Clinical Research Directory

Trauma BPE Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Injured Individuals Admitted to a Level I Trauma Center

The purpose of this research is to determine if a brief treatment method is effective for preventing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a number of other concerns following injury.

Pediatric and Caregiver Traumatic Stress Intervention (PACTS)

The purpose of this study is to learn more about how to help the caregiver and child survivor of a traumatic injury handle post-traumatic stress disorder and/or depression.

Opioid Analgesia Impacts on Neurological Development

Background: Pain in childhood - whether from injuries like fractures or long-term conditions like scoliosis - is often treated with opioid medicines. These drugs are effective for pain relief. Recent research suggests that they may affect brain development if given during key stages of growth. This study will explore how different types of pain and opioid use impact brain activity in children using a child-friendly brain scan called OPM-MEG. Objectives: 1. To compare brain activity patterns in different regions of the brain in children with different pain and opioid exposure profiles. 2. To investigate the relationships between brain activity and clinical features, including subjective pain ratings, pain sensitivity, and psychological outcomes (e.g. trauma symptoms, distress). Participants will be asked to attend a single visit, which may coincide with their follow-up clinical appointment to orthopaedics or at an alternative convenient time. The visit will take approximately 1-1.5 hours and consist of recording brain activity using the child-friendly OPM-MEG (like a bicycle helmet) during rest and in response to a variety of sensory stimuli. Participants will also be asked to complete a small number of questionnaires.

CHW-Enhanced Trauma Recovery

This pilot study will evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of the Trauma Resilience and Recovery Program Plus (TRRP+), a Community Health Worker-enhanced intervention designed to improve behavioral health engagement and recovery among adult trauma survivors with unmet social needs. One hundred adult trauma patients admitted to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Level I Adult Trauma Center who screen positive for risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression and report at least one unmet social need will receive TRRP+ services. Participants will complete assessments at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after enrollment. The study will also examine implementation barriers and facilitators to support future dissemination and scale-up of the intervention.

Evaluation of Trauma Center-Based Intervention for Adolescent Traumatic Injury Survivors

Pediatric traumatic injury (i.e., injury of sudden onset and severity requiring immediate attention) is the leading cause of death and morbidity among US adolescents and are associated with mental health and health risk outcomes, including posttraumatic stress and depression (affecting between 19-42%), deficits in physical recovery, social functioning and quality of life, which if unaddressed, may contribute to increased use of health care services. The investigators partnered with three accredited Level I and II pediatric trauma centers to conduct a multi-site hybrid 1 effectiveness-implementation trial with 300 adolescent (ages 12-17) traumatic injury patients to assess the extent to which the Trauma Resilience and Recovery Program (TRRP), a scalable and sustainable, technology-enhanced, multidisciplinary stepped model of care, promotes improvement in quality of life and emotional recovery and gather preliminary data on the potential for TRRP to be implemented in other Level I trauma centers. Directly in line with NICHD's Pediatric Trauma and Critical Illness Research and Training (PTCIB) Strategic Research and Training agenda, this study will provide valuable data on the efficacy, preliminary effectiveness and potential for implementation of an innovative, cost-effective, sustainable technology-enhanced intervention designed to address the unique needs of adolescent injury patients and mitigate short- and long-term impact of injury on mental health, quality of life, and overall well-being.

Transforming Trauma Care

This study evaluates the implementation and clinical effectiveness of the Trauma Resilience and Recovery Program (TRRP 2.0), a technology-enhanced behavioral health intervention designed for trauma center patients. TRRP 2.0 integrates screening, monitoring, and referral services for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and substance use disorder (SUD). The study uses a two-phase design across two trauma centers: a usual care phase followed by implementation of TRRP 2.0. A total of 300 adult trauma patients will be recruited and followed for 3 months to assess behavioral health service utilization and clinical outcomes.

Ketogenic Feeding for Muscle Preservation After Trauma

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a ketogenic diet, provided as tube feeding, compared with a standard hospital tube feeding, is safe and feasible and helps preserve muscle mass and improve metabolic health in adults aged 55 years and older hospitalized with traumatic injury.

Weighted Blankets for Pain and Anxiety in Adult Trauma Patients

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the use of a weighted blanket improves pain and anxiety among adult trauma inpatients. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either a weighted blanket or the standard hospital blanket routinely provided during hospitalization. Pain scores documented as part of routine clinical care and participant-reported anxiety ratings will be compared between groups. This study will evaluate whether weighted blankets may serve as a non-pharmacologic adjunct to pain and anxiety management for adult trauma inpatients.

Prehospital Analgesia INtervention Trial (PAIN)

The Prehospital Analgesia INtervention trial (PAIN) is a proposed 4 year (3-year enrollment) multicenter, prehospital, randomized, double-blind, clinical trial that will enroll approximately 994 patients at select LITES Network sites. The objective is to perform a prospective, interventional, randomized trial among prehospital trauma patients with compensated shock (SI≥0.9 or HR ≥115) and an indication for pain management, comparing patient centered outcomes following prehospital administration of ketamine hydrochloride versus fentanyl citrate.

