings aim to guide induction agent selection to optimize outcomes in critically ill patients.

Hyperangulated vs Macintosh Blades for Intubation With Videolaryngoscopy in ICU

Tracheal intubation in the intensive care unit (ICU) is associated with high incidence of difficult intubation and complications. Videolaryngoscopes (VLs) devices have been proposed to improve airway management, and the use of VLs are recommended as first-line or after a first-attempt failure using direct laryngoscopy in ICU airway management algorithms. Although until relatively few years ago there were doubts about whether videolaryngoscopes had advantages over direct laryngoscopy for endotracheal intubation (ETI) in critically ill patients, two recent studies (DEVICE (1), INTUBATE (2)), and a Cochrane review (3) have confirmed that videolaryn should be used?, and what is the best blade? . There are two types of blades commonly used with videolaryngoscopes: the "Macintosh" blade with a slight curvature, and hyperangulated blades. The "Macintosh" blades have a lower angle of vision, but they have the advantage of being similar to the blades commonly used in direct laryngoscopy, making them easy to use for the person performing the ETI. Hyperangulated blades have a greater angle of vision, improving glottic visualization, especially in patients with an anterior glottis. However, the need to overcome this angulation could potentially hinder the passage of the endotracheal tube to the vocal cords. It is unknown if either blade has any advantage for intubating critically ill patients.

The Effect of an Suction Toothbrush on the Development of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

Literature suggests that suction toothbrushes may improve oral care in intubated patients by facilitating secretion removal and reducing microaspiration. This could decrease the need for endotracheal suctioning and lower the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effect of a suction toothbrush on the development of VAP in intubated patients.

CRICKET: Critical Events in Anaesthetised Kids Undergoing Tracheal Intubation

The investigators' overall objective is to assess the incidence of critical events related to tracheal intubation at all international study sites. Furthermore, the study will investigate the used intubation techniques and identify possible improvement measures to increase patient safety.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Core Stethoscope Auscultation vs. Point of Care Ultrasound in Placement of Endotracheal Tube

Misplacement of endotracheal tube (ETT) can have devastating complications for patients, some of which include respiratory failure, atelectasis, and pneumothorax. There are a number of ways to verify the correct placement of ETT, with the stethoscope auscultation being commonly used despite its low accuracy (60-65%) in distinguishing tracheal from bronchial intubation (4-6). The gold standard techniques include Chest X Ray or fiberoptic bronchoscope (7-8), with a recent study showing point-of-care ultrasound. However, these techniques are expensive, time-consuming, often not readily available and require substantial training before users can reliably utilize them. Given intubation is often performed in urgent clinical settings, a technique that can reliably yet efficiently localize ETT would be beneficial. Tele-auscultation system via Core stethoscope (Eko, Berkeley, CA) has been shown to be effective in identifying pathologic heart murmur (10) yet its potential use in guiding the correct placement of ETT has not been explored. We set out to study the suitability of Core stethoscope in detecting the correct placement of ETT.

InfasurfAero™ Versus Sham Treatment in Preterm Newborns With RDS

The purpose of this clinical study is to determine the effectiveness and safety of Infasurf® administered through the InfasurfAero™, a novel oral airway delivery device specifically designed to give Infasurf in a less complicated way and without the need for a breathing tube or interrupting nasal respiratory support.

Prevention of Infection of the Respiratory Tract Through Application of Non-Invasive Methods of Secretion Suctioning

Severe trauma, head trauma, stroke and resuscitated cardiac arrest patients requiring endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation are at high risk of early-onset ventilator-associated pneumonia (EO-VAP). A short course of systemic antibiotic is recommended for prophylaxis. This study intends to assess the safety and efficacy of 2 alternative mechanical non-invasive airway clearance techniques in the prevention of EO-VAP in an open label randomized pilot trial of 20 subjects per study group i.e., 60 cases. The interventions will be in place for 7 days and the observational periods will be 14 days.

