Active clinical trials for "Respiratory Insufficiency"

This is an investigator led, randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, double arm comparator study.

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy patients (SUDEP) is devastating outcome for some patients with epilepsy. It ranks second only to stroke among neurological diseases in years of potential life lost. Patho-mechanisms of SUDEP remain not well understood, however peri-ictal respiratory dysfunction likely plays an important role in many cases. Literature supports a critical role for the serotonergic system in central control of ventilation. Serotonin neurons in the raphe nuclei of the brainstem sense rising carbon dioxide and low pH, thereby stimulating breathing and arousal. These responses may serve as mechanisms that protect against asphyxia, particularly during sleep or the post-ictal state. In mouse models of seizure-induced sudden death, pre-treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) agents prevents death following seizures. Hence, the investigators hypothesize that a subset of drug resistant epilepsy patients who have impaired central chemo-responsiveness have a greater degree of peri-ictal respiratory depression, therefore a higher risk of SUDEP. The investigators further hypothesize that fluoxetine will improve central chemo-responsiveness and therefore will reduce peri-ictal respiratory depression.

Post extubation respiratory failure occur in 30% of extubated patients. More than 50% of them required reintubation. Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIV) had been reported as an effective tool to prevent post extubation respiratory failure. Recently, high flow oxygen nasal cannula (HFNC) had been successfully used to prevent post extubation respiratory failure and prevent reintubation in comparable with NIV among post cardiothoracic surgery and high risk for reintubated patients. There was no information about HFNC versus NIV in prevention of reintubation among severe sepsis or septic shock patients.

Cesarean deliveries are the most commonly performed surgery in the United States and account for 32.9% of all births.8,9 The ASA recommends the use of neuraxial opioids of post-cesarean analgesia partly because respiratory depression in the obstetric population, as measured by intermittent respiratory rate and pulse oximetry, is reported to be low (0-1.2%).10,11 Respiratory depression lacks a standard definition,12 but the most sensitive means of detecting respiratory depression is hypercapnia.1,3 Two recent studies using continuous hypercapnia (>50mmHg PaCO2) monitoring demonstrated higher rates of respiratory depression (17.8-37%) in healthy, non-obese women receiving intrathecal opioids for post-cesarean analgesia.13,14 In addition, supplemental opioids are required in the majority of women receiving intrathecal morphine and may increase the risk of respiratory depression.11,14 Anesthesiologists debate whether neuraxial opioids or intravenous patient controlled opioid analgesia (PCA) are the safest practice for postoperative analgesia in obese parturients following cesarean delivery. The ASA recommendations to employ neuraxial analgesia post-cesarean delivery does not differentiate between non-obese and obese women who now make up 30.3% in US women of child-bearing age.2 Obesity has been described as a risk factor for respiratory depression in those receiving opioids via any route of opioid administration,11,15, 17 but whether obesity itself is the risk factor or associated co-morbidities such as sleep apnea is debated. Studies are conflicting whether intrathecal opioids or patient controlled intravenous opioids cause more respiratory depression. Several studies have documented the incidence of respiratory depression with IV PCA; the rates range from 0.19% to 5.2%, which are equivalent or higher than those reported for intrathecal opioids. (Hagle 16). Dalchow et al. demonstrated higher rates of hypercapnia in patients receiving intrathecal opioid compared with those receiving intravenous opioid via patient controlled analgesia in nonobese women following cesarean delivery. (Dalchow) The Topological Oscillation Search with Kinematical Analysis (TOSCA) monitor allows a noninvasive method to measure transcutaneous carbon dioxide levels, with relative accuracy compared to arterial carbon dioxide monitoring.4-7 No studies have examined transcutaneous carbon dioxide levels in obese women following cesarean delivery using any form of postoperative analgesia. The investigators propose a randomized controlled trial using continuous transcutaneous carbon dioxide monitoring to evaluate the degree of respiratory depression in obese women receiving neuraxial opioid compared to intravenous opioid via PCA for post-cesarean analgesia. Two studies have demonstrated high rates of hypercapnia in non-obese women following administration of intrathecal morphine for cesarean delivery in the postpartum period. (Dalchow, Bauchat) Dalchow et al. demonstrated higher rates of hypercapnia in women receiving intrathecal diamorphine than intravenous morphine delivered via patient controlled analgesia. It is unclear whether intrathecal morphine causes more or less respiratory depression than intravenous opioid delivered via patient-controlled analgesia in obese women. This study will add to the understanding of respiratory function in the immediate postpartum period in obese women using opioids via intrathecal or intravenous routes. This study will better inform guidelines for the postpartum analgesic route of choice in the obese obstetric population and allow the investigators to make recommendations for the detection and prevention of respiratory depression after opioid administration in the obstetric population. Objective is to examine the transcutaneous carbon dioxide levels in obese women using either intrathecal morphine or intravenous patient-controlled hydromorphone for post-cesarean analgesia. The hypothesis is carbon dioxide levels will be significantly higher in obese women receiving intrathecal morphine versus obese women receiving intravenous patient controlled intravenous hydromorphone.