Sustainable Elite Football

The literature is scarce when it comes to more comprehensive research project that investigates the differences between youth and adult elite football players in physical parameters and the risk of injury. There is a lack of prospective long-term studies examining the importance of increased training load, physical fitness and performance, training status, position and maturity on its relationship to injury and success in elite football. The aim of the project is to evaluate different aspects of physical performance, training load and their role as potential risk or protective factors for injury in elite Swedish football. Another aim is to follow youth players at the football academy to explore which physical factors are important for success in elite football and how a possible injury affects the player's continued elite efforts. Finally, the aim is to develop a test battery that can be used to screen for deficits in physical fitness, monitor football players at risk of injury and for return to sport after injury. The main research question intended to be investigated is: How do internal and external load, wellness, and physical performance factors (including Acute Chronic Workload Ratio) differ between academy-level and professional football players, and how do these factors relate to injury risk and success in elite football? A cohort design will be used with \~200 academy football players (\~50% women) between 15-19 years old and 50 professional football players participating. The study starts with the assessment of different aspects of physical performance at baseline during the players first year at the academy and internal and external training load and injuries will be registered prospectively for 3 years. The players will be assessed at follow-ups, with the same tests, 3 times a year, to evaluate performance changes. Players who will be transferred to elite play will be evaluated 3 times a year for additional 5 years. Professional football players will also be evaluated with tests with following registration of training load and injuries.

Pilot Feasibility Trial of a Peer Support Program for Trauma Survivors

Traumatic injuries from events like car crashes, falls, or fires are a leading cause of disability. Survivors often face not only physical challenges but also long-lasting pain, mental health challenges and difficulty returning to work and family life. Although medical care focuses on physical recovery, survivors frequently report that their emotional and social needs are overlooked and unmet. Peer support-guidance from people who have lived through similar injuries-can reduce distress and improve coping. However, no programs in Canada currently provide peer support to trauma survivors across their recovery journey, from hospital to rehabilitation to community living. The investigators worked with trauma survivors, caregivers, and healthcare providers to co-design a Peer Support Program (PSP) that offers support throughout these stages. This pilot study will test whether the program is feasible and acceptable, and explore its early impact on recovery. Results will guide a future larger trial to expand peer support in trauma care.

ErythroPOietin Alfa to Prevent Mortality and Reduce Severe Disability in Critically Ill TRAUMA Patients

The EPO-TRAUMA study is a prospective, multi-centre, double-blind, phase III, randomised controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of epoetin alfa compared to placebo in reducing mortality and severe disability at six months in critically ill trauma patients. 2500 mechanically ventilated ICU patients admitted with a primary trauma diagnosis presenting to the ICU will be recruited into the study from participating study centres in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Saudi Arabia.

Advancing Discussions Using a Video-based Support Tool About End-of-life Care

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation considerations of a video aid to improve communication and patient-centered outcomes in older injured adults

Enantyum® IV Versus Piroxen® IM in Emergency Pain Management

For pain of traumatic origin, the RICE protocol (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) is the main therapeutic measure during the first 4 to 5 days post-trauma. However, there is currently insufficient evidence that this protocol is effective \[4\]. In the emergency department, paracetamol, NSAIDs or a combination of several molecules are generally prescribed. Patients even use these drugs without a prescription. The aim of this study is to Compare the effect of dexketoprofen® IV versus piroxen® IM in the treatment of pain in emergency departments.

Use of 81 vs 325mg of ASA in Treatment of BCVI

Blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI), or injury to the carotid and vertebral arteries, occurs in 1-3% of blunt traumas, often as a result of injury to the head, neck, or chest. If unrecognized or untreated, BCVI can lead to stroke, which occurs in approximately 20% of untreated patients, potentially causing significant and sometimes permanent disability. Early diagnosis and treatment significantly reduce the risk of stroke. Currently, there is wide variation across centers and trauma care providers in treatment strategies for BCVI and the most recent guidelines are unable to make specific recommendations about the optimal agent and/or dose of treatment to reduce the risk of stroke after BCVI while minimizing bleeding complications in patients with multiple traumatic injuries. Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses evaluating the most common treatment strategies for BCVI have shown similar stroke rates with the use of anticoagulants (usually heparin) vs. antiplatelets (usually aspirin/ASA), however, treatment with antiplatelets was associated with a lower risk of bleeding complications. The optimal dose of ASA for stroke prevention while minimizing bleeding complications is unknown, and more research is required to inform future care. This project will investigate two doses of antiplatelet therapy (81 mg daily vs. 325 mg daily aspirin) for BCVI treatment, and will look at the risk of stroke and bleeding complications with each strategy. The goal of the research is to determine whether a large-scale study looking at this question is feasible, which will ultimately help determine the best medical therapy for patients with BCVI.