Clinical Research Directory

Angiotensin II in Liver Transplantation

The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy and safety of Angiotensin II as a second-line vasopressor (drug that raises the blood pressure) during liver transplantation.

Midodrine for the Early Liberation of Vasopressor Support in the ICU (LIBERATE Multi-Site)

Vasopressors are medications that are given intravenously to increase the blood pressure of patients with illnesses that cause dangerous blood pressure drops. When a doctor prescribes a vasopressor, they ask that the dose be adjusted to achieve a specific blood pressure. This kind of medical support with intravenous (IV) vasopressors are usual treatments in intensive care unit (ICU) settings. Oral vasopressors, such as midodrine, have been historically used to maintain blood pressure in non-critically ill patients. In this study, the investigators will be using midodrine to reduce the need for IV vasopressors as blood pressure improves during the stay in the ICU. This LIBERATE multi-site study will continue the work of the LIBERATE feasibility RCT study to evaluate the role of midodrine for patients with low blood pressure in the ICU. It is comprised of the multi centre pilot RCT followed by the definitive multi centre RCT.

GENECARD - the Use of Genetic, Epigenetic, Metabolomic, Proteomic and Microbiotic Markers, Image and Voice Biomarker Analyses, and Pre- and Intraoperative Clinical Data - to Predict Early Complications After Cardiac Surgery.

The goal of this observational cohort study is to prove whether genetic, epigenetic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, imaging, voice, and clinical markers can improve prediction of early complications after cardiac surgery in adult patients. The main questions it aims to answer are: Which biological and clinical markers are associated with: new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF), acute kidney injury (AKI), postoperative delirium (POD), vasoplegia, postoperative bleeding and 30-day mortality? Can combining these markers improve early prediction of postoperative complications compared with current clinical risk scores? Researchers will analyze a wide range of data collected before, during, and after cardiac surgery and compare patients who develop early complications with those who do not to identify risk factors and early biomarkers. Participants will: Provide biological samples (blood, urine, stool) before and after surgery for genetic, epigenetic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, microbiome, and laboratory testing. Undergo standard preoperative and intraoperative imaging and clinical assessments. Allow collection of clinical data related to postoperative outcomes (For some participants) have voice and video recordings performed to help identify early signs of postoperative delirium. This study aims to improve early detection of postoperative complications and support development of personalized diagnostic and treatment strategies for patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Femoral Versus Radial Invasive Arterial Pressure Monitoring in Cardiac Surgery Patients

Background: Acute circulatory failure, often presenting as arterial hypotension, is a major contributor to postoperative morbidity and mortality. Accurate blood pressure (BP) monitoring is essential for timely therapeutic intervention, particularly in patients undergoing major surgery. Among invasive BP measurement sites, the radial artery is commonly used due to its accessibility and ease of catheterization. However, physiologically, the radial artery may underestimate central arterial pressure compared to the femoral artery, especially in patients receiving vasopressors or in critical conditions. This discrepancy can lead to overtreatment with vasopressors and associated complications. Current literature on the accuracy of radial versus femoral BP monitoring is outdated and based solely on observational studies. There is a lack of high-quality randomized data to inform clinical guidelines. Hypothesis: Femoral arterial pressure monitoring, by offering more accurate hemodynamic data, reduces the need for vasopressor support, particularly norepinephrine, compared to radial artery monitoring. Primary Objective: To compare the effect of femoral versus radial invasive BP monitoring on the proportion of patients requiring norepinephrine from anesthetic induction to postoperative day 7 (D7) following elective cardiac surgery. Norepinephrine treatment is defined by continuous intravenous administration of norepinephrine for more than 1 minute. Secondary Objectives : To compare the following outcomes between the two strategies within the first 7 postoperative days: incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) according to KDIGO criteria, incidence of cardiac complications (arrhythmias requiring treatment, myocardial injury (troponin \>99th percentile or \>20% rise from baseline), myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest), vaso-inotropic score (VIS), duration of any vasopressor therapy (days), ICU and hospital length of stay (days), all-cause mortality at day 7 and day 30, total duration (hours/days) and maximal dose of norepineprhine therapy, intraoperative hypotension episodes (MAP\<65 mmHg \> 5 min), incidence of arterial catheter-related complications (hematoma, bleeding, infection, thrombosis, arterial occlusion, malfunction, dislodgement). Primary Endpoint: The proportion of patients receiving continuous intravenous norepinephrine from anesthesia induction to postoperative day 7. Secondary Endpoints: AKI occurrence or need for renal replacement therapy; cardiac complications: atrial/ventricular arrhythmias requirinf treatment, myocardial injury (troponin \>99th percentile or \>20% rise from baseline), myocardial infarction (biomarker elevation + ECG or echocardiographic abnormalities), cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest; maximum VIS in the OR, ICU admission, and day 1; intraoperative hypotension episodes (MAP\<65 mmHg \> 5 min); total norepinephrine support duration (in hours); duration of any vasopressor therapy; arterial line complications: malfunction, dislodgement, hematoma, thrombosis, infection, bleeding, arterial occlusion; ICU and hospital length of stay (days); all-cause mortality at day 7 and day 30 Study Design: A prospective, multicenter (Besançon and Dijon University Hospitals), randomized, superiority, single-blind, intention-to-treat clinical trial in adults undergoing elective cardiac surgery. Patients are randomized to femoral or radial artery catheterization for continuous BP monitoring. Sample Size: Based on an expected norepinephrine use rate of 70%, a 15% absolute risk reduction, α = 0.05, and power = 90%, 162 patients per group are required. Accounting for 5% data loss, 340 patients will be enrolled. Study Arms: Radial group: invasive BP monitoring via radial artery catheterization Femoral group: invasive BP monitoring via femoral artery catheterization The arterial line is placed under ultrasound guidance in the operating room and maintained postoperatively in the ICU or critical care unit until no longer clinically indicated. Eligibility Criteria Inclusion: adults patients ≥18 years undergoing elective on-pump cardiac surgery with informed consent. Exclusion: emergency surgery, use of dual arterial lines, heart transplantation, mechanical circulatory support, contraindications to radial/femoral catheterization, legal or ethical inability to consent. Study Timeline Inclusion period: 36 months Patient follow-up: 7 days post-surgery Total study duration: 36 months Data Collection: Clinical data are collected by research staff using an electronic case report form (e-CRF) via CleanWeb™ software. Expected Impact: There are currently no guidelines specifying the optimal site for invasive BP monitoring. This study aims to provide robust evidence on whether femoral BP monitoring improves clinical outcomes, reduces vasopressor use, and minimizes adverse events. Positive findings could inform future practice guidelines and lead to broader investigations in other clinical settings.

