Active clinical trials for "Pulmonary Embolism"

A pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blockage in one of the arteries of the lungs, and is usually caused by a traveling blood clot. The D-dimer blood test is currently used to diagnose PEs, but it is not always accurate for individuals who have recently undergone surgery or who have inflammatory-provoking diseases. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Carboximeter, a new PE diagnostic device that measures carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) output, in individuals at risk for developing PEs.

The main hypothesis for this study is that the diagnostic approach of pulmonary embolism (PE) by evaluation of clinical probability, D-dimer test dosage and multi-detector helical computed tomography (hCT) is as safe as the classical "approach" using clinical probability, D-dimer test, lower limb compression ultrasonography and multi-detector helical computed tomography. The second hypothesis involves evaluating the role of searching distal, i.e. infrapopliteal, deep venous thromboses (DVTs) in the diagnostic approach of pulmonary embolism.

The rates of Venous thromboembolism (VTE) after orthopedic surgery are as high as 40-60% without prophylactic measures. Enoxaparin, a low-molecular-weight heparin, produces an anticoagulant effect by binding antithrombin, thereby accelerating antithrombin's inactivation of coagulation factor Xa (FXa), thus decreasing the likelihood of clot formation. Despite standard dosing enoxaparin prophylaxis, VTE rates in post-operative orthopedic trauma patients remain as high as 12.2%.The investigators will examine enoxaparin pharmacokinetics and test whether a clinical protocol for real-time enoxaparin dose adjustment can favorably alter the proportion of patients with in-range anti-Factor Xa (aFXa) levels. Outcomes will include peak and trough steady-state aFXa levels in response to standard and escalated doses of enoxaparin and the incidence of venous thromboembolism and bleeding events post-surgery. In the trauma and orthopaedic populations, patients with low initial aFXa levels are significantly more likely to develop deep venous thrombosis. Thus, this study has important implications for appropriate enoxaparin dose magnitude and frequency, and may ultimately help to decrease the substantial morbidity and mortality associated with post-operative VTE.

This study evaluates SPECT image data acquired from Spectrum Dynamics' multi-purpose CZT SPECT-CT camera. All subjects will undergo routine clinical Anger SPECT imaging and an additional SPECT acquisition on the CZT SPECT camera. Additionally some subjects will undergo CT on the CZT SPECT-CT camera. The quality of images from each device will be compared.

This is a Phase 2 safety and tolerability trial that will take place in two parts. Part one of the trial will determine the tolerability of the OsciPulse device on healthy subjects who wear the device for up to three hours. Healthy volunteers will answer questionnaires and may undergo an ultrasound test at the end of their participation in the trial. Part two of the trial will determine the safety and tolerability of the OsciPulse device on subjects admitted to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Eligible subjects will be enrolled for 6 hours. In the first 3 hours, subjects will wear the standard of care intermittent pneumatic compression device or the OsciPulse device. In the second 3 hours, the subject's device will be switched and subjects will wear the alternate device not used in the first 3 hours. Subjects will answer questionnaires and may undergo an ultrasound at the end of the first 3 hours and at the end of the second 3 hours (at hour 6).

The purpose of this randomized clinical trial is to determine whether outpatient treatment is as effective and safe as inpatient treatment among low-risk patients with pulmonary embolism.

To investigate if acute pulmonary vasodilation by sildenafil improves right ventricular function in patients with acute intermediate-high risk pulmonary embolism (PE).

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a leading cause of death among hospitalized patients, and is an important patient safety issue in plastic surgery. Previous work has shown that enoxaparin prophylaxis can prevent many post-operative VTE events, and current American Society of Plastic Surgeons guidelines support enoxaparin prophylaxis for high-risk patients. Highest risk patients often have cancer or trauma reconstruction. Primary outcomes include 1) peak and trough steady-state aFXa levels in response to standard and escalated doses of enoxaparin and 2) the proportion of patients with appropriate aFXa levels pre and post initiation of a clinical protocol for enoxaparin dose adjustment. The investigators expect that standard dosing will result in inadequate aFXa peak and trough levels, and that the clinical dose adjustment protocol will significantly improve the proportion of in-range aFXa levels. The investigators will also develop a linear regression-based equation to calculate, based on patient-level factors, the required dose of enoxaparin to generate in-range aFXa levels. This research may show that the current "one size fits all" approach to enoxaparin prophylaxis is insufficient. In the trauma and orthopaedic populations, patients with low initial aFXa levels are significantly more likely to develop deep venous thrombosis. Thus, this study has important implications for appropriate enoxaparin dose magnitude and frequency, and may ultimately help to decrease the substantial morbidity and mortality associated with post-operative VTE.