Register Study: Implementation of Pharyngeal Electrostimulation Therapy for the Treatment of Acute Neurogenic Dysphagia

Neurogenic dysphagia occurs with disruption of neurological systems or processes involved in the execution of coordinated and safe swallowing. It is common in patients with neurological diseases, in particular in patients treated in Intensive Care Units (ICU) who are intubated (up to 62%) and / or tracheotomised (up to 83%). Dysphagia is one of the most common and most dangerous symptoms of many neurological diseases. In addition, neurogenic dysphagia can have a significant impact on quality of life, medication efficacy, and malnutrition. Dysphagia is currently treated conservatively on evidence-based exercises, individually adapted to each patient. In the recent years pharyngeal electrostimulation has been established and shown a positive impact on outcome. In fact, this type of therapy has not only become an addition to the existing therapy, but an important alternative for patients difficult to treat by other means. The Phagenyx® is a medical device, which has lately been used more frequently in multiple hospitals for treatment of neurogenic dysphagia. For nearly two decades pharyngeal electrostimulation has been further developed and optimised. This therapy initiates changes in the swallowing motor cortex through neuroplasticity as well as local changes in peripheral sensory architecture associated with swallowing. Bath and colleagues (2020) recently reported the efficacy of pharyngeal electrostimulation (Phagenyx®) in various neurological conditions. As a result, of current published studies, the use of pharyngeal electrostimulation probe, in selected patients, with neurological diseases with moderate to severe neurogenic dysphagia will be evaluated. This trial will initially start as quality assurance project with the aim to extent it into a monocentric based register study. The Investigators aim to validate the effectiveness of pharyngeal electrostimulation for the treatment of moderate to severe neurogenic dysphagia by systematically recording specific dysphagia-relevant parameters. At present, it is still uncertain to what extent patients with neurogenic dysphagia in the context of a non-acute neurological disease could benefit from this method. The research questions: Does the use of the pharyngeal electrostimulation probe have an influence on the outcome of dysphagia in patients with moderate to severe neurogenic dysphagia? How long after therapy, can the use of the pharyngeal electrostimulation probe lead to oral food intake and/or removal of a tracheal cannula?

Comparison Between Nasal and Oropharyngeal Bleeding in Video Laryngoscopy and Direct Laryngoscopy for Nasal Intubation

The objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness and safety of video laryngoscopy versus direct laryngoscopy for nasal intubation in patients with maxillofacial fractures regarding less bleeding to oral and nasal structures, quicker intubation times, increased success rates for first intubation attempts, fewer uses of the Magill forceps and the less need for cervical spine extension

Clinical and Economic Comparison of 2 Methods of Intubation Tube Fixation : AnchorFastTM Versus Current Cord Fixation

The aim of this study is to assess the benefits of using the Anchorfast device in reducing complications associated with intubation tube fixation, in terms of the rate of pressure ulcer development, the rate of intubation tube mobilization and the rate of VAP occurrence. If the hypothesis is confirmed, this project would enable the caregivers to optimize the current practice in the interests of both patients and caregivers. That's why the investigators have designed a real-life study, and will also be looking at the effect of care load on and caregiver satisfaction.

Success Rates of Video- vs. Direct Laryngoscopy for Endotracheal Intubation in Anesthesiology Residents: A Randomized Controlled Trial" (The JuniorDoc-VL-Trial)

Securing the airway through endotracheal intubation (ETI) is a fundamental skill for anaesthetists. It is used during surgery, in the intensive care unit, during periprocedural anaesthesia and in emergency medicine. The clinical relevance of airway management is demonstrated in particular by the fact that the main cause of serious anaesthesia-related complications lies in the area of airway management. increasing technological developments in recent years (e.g. video laryngoscopy \[VL\]) aim to reduce the complication rate in the area of airway management. however, there are currently a large number of VLs available, which differ massively in their application. Therefore, it is essential to systematically collect data and develop structured training in airway management, taking into account current technological developments.While endotracheal intubation is traditionally performed with a direct laryngoscope, indirect video laryngoscopy, with chip-based camera technology at its tip, has been introduced across the board in recent years and is now part of standard clinical and preclinical equipment. Doctors in advanced training are trained with a focus on direct laryngoscopy; the use of and training in indirect video laryngoscopy does not follow any standards; in addition, the decision as to which method of securing the airway is chosen has so far been the responsibility of the individual doctor in anaesthesiology, although there is a tendency for the VL to be associated with a higher success rate in the first intubation attempt, the so-called "first-pass success".The main aim of this clinical prospective, randomised controlled trial is to train anaesthetists in advanced training in conventional direct laryngoscopy on the one hand and indirect video laryngoscopy (VL) on the other, with a focus on tracking the progress of their skills after 200 intubations with regard to first-pass success.