To evaluate whether administration of ganciclovir reduces serum IL-6 levels (i.e. reduction between baseline and 14 days post-randomization) in immunocompetent adults with severe sepsis or trauma associated respiratory failure. Primary Hypotheses: - In CMV seropositive adults with severe sepsis or trauma , pulmonary and systemic CMV reactivation amplifies and perpetuates both lung and systemic inflammation mediated through specific cytokines, and contributes to pulmonary injury and multiorgan system failure, AND - Prevention of CMV reactivation with ganciclovir decreases pulmonary and systemic inflammatory cytokines that are important in the pathogenesis of sepsis and trauma related complications.

Newborn infants with severe respiratory failure are treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a modified form of cardiopulmonary bypass. These infants as at risk for brain injury as a result of hypoxia and blood flow changes in the brain prior to and during ECMO. The investigators propose a clinical trial of a novel treatment (cooling during ECMO) and novel diagnostic tool (advanced MRI techniques) that will lead to improved outcomes, early diagnosis and intervention for brain injury, decreased cost and duration of clinical trials, decrease in the burden of chronic neurologic disease and disability in society, thus improving the health and quality of life of these infants as they progress through childhood into adulthood.

Background: Due to the lingering effects of general anesthesia and the administration of medications for pain after surgery, children in the recovery room are at risk for breathing problems. While there are less data specific to children, in general 25% of patients in the recovery room experience complications from anesthesia. The most common complications involve the patient's airway and their ability to breath adequately. Currently, checks of oxygenation with a pulse oximetry monitor and of respiration through nursing assessments are used to detect breathing problems. However, these are believed not to be adequate for reliably recognizing significant respiratory depression until other dangerous events develop such as the cessation of breathing, severe drops in oxygen levels, or cardiac arrest. Capnography is a monitoring device that measures the amount of carbon dioxide being exhaled and assesses the adequacy of respiration. A small plastic cannula sits at the base of the nose and on the lip to continuously monitor the patient's breathing. Most children tolerate this device well and staff consider it easy to use. While capnography is routinely used in the operating room to monitor breathing, it is not used during post-operative care when patients are still at risk of breathing problems. Objectives: To determine if capnography can detect problems with breathing faster and more often than traditional monitors. To determine if the addition of capnography to routine monitoring will decrease the numbers of additional adverse events that occur in children undergoing post-operative care by allowing nurses to intervene in care faster and more frequently. Methods: In the first phase of this study, the investigators will apply the capnography monitor to children in the recover room and determine how often they experience breathing difficulties measured by this device. In the second phase, the investigators will educate staff on the use of capnography and what values are considered abnormal. Children will again have the capnography cannula placed on them as they enter the recovery room. They will then be divided into two groups - in one group the nurses in the recovery room will have access to the capnography monitor for their patients, whereas in the other group the nurses will not be able to see the readout from the monitor. The investigators will determine if children have fewer breathing problems and less additional adverse events when nurses use capnography in addition to the routine monitors already in place in the recovery room as compared to when nurses use standard monitoring alone. Potential Impact: If capnography can detect breathing problems prior to being identified by current monitoring devices, staff may be able to intervene more quickly and before more serious events occur in the children receiving post-operative care. This can reduce adverse events, improve patient safety, and avert harm in children. The adoption of this device for routine monitoring of post-operative care has the potential to save lives.

Weaning protocols that include the use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV), decreases the incidence of re-intubation and ICU length of stay. However, the role of NIV in post-extubation failure is still not clear. Impaired airway clearance is associated with NIV failure. Mechanical Insufflation-Exsufflation (MI-E) is an assisted coughing technique that has been proven to be very effective in patients under NIV. In this study the investigators assess the efficacy of MI-E as part of a protocol for patients that develop respiratory failure after extubation.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a serious complication and carries increased risks of morbidity and mortality for patients who require mechanical ventilation. VAP is associated with the contamination and colonization of bacteria in the lower airway. These bacteria may be present in the lower airway by the aspiration of oropharyngeal secretions. Therefore limiting the amount of secretions that pass the glottis and enter the airway is paramount. Patients who require prolonged mechanical ventilation may have a tracheostomy tube placed to manage breathing. These tubes may have a distal cuff which sits within the trachea. When the cuff is inflated, oropharyngeal secretions will pool above the cuff of the tracheostomy tube thereby limiting the amount of secretions entering the lower airway. These secretions may leak around the cuff and cause tracheobronchial colonization. It has been shown that removal of secretions that pool above the cuff via dorsal lumen suction leads to a decreased incidence of VAP. The purpose of this study is to measure the effect of suction above the cuff tracheostomy tubes related to VAP incidence

This study is designed to test the ability of a computer-based algorithm to detect and intervene in cases of narcotic-induced respiratory depression.