Active clinical trials for "Death"

Obesity, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and gene-specific dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are common medical conditions. Small-scale studies have shown that these are associated with proarrhythmic changes on 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and a higher risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). However, these studies lack the deep electrophysiological phenotyping required to explain their observations. Electrocardiographic imaging (ECGi) is a non-invasive alternative to 12-lead ECG, by which epicardial potentials, electrograms and activation sequences can be recorded to study adverse electrophysiological modelling in greater depth and on a more focussed, subject-specific scale. Therefore, this study proposes to better define the risk of arrhythmia and understand the underlying adverse electrophysiological remodelling conferring this risk in three groups (obesity, RA and DCM). Firstly, data from two large, national repositories will be analysed to identify associations between routine clinical biomarkers and proarrhythmic 12-lead ECG parameters, to confirm adverse electrophysiological remodelling and a higher risk of arrhythmia. Secondly,ECGi will be performed before and after planned clinical intervention in obese and RA patients, and at baseline in titin-truncating variant (TTNtv)-positive and -negative DCM patients, to characterise the specific and potentially reversible conduction and repolarisation abnormalities that may underlie increased arrhythmic risk.

A national priority for health care providers is to initiate early communication about palliative and end-of-life care (PC/EOL) for children with a poor prognosis. Communication about prognosis and advanced care planning is critical to empowering parents to make decisions about PC/EOL for their children. A single-group study to refine and pilot test a PC/EOL communication intervention is entitled, Communication Plan: Early through End of Life (COMPLETE). COMPLETE is designed to be delivered during parent meetings and features: (a) a physician-nurse (MD/RN) team approach to PC/EOL communication; (b) printed visual aids and parent resource forms; and (c) hope and non-abandonment messages tailored by a MD/RN team to their communication style and parental preferences for information. During Phase I, an interdisciplinary approach involving nurses, physicians, PC/EOL expert consultants, and bereaved-parent consultants met to develop a standardized protocol and training procedures. During Phase II, this protocol will be evaluated with 24 parents and MD/RN teams. The investigators will evaluate parental outcomes regarding the COMPLETE's influence on: (a) information needs, emotional needs/resources, appraisal of MD/RN information and of symptom management; and (b) parental distress, uncertainty, decision regret, hope, satisfaction with MD/RN communication, and advance care planning over time. Findings from this study address NIH priorities related to: 1) an underserved population (i.e., parents of children with brain tumors); 2) an under-examined ethical concern about early integration of PC/EOL communication for parents of children with poor prognosis; 3) improved communication about PC/EOL among physicians, nurses, and parents; and 4) the potential for changing health care practice.

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the leading cause of death among infants between 1 month and 1 year of age in the developed world. SIDS continues to be a phenomenon of unknown cause. The best approach to for prevention in high risk infants is unclear. Several substantial lines of evidence indicate that pacifiers have a protective effect on the incidence of SIDS. These studies were significantly powered and the results were consistent world-wide. The explanation for the protective effects of pacifiers on SIDS prevalence is unclear. A recent case report from New Zealand showed by means of nasopharyngeal films of a baby with and without a pacifier the possibility that sucking on a pacifier is associated with a forward movement of the tongue with enlargement of the upper airways' cross sectional area. Indeed, this hypothesis was originally postulated 30 years ago by Cozzi et al. Working hypothesis and aims: Our hypothesis is that since the upper respiratory tract is that portion of the airway that imposes the greatest resistance to ventilation, sucking on a pacifier results in upper airway dilatation, thus greatly reducing upper airway obstruction and improving ventilation at a stage when infants are virtually obligate nasal breathers. It should be stressed that airway resistance is proportional to the 3rd power of the radius of the airway, thus even a relatively small increase in airway diameter may have a profound effect on airway resistance and respiratory mechanical work of breathing! In young infants and those with underdeveloped respiratory center drive, this decrease in the work of breathing could certainly be sufficient to minimize the risk of SIDS as described above.Thus, the aim of this study is to demonstrate the effect of sucking on a pacifier on upper airway patency.

The purpose of this registry is to collect data on implant parameters, early, mid and long-term clinical effectiveness of Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (S-ICD) therapies in order to better understand how to improve the clinical care of patients and effectiveness of S-ICD therapies.

This is an observational study to define the role and future applications of cerebral oximetry in cardiac arrest patients.

