Active clinical trials for "Wounds and Injuries"

Growth Hormone (GH) deficiency, defined by insufficient GH response to a variety of stimulating compounds, is found in 20-35% of adults who suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBI) requiring inpatient rehabilitation1. However, there is no accepted gold standard for diagnosing GH deficiency in this population. Further, the major effector molecule of the somatotropic axis, Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) has recently been recognized as an important neurotrophic agent. Since most repair and regeneration after TBI occurs within the first few months after injury, absolute or relative deficiencies of GH and IGF-1 in the subacute period after TBI are potentially important factors why some patients fail to make a good functional recovery. The proposed study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of rhGH, starting at 1 month post TBI, continuing for 6 months. This study has one primary hypothesis, that treatment with recombinant human Growth Hormone (rhGH) in the subacute period after TBI results in improved functional outcome 6 months after injury. As secondary hypotheses, we will investigate what is the optimal method to diagnose GH deficiency in TBI survivors and study the relationship between GH deficiency and insufficiency and functional recovery.

The primary purpose of this study is to determine the effect of administration of the oral beta-2 adrenergic agonist, albuterol, on respiratory muscle strength in individuals with cervical (neck) and high thoracic (upper back) spinal cord injury and to compare findings with those obtained in a demographically matched group that will receive placebo. Participation in this study will involve 12 weeks of pharmacological intervention during which participants will be randomized to receive either oral albuterol 4mg twice daily or placebo. All investigators and study participants will be blinded to randomization by our research pharmacy. Participation in the study will require study subjects to come to our lab for the total of 2 visits (at baseline and after week 12), during which a series of tests will be performed to assess their respiratory muscle strength and pulmonary function.

Superficial skin and soft tissue abscess are frequently managed by opening them up with a procedure called "incision and drainage". It is routine practice in the United States to place packing material inside the abscess cavity after opening them up, in order to promote better wound healing and limit abscess recurrence. However, this practice has never been systematically studied or proven to decrease complications or improve healing. Patients with wound packing usually return to the emergency room or practice setting for multiple "wound checks" and dressing/packing changes which lead to missed days from work or school and utilization of healthcare resources. This procedure can often be painful and may even require conscious sedation (and the risks entailed) especially in children. With rates of superficial skin and soft tissue abscesses on the rise, and emergency room resources being stretched, it is important to determine whether packing wounds is necessary or even advantageous to patients. This study is the first to systematically evaluate the efficacy of wound packing after superficial skin or soft tissue abscess incision and drainage in children. The investigators will be evaluating wound healing, complications, recurrence and pain associated with packing both short and long term. In addition, the investigators will also be evaluating the utility of bedside point-of-care ultrasound use in predicting the presence of pus inside the abscess cavity. This test may be useful to determine whether incision and drainage is necessary for an individual who has a skin infection that is suspicious for an abscess.

The purpose of this study is to determine if carbamazepine reduces irritability and aggression among individuals with traumatic brain injury

To demonstrate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of sildenafil administered orally, as required, approximately 1 hour prior to sexual activity to men with erectile dysfunction (ED) associated with spinal cord injury (SCI), as well as its effects on the quality of life (QoL) of these patients.

This is a Phase 1, randomized, double-blind, dose escalation, safety and pharmacokinetic study. The study will be conducted in approximately 10 sites in the United States. Up to 48 patients at high risk for AKI (CCF score ≥ 5 OR an estimated GFR (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2) who have undergone major cardiovascular surgery will participate. Patients will receive a single IV injection of I5NP or placebo following cardiovascular surgery. I5NP will be administered 4 hours (+/- 30 minutes) following removal of the cardiopulmonary bypass machine (CBM). The duration of the study is approximately 44 days, inclusive of a 14 day screening period. Patients will be contacted by phone at 6 and 12 months for follow-up questions. Patient visits are screening, day of surgery, hospital in-patient Days 1, 2, 3 - 5 and Day 7 or hospital discharge. Safety follow-up will continue until 30 days post-surgery. 2 phone calls will be made at 6 and 12 months after date of surgery.

isotonic NaCl serum is the first intent solution for infusion during the initial phase of reanimation for an acute cranial traumatism. However, its use can trigger an hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis, what could be deleterious for the future of this patient. Isofundine present all charateristics to be use in this indication: pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic similar to the physiologic serum, iso-osmolarity to plasma, no glucose provision and no interaction with hemostasis.

Depression is very common in people who have experienced a traumatic brain injury. Few treatments have been found to be effective in treating depression in this situation. We intend to investigate the effectiveness of a form of brain stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, which has been found to be effective in treating depression in people who have not undergone a brain injury. By evaluating new methods of treating depression in this population, we hope to increase the options available for treating people in this difficult situation. Furthermore, problems with aspects of thinking are also commonly present post brain injury, as in some individuals with depression. Various brain stimulation techniques, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have been shown to have a positive effect on cognition. We also intend to investigate whether a therapeutic effect on cognitive deficits is present following TMS, in addition to any effects on depression. New treatment protocols will be developed, and understanding of the pathology and treatment of post traumatic brain injury depression will be enhanced.

Chronic soft tissue wounds represent a difficult problem for patients and doctors as well. Chronic wounds can be caused by internal and dermatological diseases like venous ulcers as a consequence of venous insufficiency, arterial ulcers as a consequence of peripheral occlusive vascular disease, the diabetic foot stemming from diabetes and other pathologies. A different reason for chronic wounds could be prior traumatic injuries (war wounds, traffic accidents)not showing a tendency to heal after surgical repair. The primary goal in the treatment of chronic soft tissue wounds is to obtain wound closure. Usually necrotic tissue is debrided, i.e. surgically removed, to assess the full extent of the damage, to detect underlying abscesses or other pathologies causing the non-healing of the wound. Wet - to - wet dressings are primarily applied to induce a healing process. As second line attempts to obtain closure special dressings like semipermeable films, gels, hydrocolloids and calcium alginates are applied. These expensive dressings are associated with extended time periods of conservative treatment until closure can be observed. A third line after failure of nonoperative treatment is the application of skin graft. This involves the operative and anesthesiological risk for an already health wise compromised patient with little to no physiological reserve. One should not forget that the majority of patients presenting at outpatient clinics with chronic soft tissue wounds are the elderly with/without disabling comorbidities. The use of extracorporeal shockwaves (ESW) for clinical applications was introduced in central Europe more than two decades ago. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT)is used in the fields of urology, orthopedic surgery, trauma surgery. ESW are associated with the induction of neovascularisation and with mechanical stimuli causing proliferation of a large number of cells including osteoblasts (Martini L., J Trauma 2006). The exact effects of ESW on human cells are currently studied in several centers worldwide. The application of ESWT in the above mentioned fields of medicine proved safe, reliable and almost complication-free. Our center's experience with ESWT in trauma surgery (Schaden W., Clin. Orthop 2001)and the observation that not only the traumatic condition (fracture non-union, etc.), but also the surrounding tissue showed favorable tissue healing after ESWT, leads to our hypothesis that ESWT might be beneficial for the much larger number of chronic soft tissue wounds. The investigators anticipate to induce complete wound healing in a number of defined clinical/pathological conditions by ESWT. At the same time efficacy and safety of ESWT will be investigated.

The study will compare outcomes between individuals with sub-acute, ventilator-dependent tetraplegia using high (20 cc/kg) vs. low (10 cc/kg) tidal volumes during mechanical ventilator support.