Active clinical trials for "Respiratory Tract Diseases"

On Dec 31, 2019, a number of viral pneumonia cases were reported in China. The virus causing pneumonia was then identified as a new coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. Since this time, the infection called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread around the world, causing huge stress for health care systems. To diagnose this infection, throat and nose swabs are taken. Unfortunately, the results often take more than 24 hrs to return from a laboratory. Speeding diagnosis up would be of great help. This study aims to look at the breath to find signs that might allow clinicians to diagnose the coronavirus infection at the bedside, without needing to send samples to the laboratory. To do this, the team will be using a machine called a BreathSpec which has been adapted to fit in the hospital for this purpose.

This study aims to evaluate simple tests of physical function in hospitalised patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to assess whether they can predict future hospital readmission. The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) is a simple test of standing balance, usual walking speed (4-metre gait speed) and ability to stand from a chair, which reflects global physical functioning and frailty. We hypothesise that the SPPB or 4-metre gait speed can predict future hospital readmissions.

Fibered confocal fluorescence microscopy (FCFM), also referred to as Cell-Vizio® (MaunaKea Technologies, France) is a new technique that produces microscopic imaging in a living tissue, through a 1 mm fiberoptic miniprobe that can be introduced into the working channel of the bronchoscope. The system produces real-time imaging of endogenous fluorophores with a 5 µm lateral resolution and a field of view of 600 x 600 µm. FCFM is able to produce dynamic, high-resolution microimaging of the respiratory bronchiolar walls, alveolar ducts and sacs in vivo during endoscopy (a procedure termed as alveoscopy). The hypothesis of this study is that an alveoscopy makes it possible to analyze the microstructure of the distal airways in vivo and to collect specific morphologic information in patients with interstitial lung diseases. The goals of this French Phase II trial are: to evaluate the tolerance of the alveoscopy to describe the normal appearance of the bronchoalveolar system in spontaneous ventilation in normal subjects to describe specific alterations of the bronchoalveolar microstructure in focal or diffuse interstitial lung diseases

During this pandemic period, the goal of the health care system is to optimize the use of intensive care services for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, given the frequency of complications that can lead to high mortality. When patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are admitted to hospital, whether or not they are symptomatic, there is currently no method to predict who will progress to complications requiring the use of intensive measures in 24-48 hours.

This study assessed the respiratory health of schoolchildren from the canton of Zurich by combining self-reported information on respiratory symptoms with lung function test results and air pollution measurements. Luftibus in the school (LUIS) is a population-based study conducted in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Between the years 2013 and 2016 a bus with equipment for lung function testing and air pollution measurement visited numerous schools across the canton Zurich. The parents of the schoolchildren filled in a questionnaire with validated questions on upper and lower respiratory symptoms, trigger factors, diagnosis, treatment of respiratory symptoms, health behavior and environmental factors. The children were interviewed using a shorter questionnaire. Fieldworkers measured lung function (spirometry and double tracer gas single-breath washout) and an airway inflammation test (fractional exhaled nitric oxide) in the bus. The recruited population included 3500 schoolchildren aged 6 to 16 years from the canton of Zurich. Respiratory symptoms and their influence on physical activity and sleep have a strong impact on children's quality of life and school performance. The results of this study will provide new insights on schoolchildren's respiratory health that may help to establish new recommendations and influence policy makers' decisions.

Background: Scoliosis is a curving of the spine. It usually happens in girls when they are children and teens. Doctors often use x-rays to diagnose it. The x-rays give low radiation. This may increase the risk that those young women get cancer later in life. Researchers want to learn more about this risk. They will look data that has already been collected. Objectives: To study cancer risks of repeated low radiation from x-rays for scoliosis. Also, to study death risks related to certain scoliosis patient characteristics. These include causes, kinds of curvature, and kinds of treatment. Eligibility: Medical records of women from past scoliosis studies. Design: This U.S. Scoliosis Cohort includes more than 5,000 women who were diagnosed between 1912 and 1965. Data were collected on these women in the 1980s and 1990s. These came from medical records, radiology log books, and x-ray films. Researchers found out where participants were, including if they were dead. Some women were given a follow-up questionnaire. Researchers want to find out where participants are today. They want to identify new deaths of participants. They want to find out their causes of death. This data will be added to other databases.

The TRACK ("Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids") questionnaire is a validated instrument to evaluate the control of respiratory symptoms in young children. The TRACK questionnaire was developed in English and a version in Portuguese is not available or validated, purpose of the present project.

A multicentric study to explore variability when clinicians are intrepreting lung function tests. Comparison with results of in-house built software for automatic interpretation.

Several studies show an association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and coronary artery disease (CAD). Besides risk factors such as smoking, both are associated with physical inactivity, advanced age and systemic inflammation The use of coronary computed tomography (CCT) with multiple detectors is a diagnostic method for coronary disease, describing the anatomy and severity of arterial obstruction. One way of estimating the cardiovascular risk is coronary calcium score (CCS). Due to the association between COPD and CAD, it is likely that many patients with IHD diagnosed by CT have reduced lung function. The aim of this observational study is to establish the correlation between the CCS and lung function. It will also correlate the presence of irreversible airway obstruction with significant coronary lesions. Patients over 40 years referred to CCT who agree to participate in the study will perform a spirometry with bronchodilator and collect a blood sample to measure serum markers of inflammation and cardiovascular risk (glycemia, lipid profile, C reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-Alpha) and fibrinogen). The data will be compared in the general population and in subgroups: smokers, former smokers and nonsmokers. One year after the CCT patients will be contacted by the investigators and accessed for emergency room visits, hospital admissions and fatal or nonfatal coronary or respiratory events. The investigators hypothesis is that reduced lung function is independently associated with elevated CCS and is, also a risk factor for increased hospital admission and coronary events. The concomitant assessment of lung function and CCS can contribute knowledge about the epidemiological association between pulmonary disease and CAD. This can also add to evidence for the use of spirometry as a marker of cardiovascular risk.

The purpose of this study is the psychometric validation of a self-administered dyspnea questionnaire, usable in clinical practice in order to assess dyspnea and its impact on patients with chronic respiratory diseases.