Non-inferiority Trial Comparing visionPRO to Glidescope Video Laryngoscopes

Indirect video laryngoscope tracheal intubation with the GlideScope (Verathon Inc., Bothell, USA) has become a well-established technique in emergency and clinical anaesthesia, offering first-pass intubation success rates comparable to those achieved with direct laryngoscopy. Different video laryngoscopes vary significantly in design, including blade shape, mobility, and camera operation, which can affect patient outcomes. Two video laryngoscopes with hyperangulated blades include the GlideScope (Verathon Inc., Bothell, USA) and the visionPRO (HEINE® Optotechnick, Gilching, Germany). The Glidescope comprises an external monitor connected to a medical-grade plastic handle which is compatible with reusable and disposable blades. The newer visionPro comprises a reusable anodized aluminum integrated monitor that is attached to the camera/handle which is compatible with disposable blades. The hyperangulated blade of the VisionPro is a unique combination of previously designed laryngoscope blades meant to increase performance. The introduction of this new hyperangulated blade design in the VisionPro raises the need to compare its performance against the established GlideScope. The aim of this pilot study is to generate initial data to evaluate whether the use of the visionPRO (HEINE® Optotechnick, Gilching, Germany) provides a non-inferior first-pass success rate compared with the GlideScope (Verathon Inc., Bothell, USA) in surgical patients with an expected normal airway undergoing general anaesthesia The investigators hypothesize that tracheal intubation using the HEINE visionPRO will achieve a similar frequency of failed intubation and airway complications. This study plans to recruit 100 patients.

The DAnish VIdeo IntubaTION (DA-VITION) Study

This study aims to train an AI for video-directed endotracheal intubation (VITION) to recognise the anatomical structures of the upper airway during video-directed endotracheal intubations.

Videolaryngoscopy vs Direct Laryngoscopy for Double Lumen Tube Lumen Tube Placement - A Multicentre Randomized-controlled Trial (VOLCANO Study)

The general aim of the study is to observe whether the use of the Mc Grath™ videolaryngoscope instead of direct laryngoscopy can represent, as in the case of the single-lumen tube, an added value in the placement of the double-lumen tube for surgical procedures involving one-lung ventilation, making intubation on the first attempt more likely and quicker. Secondary objectives include evaluating the presence of an advantage of the Mc Grath™ videolaryngoscope over direct laryngoscopy for the correct placement of the double-lumen tube, the need for additional maneuvers during the intubation procedure, and the presence of intra- and post-procedural complications.

Sonographic Assessment of Cricoid Pressure

Examining the effectiveness of cricoid pressure using ultrasound imaging. Pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents during tracheal intubation, although rare in pediatrics, is a potentially catastrophic complication of anesthesia. Cricoid pressure is applied during rapid sequence induction to occlude the esophagus and prevent aspiration of gastric contents. Accumulating evidence in adults suggests that cricoid pressure often is not effective, either because the esophagus normally lies lateral to the cricoid cartilage, or because downward pressure on the cricoid cartilage laterally displaces (rather than compresses) the esophagus. The investigator proposes to examine the effectiveness of cricoid pressure in children in the peri-operative setting using non-invasive ultrasound imaging. Using this approach, the investigator will investigate the normal anatomical relationship of the esophagus and the cricoid cartilage, as well as how cricoid pressures influences this relationship. Further, the investigator will examine whether alternatives to downward cricoid pressure, such as laterally directed pressure, are more effective at occluding the esophagus.

Neurologic Function Post Intubation

The frequency of oxygen desaturation during emergency intubation is not uncommon. However, the significance and clinical sequalae of hypoxia during emergency intubation in critically ill, non-trauma patients is not known. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate neurologic function post-intubation of critically ill, non-trauma patients. Providing knowledge on whether the degree of hypoxia during emergency intubation is associated with worse neurologic outcomes, will guide clinical practice to ameliorate that level of hypoxia