Effect Inhaled Nitric Oxide in Adult Liver Transplant

Liver transplantation remains the only cure for patients with end-stage liver disease. Despite continuous advances in medical care, ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) (tissue damage that occurs when blood supply is restored to an area that has been deprived of oxygen) remains a major contributor to complications with the newly transplanted liver. IRI can lead to a condition known as post-reperfusion syndrome that involves profound narrowing of blood vessels, significantly low blood pressure, and an increased requirement of medication to control blood pressure. In some cases, post-reperfusion syndrome can progress to a condition known as post-reperfusion vasoplegia which is a condition where severely low blood pressure persists even after blood flow is restored to the liver. This is often accompanied by complications such as improperly functioning kidneys, blood clotting disorders, and complications with the transplanted liver that can significantly affect patient outcomes. Recent studies have shown than inhaled nitric oxide (a gas that can relax blood vessels) can reduce the severity of IRI in the liver. This study is being conducted to determine whether the administration of inhaled nitric oxide during surgery reduces the severity of post-reperfusion syndrome and the incidence of post-reperfusion vasoplegia in adult patients undergoing liver transplantation. This is a before-and-after study design that will involve both the retrospective collection of data between the time period of January 1, 2020 - May 31, 2025 and prospective interventions involving adult liver transplant recipients.

Reducing Cardiac-surgery Associated Acute Kidney Injury Occurence by Administering Angiotensin II

The study intervention focuses on exploring the use of angiotensin II as a primary vasopressor compared to norepinephrine in cardiac surgery patients to investigate whether angiotensin II can reduce the occurrence of moderate/severe acute kidney injury (AKI). Despite its potential, as suggested by trials involving surgical patients, there is currently no human data confirming its effectiveness in preventing moderate/severe AKI in this context. The intervention aims to address this gap by evaluating angiotensin II's impact compared to norepinephrine.

Differential Regulation of RAAS-axis in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery

This study investigates the question of whether there are differences in the plasma concentration of hormones of the RAAS-axis between patients undergoing on-pump cardiac surgery and those receiving off-pump surgery

Characterisation of Endothelial Cells in Different Inflammatory Pathologies

The goal of this observational study is to characterise changes in gene expression in endothelial cells in patients with either sepsis or post major abdominal surgery. The main question we plan to answer is: 'What molecular pathways are differentially expressed during inflammatory pathologies?'

Norepinephrine Weaning Guided by the Hypotension Prediction Index in Vasoplegic Shock After Cardiac Surgery

In postoperative cardiac surgery under extracorporeal circulation, the patient may develop a vasoplegic syndrome, characterized by arterial hypotension (mean arterial pressure (MAP) \< 65 mmHg); a decrease in vascular resistance and a cardiac output that may be normal or increased, and increased postoperative mortality/ International recommendations recommend the prescription of noradrenaline as a first-line treatment to reduce morbidity and mortality. However, excess norepinephrine or duration of exposure is also deleterious. The Acumen IQ device (Edwards Lifesciences) allows the calculation of a predictive index of arterial hypotension episodes (predictive hypotension index, HPI). HPI could improve norepinephrine weaning by preventing episodes of arterial hypotension or detecting preload dependence, thus avoiding the transient increase in norepinephrine during hypotension. This is a single-center, prospective, open-label, randomized, controlled, 2-group, parallel, intention-to-treat study. The aim was to evaluate the superiority of a new decision algorithm, based on the HPI delivered by the Acumen IQ device, to reduce the duration of norepinephrine administration in post-cardiac surgery vasoplegic shock. The duration of the interventional protocol is 72 hours. To evaluate the clinical impact of the protocol, the time of the study will be 30 days. Several follow-up visits will be performed (end-of-protocol day, discharge day, and at D30 of inclusion) to collect clinical, biological, and HPI monitoring data.