This study is a prospective, multicenter, cohort study. The study will be completed in three phases. The first phase aims to establish SCD PW marker and PW score scoring system Use big data processing techniques to find out the differences between survivors with ventricular arrhythmias and normal controls. Find out the SCD Pre-warning ECG Marker (PW marker). Establish SCD Pre-warning risk score system according to traditional SCD risk factors, clinical characteristics of patients and abnormal electrocardiogram indicators. According to the established SCD PW marker and PW score scoring system, the original group of patients are classified and scored. After five years of follow-up with sustained ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation as the primary end point and sudden cardiac death as the secondary endpoint, Kaplan-Meier are used to calculate the mortality rate of sudden cardiac death and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The COX proportional hazards regression model is used to further determine and evaluate the SCD predictive value of PW marker and PW score risk factor scoring system. The second phase is to validate the established PW marker and PW score system models and evaluate the SCD predictive value of it. This stage is divided into two parts: Patients enrolled in traditional high-risk ventricular arrhythmia, will be divided into PW marker positive group and PW marker negative group and join in a 5-year follow-up. Kaplan-Meier is used to calculate the mortality rate of sudden cardiac death and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis is performed to further verify the early warning effect of PW marker on SCD. Patients will be divide into three groups including the low-risk group, middle-risk group and high-risk group according to the PW score risk factor scoring system and join in a 5-year follow-up. Kaplan-Meier is used to calculate the mortality rate of sudden cardiac death, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis is used to further verify the early warning effect of PW score scoring system on SCD. The third stage is the development stage of SCD early warning equipment. This stage will conduct clinical translational medical studies of PW marker and PW score based on the previous study and develop PW marker and PW score as portable SCD warning device and/or mobile phone APP which will be applied to the clinic for early warning diagnosis of SCD.

Background: Brugada Syndrome is an inherited channelopathy associated with risk of ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death in a structurally normal heart. The diagnosis is based on the characteristic electrocardiographic pattern (coved type STsegment elevation, 2mm followed by a negative T-wave in one or more of the right precordial leads V1 to V2), noted spontaneously or upon administration of a sodiumchannel blocker, such as Ajmaline. The majority of adults screened for Brugada Syndrome, undergo the Ajmaline provocation-test awake. Ajmaline is therefore injected continuously, with incremental steps through an intravenous placed catheter, according to cardiological protocols. In a subpopulation of anxious adults, or when another electrophysiological procedure is required at the same time, sedation or general anaesthesia is provided. Similarly, in the paediatric population, it is common practice to perform the challenge test under sedation. Based on the sodium channel blocking properties of propofol, it is not unthinkable that anaesthetic agents might interact with the pharmacodynamic or pharmacokinetic effects of Ajmaline on the myocardial sodium channels. Existence of such interaction would implicate altered diagnostic value of the Ajmaline-provocation-test for patients that undergo the challenge under general anaesthesia. Objective: The goal of this study is to evaluate if the Ajmaline-provocation-test results in altered electrocardiographic effects when performed under general anaesthesia with propofol. Study-design: A prospective observational study. Study population: Patients are eligible for inclusion if they have been diagnosed with Brugada Syndrome, are American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) 2 - 4, older than 18 years and are scheduled for epicardial ablation. Exclusion criteria are known allergy for propofol, a body mass index (BMI) above 35 for female and 42 for male patients, obstetric patients, critical illness, conditions that exclude continuous propofol infusion due to higher risk for propofol infusion syndrome (PRIS), such as mitochondrial disease, fatty acid oxidation disorder, co-enzyme Q deficiency and any other condition that renders the patient unfit for elective surgery. Intervention: This study is prospective, observational. Main study parameters/endpoints: The primary endpoints are changes in the ST-, Jp-, QRS-, T(p-e)-segments and T(p-e)/QT -ratio changes during steady-state anaesthesia. The secondary endpoint is the occurrence of de novo arrhythmias. Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation: This is an observational study; therefore, the risks associated are no other than those associated with the intervention itself. No additional blood-samples, tests or consults are necessitated during participation; therefore, no extra burden is associated.

The purpose of the study is to better identify hereditary cardiac causes of sudden unexpected death in young subjects through Next-Generation Sequencing of autopsy tissue

The purpose of this study is to determine how well the device predicts susceptability to potentially lethal ventricular arrhythmias.

The investigators have created a way of quickly collecting information in a large scale young population regarding the presence of some severity indicators that may allow us to classify them into: seemingly "low risk" and possible "elevated risk" for the presence of heart disease. It would have to be a short questionnaire, in order to receive a great adherence but that could simultaneously provide precise information, with an adequate description of symptoms and warning signs, in a way that a triage in the young adult population could be performed in the general young adult population in order to select individuals with an indication for personalized clinical evaluation and possible need of complementary diagnostic means. Based on this premise the investigators have developed a fast-response questionnaire named the Sudden Cardiac Death Screening Of risk factorS (SCD-SOS). This questionnaire has already been tested in a population of approximately 1500 young adults, and some changes have been introduced in order to refine its performance. To best of the investigators knowledge, there are no large scale European surveys estimating the prevalence of cardiac disease and associated clinical symptoms in a non-selected (non-athlete) population of this age group. Purpose: To screen a young adult population from central regional of Portugal for heart disease possibly associated to a high risk of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD). To determine the national prevalence of clinical symptoms of heart disease and of heart disease with increased risk for SCD in this age group. To detect young adults in risk of SCD and with an indication for evaluation by a cardiologist, and possible need of: medical treatment electrophysiologic (EP) study and percutaneous ablation an implantable cardiovertor defibrillator a pacemaker other type of specialized cardiac intervention