Clinical Research Directory

Wise Choices in the Intensive Care Unit

Aim: to evaluate if the Choosing Wisely campaign can be introduced without harming critically ill patients. Background: Each year, around 45,000 patients are admitted to Sweden's 81 ICUs (intensive care units), costing 6-7 billion SEK (6% of total healthcare expenditure). The high costs of health care are partly attributable to overuse of diagnostic tests. Up to 30% of these tests lead to treatments that provide no benefit for patients, some of them may even be harmful(1-3). To improve quality of care while combating this problem of cost, the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation developed the Choosing Wisely Campaign, tasking professional societies to develop lists of top five medical services patients and physicians should question. Patients in the ICU, can especially benefit from this paradigm shift. They are subjected to multiple testing on a daily - sometimes hourly - basis, therefore this field of medicine responded to the campaign quickly. Two sets of top-five-lists of tests and interventions that can be questioned have been published(4 5). In multiple countries, including Sweden, the Choosing Wisely campaign is gathering traction among critical care physicians and is on the verge of being introduced. It is both common-sensical and will save money, so health care leaders are positive. However, the investigators have an opportunity, and a duty, to assess the evidence; can the Choosing Wisely campaign be introduced without harming ICU patients? The present study thus aims to evaluate the introduction of the Choosing Wisely campaign in the context of the ICU. Is this change of care strategy associated with changes in 30-day-mortality? Secondary outcomes include ICU length of stay, use of non-invasive- or invasive mechanical ventilation and continuous renal replacement therapy. This is a registry-based cluster randomized controlled study (R-RCT), targeting Swedish ICU's across multiple regions. Primary and secondary outcomes will be retrieved from the Swedish Intensive care Register (SIR), making ICU participation easier and less costly.

The Association Between Post-resuscitation Time Series Management in the Emergency Department and Short-term Outcomes for Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest Patients

This study examines the impact of emergency department (ED) management on short-term outcomes of nontraumatic adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. Conducted by a research team at National Taiwan University Hospital and its affiliated hospitals, including branches in Hsinchu and Yunlin, the study spans from January 2016 to August 2023. It focuses on a sequential population of patients, analyzing data like age, gender, medical history, prehospital care details (e.g., witnessed collapse, bystander CPR), and specifics of ED management. OHCA, with an incidence rate of 50-100 per 100,000 people, presents high mortality and severe complications, leading to significant healthcare expenditures. After resuscitation in the ED, only about one-fifth of patients achieve return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). The prognosis for these patients remains grim, with a mere 5% experiencing favorable neurological outcomes. Understanding the mechanisms of OHCA, identifying risk factors, effective interventions, and the timing of ED treatments like vasopressors and electrocardiography are crucial. Patients post-OHCA often undergo a postcardiac arrest syndrome (PCAS), marked by cellular hypoxia and a consequential inflammatory response. Stability of vital signs and rapid ED interventions, including identifying OHCA causes and coordinating with specialists, are vital for short-term recovery. This study aims to determine if ED management and time-related factors from ROSC to various interventions (e.g., ECG, CT scans) affect short-term survival rates, including survival to hospital admission and survival after 1, 3, and 7 days. By retrospectively analyzing patient data, including Utstein Style prehospital cardiac arrest registry variables and emergency department management details, the study seeks to shed light on the crucial phase of post-resuscitation care. The ultimate goal is to improve survival rates and neurological outcomes in OHCA patients, emphasizing the need for more comprehensive research in this area

Assisted Fluid Management (AFM) System and Postoperative Outcome After High-risk Abdominal Surgery

Goal directed fluid therapy (GDFT) or "Personalized fluid therapy" may benefit high-risk surgical patients but these strategies are infrequently implemented. It has also been shown that without any goal or protocol for fluid resuscitation, large inter- and intra-provider variability exist that have been correlated with poor patient outcomes. Recently, an "Assisted Fluid Management" (AFM) system has been developed to help ease some of the work associated with GDFT protocol implementation. The AFM system may help increase GDFT protocol adherence while leaving direction and guidance in the hands of the care providers. This artificial intelligence-based system can suggest administration of fluid boluses, analyse the hemodynamic effects of the bolus, and continually re-assess the patient for further fluid requirements. To date, there are no large outcome study using this AFM system. The primary objective of this trial is thus to evaluate the impact of this AFM system to guide fluid bolus administration on a composite of major postoperative complications in high-risk patients undergoing high-risk abdominal surgery.

Effect of the New Definition of Epilepsies of the ILAE of 2014 on the Diagnosis After the First Seizure

The present study is a prospective study on the development of seizure frequency, medication adherence, quality of life and cognitive performance after a first epileptic seizure using the new diagnostic criteria for epilepsy of the International League Against Epilepsy of 2014 at the time of diagnosis.

Norepinephrine and Phenylephrine for Spinal Anesthesia-induced Hypotension.

This study aims to explore the effects of different application modes (prophylactic and rescue strategy) of norepinephrine and norepinephrine on neonate umbilical artery pH undergoing cesarean section.

Outcome and Predictors of Mortality of Patients on Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation

Prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) and weaning failure are factors associated with prolonged hospital length of stay and increased morbidity and mortality. In addition to the individual challenges that stress patients and their families, the resource-intensive care these patients receive places a significant burden on the public health system. These burdens often persist over the long term, especially in the case of weaning failure with subsequent home mechanical ventilation (HMV). This study will provide invaluable and in-depth knowledge of major sources of admission to ICU and will clarify the cause for the outcomes seen after prolonged mechanical ventilation in ICU admission, at Dessie comprehensive Hospital, the result of our study will also serve as a source or baseline information for future valuable researches to be undergone around the subject of interest.

The Registry Study of Takayasu Arteritis in East China

The Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare inflammatory large vessel arteritis which often occurs women in Aisa, one of which is China. The rare cases restricted the development of intervention strategy, especially in female patients who plan to be pregnant. So investigators try to recruit as many TA participants as possible to build a TA cohort so that investigators could manage patients much more professionally and standardized and explore the better interventional strategy for a better outcome as well, with full use of blood and vascular tissues.

Factors Influencing the Prognosis of Olfactory Dysfunction After Upper Sensation

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of post-infectious olfactory dysfunction treated with different doses of corticosteroids and specify factors related to the curative effect. Methods: The medical records of patients diagnosed with post-infectious olfactory dysfunction from January 2020 to december 2025 were reviewed. All patients were treated with different doses of oral corticosteroids for 12 days or they inhaled corticosteroids for 1 month.

Outcomes on Teeth Prepared With BOPT

The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical and biological behavior of full coverage restorations on teeth prepared without finish line in a prospective clinical study.