Active clinical trials for "Communicable Diseases"

OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluate the development of oral manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus infection in relationship to the onset of immunologic alterations and systemic symptoms in different risk groups: gay/bisexual men, male intravenous drug users, and female intravenous drug users. II. Evaluate the immune and inflammatory response to periodontal and other microbial pathogens. III. Evaluate the bacterial species infecting the oral cavity in patients in these risk groups.

To define relationships between 1) HIV load and risk of CMV disease, 2) CMV load and the risk of developing CMV disease, and 3) CMV load and HIV load. To establish threshold CMV and HIV load values in peripheral blood fractions that are associated with development of CMV end-organ disease. To define the natural history of CMV diseases in the context of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Establishment of threshold CMV and HIV load values associated with CMV disease would facilitate identification of HIV-infected individuals truly at risk for CMV disease in whom targeted prophylactic interventions to prevent CMV disease would be indicated. These studies would also further the understanding of the natural history of CMV disease within the context of AIDS. Natural history studies conducted prior to the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART; i.e., 3-drug regimens that include HIV reverse transcriptase and protease inhibitors) have demonstrated that the risk for developing CMV disease increases with progression of HIV disease and with declining CD4 counts. Presently the need exists to define the natural history of CMV disease in patients with AIDS within the context of HAART.

AS PER AMENDMENT 10/24/96: To develop a domain/construct-driven neuropsychological and neurological battery. Scaling of instruments to allow measurement of functions from infancy to early adulthood; establish reliability and validity of the new instruments developed for the NIMH Neurodevelopmental Battery. Downward extension of cognitive domains into infancy and early childhood. To describe and compare outcomes when assessing level of development versus rate of change. Describe and compare the outcomes from a global assessment of neurodevelopment (e.g., a standardized I.Q. score) versus discrete assessments (e.g., functional domains such as motor or language skills). Develop guidelines for multicultural neuropsychological and neurological assessment within a clinical trials design. Describe the nature of impaired developmental abilities and course of the disease in infants and children. The assessment of children who sustain central nervous system (CNS) insult requires approaches that differ in several ways from adult-based assessment. The rapid changes that occur in the developing CNS as well as in behavior reflect underlying processes of growth and development.

Surgical site infection (SSI), particularly deep SSI, is one of the most serious complications after spinal surgery. evaluating the risk of SSI and, correspondingly, prescription of prophylactic measures are extremely important to prevent SSI and avoid potentially devastating consequences. A retrospective study was conducted aiming to develop a point-based prediction model of deep surgical site infection in patients receiving open posterior instrumented thoracolumbar surgery.

Clinical pneumonia is a leading cause of pediatric hospitalization. The etiology is generally bacterial or viral. Prompt and optimal treatment of pneumonia is critical to reduce mortality. However, adequate pneumonia management is hampered by: a) the lack of a diagnostic tool that can be used at point-of-care (POC) and promptly and accurately allow the diagnosis of bacterial disease and b) lack of a prognostic POC test to help triage children in need of intensive assistance. Antibiotic therapy is frequently overprescribed as a result of suspected bacterial infections resulting in development of antibiotic resistance. Conversely, in malaria-endemic areas, antibiotics may also be "underprescribed" and children with bacterial pneumonia sent home without antibiotic therapy, when the clinical pneumonia is mistakenly attributed to a co-existing malaria infection. The investigators previously identified combinations of protein with 96% sensitivity and 86% specificity for detecting bacterial disease in Mozambican children with clinical pneumonia. The investigators' prior work showed that it is possible to identify biosignatures for diagnosis and prognosis using few proteins. Recently, other authors also identified different accurate biosignatures (e.g., IP-10, TRAIL and CRP). In this study, the investigators propose to validate and improve upon previous biosignatures by testing prior combinations and seeking novel combinations of markers in 900 pediatric inpatients aged 2 months to 5 years with clinical pneumonia in The Gambia. The investigators will also use alternative case criteria and seek diagnostic and prognostic combination of markers. This study will be conducted in Basse, rural Gambia, in two hospitals associated with the Medical Research Council Unity The Gambia (MRCG). Approximately 900 pediatric patients with clinical pneumonia aged 2 months to 5 years of age will be enrolled. Patients will undergo standard of care test and will have blood proteins measured through Luminex®-based immunoassays. Results of this study may ultimately support future development of an accurate point-of-care test for bacterial disease to guide clinicians in choices of treatment and to assist in the prioritization of intensive care in resource-limited settings.