Aims: 1) To evaluate the effectiveness of two interventions aimed at improving the management of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism: Written guidelines and Computer-Assisted Decision Support (CADS). 2) To evaluate the impact of electronic reminders on the appropriateness of the treatment of patients with suspected PE Design: Pragmatic, unblinded, cluster randomised controlled study. Setting: 20 French Emergency Departments Patients: Out patients suspected of having pulmonary embolism Methods: Emergency physicians will prospectively complete a standardized electronic form on Personal Data Assistant (PDA), including patients' characteristics, the clinical probability if assessed, the diagnostic tests performed, the treatments initiated and the final diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. Patients will be interviewed at the end of a 3-month follow-up period using a standardized questionnaire. The reference rate of appropriateness of the diagnostic management before intervention will be assessed in each centre. At the end of this preliminary period, the centres will be randomized in two fold two groups according to a factorial design with stratification on their reference level of appropriateness. Half of the centres will have written guidelines and half a Computer-Assisted Decision Support for the diagnosis of PE on the PDA. In each of these two main groups, half of the centres will have electronic reminders on their PDA concerning the treatment of PE. Judgment criteria Main : Rate of strategies considered as validated according to the results of the systematic review and meta-analysis.3 Secondary judgment criteria (diagnosis): Rate of strategies considered as validated or acceptable according to the opinion of international advisors. Rate of thromboembolic-events during a 3-month follow-up period in patients for whom pulmonary embolism will be ruled out Costs of the diagnostic management Secondary judgment criteria (treatment): Delay between Emergency Department admission and the first dose of antithrombotic treatment in patients with high clinical probability of PE according to the Revised Geneva Score Rate of inappropriate treatment according to international recommendations for patients with confirmed PE. Number of patients: By estimating that the rate of appropriateness would be 55% in the "written guidelines" group, 1331 patients are necessary to highlight an absolute superiority of 15% in the "CADS" group (rate of conformity of 70%). The number of patients will be adjusted at the end of the preliminary period according to the level of appropriateness before interventions considering that it will improve less than 5% in the "written guidelines" group.

Several studies have demonstrated the possibility of outpatient management or early discharge for certain patients presenting acute pulmonary embolism (PE), providing a suitable structure is in place. The approach featured in the most recent guidelines on acute PE of the European Society of Cardiology, refers to an all-cause mortality risk assessment using the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) score or the simplified PESI score (sPESI). The sPESI takes into account demographics (age), patient history (cancer, cardiac or respiratory disease), and clinical data (systolic blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation). Outpatient care is offered to low-risk patients, providing that all the conditions pertaining to start anticoagulant treatment and follow-up at home are met. An alternative approach based on a list of simple criteria has been developed as the one used in HESTIA study. The main criteria included in the HESTIA rule consist of absence of the following: hemodynamic instability, need for oxygen therapy, high-risk of hemorrhage, renal or liver failure, or other medical or social conditions requiring hospitalization. The investigators hereby propose comparing these two approaches in an open-label, controlled randomized international trial with blinded adjudication of endpoints. The main objective is to demonstrate, in normotensive PE patients, that a strategy based on the HESTIA rule compared to a strategy based on the simplified PESI score is at least as safe as regards the 30-day-rate of adverse events (recurrent VTE, major bleeding or death). The major secondary objectives are to demonstrate, in normotensive PE patients, that a strategy based on the HESTIA rule compared to a strategy based on the simplified PESI score is more effective : As regards the rate of patients eventually managed as outpatients. As regards the rate of patients, in theory, eligible for outpatient care,