Active clinical trials for "Infections"

Patient admitted in intensive care unit (ICU) for acute infection whether it be viral or bacterial had major impairment of the immune response. One hallmark of the immune impairment is presence of immature granulocyte (IG) in blood. Depend of initial trigger (virus or bacteria) concentration, phenotype and function of IG seems to be different. In this prospective trial, immature granulocytes will be analyzed in depth in immunocompetent patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit for an acute viral or bacterial infection.

General anesthesia, thoracic epidural, and morphine inhibit the urination process and promote postoperative Acute Urinary Retention (AUR) after thoracic surgery. Indwelling bladder catheterization prevents this risk, but is associated with other complications (urinary tract infection, delayed mobilization). With the rise of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols, bladder catheterization is being questioned. The current protocol in the department is to catheterize only patients with a high bladder volume in the post anesthesia care unit (defined as a bladder volume > 400 ml on bladder scan). Preliminary results from the "AirLeaks" study show a high rate of early postoperative AUR (approximately 50%). The investigators believe that a "systematic intermittent catheterization" (SIC) strategy is superior to the current "bladder scan-guided catheterization in the post anesthesia care unit" (BSGC) strategy in preventing the risk of postoperative AUR. To their knowledge, no study has compared these two bladder catheterization strategies in a thoracic accelerated rehabilitation protocol.

Stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) is one of the important risk factors influencing poor outcomes and death in stroke patients. Over the past two decades, accumulating evidence suggests that post-stroke brain injury mobilizes the adrenergic system, which induces post-stroke immunosuppression and SAP. This study is designed to test the safety and efficacy of an adrenergic β-receptor blocker, propranolol, with or without combination of antibiotics, in reducing SAP in stroke patients. The underlying immune mechanisms will be investigated.

Detection of primary antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance of Helicobacter Pylori infection. Detection of resistance and virulence genes of Helicobacter Pylori infection. Assessment of H pylori carcinogenicity gene. Evaluation of outcome and efficacy of antibiotics regimen will be used in our research. Evaluation of effect of other factors as diet (fatty and spicy meal), drugs as NSAIDs use, antibiotics for any cause on response of H pylori to antibiotics regimen.

The Visceral Adiposity Measurement and Observation Study

With HIV/AIDS increasingly considered a chronic disease, 24-, or 48-week data from antiretroviral studies are no longer sufficient. Only with long-term follow-up and outcome data will shed some much-needed light on the answers of questions that have stumped us for several years. Data from a large observational cohort of patients treated with combination antiretroviral therapy will provide further insights into the long-term safety and durability of various antiretroviral therapeutic approached, the efficacy of HIV viral load and CD4 cell counts as predictors of disease progression and mortality, and the importance of adherence.

The VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL; NCT 01169259) is an ongoing randomized clinical trial in 25,875 U.S. men and women investigating whether taking daily dietary supplements of vitamin D3 (2000 IU) or omega-3 fatty acids (Omacor® fish oil, 1 gram) reduces the risk of developing cancer, heart disease, and stroke in people who do not have a prior history of these illnesses. This ancillary study is being conducted among participants in VITAL and will examine whether vitamin D or omega-3 fatty acids affect risk of infection and plasma hCAP18 levels.

Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are the most common healthcare-associated infection in children and are associated with morbidity and mortality. This study will attempt to identify the source of bloodstream infections (BSIs) in children with CLABSI because we hypothesize that many of the BSIs that are currently classified as CLABSIs are actually laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infections (LCBI) that may be a result of mucosal barrier injury (MBI), also known as MBI-LCBI. In order to study this, we will isolate bacteria from multiple body sites of children that have BSI in order to compare these bacteria to the strain growing in their blood using whole-genome DNA sequencing. We will also evaluate biomarkers of MBI of the respiratory tract and GI tract.

There is clinical equipoise about the question of whether antibiotic prophylaxis should be given for a short period or an extended period of time as reflected by inconsistencies in major guidelines, current practices at Canadian centers, and as concluded in the three systematic reviews. There also is clinical equipoise on whether the addition of vancomycin to routine cefazolin prophylaxis can further reduce s-SSI rates. A short duration of combined antimicrobial prophylaxis can reduce side effects of exposure to antimicrobials such as infections with C. difficile or emergence of resistance, but may also reduce the incidence of s-SSIs. The objective of the eventual full scale study is to determine whether adding vancomycin to cefazolin can reduce SSIs as well as whether short-term prophylaxis is as effective as long-term prophylaxis. The rationale to conduct the proposed pilot study is to assess the feasibility to conduct this factorial cluster randomized cross-over trial, the adherence to the study protocol at each pilot site, the length of time to fill out the case report forms, and to get reliable estimates of event rates for sample size calculation for the main study

This study will examine the natural history of Leishmanial infections and their treatments. It will provide an opportunity for NIAID staff to learn more about leishmaniasis and perhaps to improve diagnostic tests for these infections. Patients between 2 and 80 years of age with known or suspected leishmaniasis are eligible for this study. Participants will have routine blood tests and a biopsy to confirm leishmanial infection. The biopsy procedure will be determined by the type of infection local cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL), mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL) or visceral leishmaniasis (VL). CL will be confirmed with a punch biopsy, in which a cookie-cutter type razor is used to remove a small circular piece of skin tissue. MCL will be confirmed using a thin flexible tube inserted into the nose. This tube is used to examine the nose and upper airway and to remove a tissue sample, if an affected area is seen. VL will be confirmed with either a bone marrow or liver biopsy or a splenic aspirate. For these procedures, a small tissue sample is withdrawn through a needle placed in the hipbone, liver or spleen, respectively. Some patients may also have a skin test for leishmaniasis similar to tuberculin skin testing. Treatment and length of hospital stay are determined by the type of infection. CL may be treated with Pentostam, amphotericin, amphotericin B, itraconazole or ketoconazole; ML with amphotericin B, or encapsulated amphotericin; and VL with Pentostam or encapsulated amphotericin. Pentostam is infused daily for 18 to 28 doses, most as an outpatient. Blood is drawn 3 times a week for safety tests and an electrocardiogram is done 2 to 3 times a week to monitor heart rhythm. Amphotericin B is infused every day or every other day for about 30 doses, all on an inpatient basis. Patients undergo hydration (infusion of a large amount of fluid) just before and immediately after each infusion to protect the kidneys. Blood is drawn every other day and urine samples are collected occasionally for routine urinalysis. Encapsulated amphotericin is infused every other day, on an outpatient basis. Blood is generally drawn every other day to every 2 days and urinalyses are done periodically. Itraconazole and ketoconazole are taken orally for at least 1 to 3 months, with blood drawn every 2 to 3 weeks. Patients may be asked to have photographs taken before, during and after treatment to document progress. They may also be asked to provide extra blood samples for research purposes, either through a vein in the arm or through apheresis, a method for collecting large numbers of cells. For apheresis, whole blood is collected through a needle in an arm vein and circulated through a machine that separates it into its components. The desired cells are then removed, and the rest of the blood is returned to the body, either through the same needle used to draw the blood or through a second needle in the other arm. Patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis will have a follow-up clinic visit 2 weeks to 3 months after treatment is completed. If there are no complications, their participation will end at that time. Patients with mucocutaneous leishmaniasis and visceral leishmaniasis will be followed every 3 to 6 months indefinitely for routine evaluations and re-treatment if the infection recurs.