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate invasive fungal infections (IFI) according to clinicians' opinion vs the opinion of an independent board of experts. The primary output of this study is the evaluation of inter-raters agreement. Secondary objectives are: evaluation of IFI incidence; description of clinical and laboratory features; frequencies of different antifungal treatments; description of outcome; impact on the treatment of underlying hematological malignancy. This is a multicenter, non-interventional observational, prospective study. The duration of the study will be 18 months. The study will recruit all consecutive eligible patients in each participating center, during a period of 6 months until at least 600 patients with acute myeloid leukemia are registered, that represented the highest risk category. Other disease types that fulfill the eligibility criteria in the participating centers during the same period will also be recruited in the study. The clinical, microbiological, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures operated on these patients will be collected. An eCRF will be compiled for all patients: T0: at the start of antifungal treatment, information will be collected regarding hematological malignancy, status of the disease at onset of infection and phase of treatment, last chemotherapy regimen, comorbidities and risk factors; previous IFI, neutropenia, antifungal and antibiotic prophylaxis and the kind of IFI clinicians retain the patient suffer (possible/probable/proven) and the kind of antifungal treatment started (empiric/pre-emptive/target); diagnostic work-up done, positive microbiology and biomarkers, positive radiological findings; antifungal treatment. T1: at 30-40 days (or before if the patient unfortunately died) a second form must be completed with information regarding any changes in/additional diagnostic work-up done, positive microbiology and biomarkers, positive radiological findings; any changes in antifungal treatment; outcome. At that time, the local physician must state any revision of his diagnostic classification between the moment in which antifungal treatment was started and the moment of evaluation of the outcome in order to estimate the differences regarding the level of evidence of diagnosis and treatment of IFI during time. Each case will be examined blinded by 2 different experts, who will review all records based on the existing guidelines, their own experience and the information that was known at the two time points, which may confirm or not the decision of local physician. The sample size will be driven by the AML patients (approximately 60-70% of the patients). Sample will be described in its clinical and demographic features via descriptive statistics. Quantitative variables will be summarized with the following measures: minimum, maximum, range, mean and standard deviation. Qualitative variables will be represented by frequencies tables.

This study is a multi-center study with a minimum of three CLIA-waived intended operator sites in the United States in which prospectively self-collected vaginal specimens obtained from subjects who are symptomatic or asymptomatic for CT, NG, or TV will be evaluated with the Click Sexual Health Test in a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) waived setting. Subjects interested in participating in this study will be assessed for eligibility and asked to give informed consent and assent, if applicable, by the Investigational Review Board (IRB). Only those subjects who meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria may be enrolled in the study.

Introduction: Surgical site infections associated with the cochlear implant can have serious consequences. Although advances in surgical techniques reduce these complications, it may be necessary to remove a device that works as a last resort as a result of ongoing infection. The removal of these devices, which are very expensive, increases the cost and takes the chance of hearing patients with this device. Therefore, it is very important to identify patients with a tendency to cochlear implant infection before surgery and to prevent these infections from occurring. Neutrophil/ lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/ lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are indicative of systemic inflammation and have a prognostic value in relation to mortality and morbidity in many diseases. The aim of this study was to identify patients with post-operative implant infection tendency in patients to be implanted with cochlear implant and to plan treatment for possible infections before cochlear implant, to reduce cost by preventing removal of implanted cochlear implant due to infection and to prevent the patient's chance of hearing through the cochlear implant from disappearing due to infection. Methods: In this retrospective study, 13 patients with cochlear implant infection were included. Preoperative NLR was calculated by dividing the neutrophil (NEU) value by the lymphocyte (LYM) value and preoperative PLR was calculated by dividing the NEU value by the LYM value.

People with cancer may be at higher risk of poor outcomes with COVID-19 infection. This observational study aims to describe the clinical course of COVID-19 infection in people with cancer and evaluate the utility of antibody and antigen tests for COVID-19. The results of this study will inform clinical practice in the management of cancer patients with COVID-19.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of chest computed tomography (CT) in detecting signs of viral pneumonia has become clear from the literature. However, the increased patient flow creates an additional pressure on CT centers. We believe, the use of chest magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help to test patients for CОVID-19 when CT scan is not available. Lung MRI may be useful in routing a patient in a difficult epidemiological situation.