Active clinical trials for "Wounds and Injuries"

The study aims to recruit 156 (54 Acute Kidney Injury (AKI);102 non-AKI) patients undergoing Cardio pulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery, including those with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and multiple co-morbidities. Urine and blood samples collected pre-operatively and then 0, 3, 6 and 18 hours post-CPB will be stored at -80oC until batch analysed for NGAL using the Abbott and BioPorto assays. AKI - defined as a ≥50% rise in serum creatinine (SCr) over baseline, or the requirement for renal replacement therapy (RRT). SCr will be measured pre-operatively (baseline), then 12 hourly for the first 48 hrs post-CPB and thereafter 24 hourly for 5 days. Clinical data collected will include patient demographics, co-morbidities, drug history, pre-operative renal function, surgery details (type, length, CPB time etc.), length of Intensive treatment unit and hospital stay and post-operative complications. Data will then be analysed comparing the two NGAL tests to find out which is superior, whether it is better to use blood or urine and to define optimal NGAL cut-offs and sample timing for predicting AKI. Both the Abbott and BioPorto assays will subject to a laboratory method evaluation prior to the analysis of any patient specimens in order to verify that their performance is acceptable and meets the manufacturer's claims. This will involve measuring the standard parameters used to assess laboratory assay performance e.g. imprecision (reproducibility), linearity, recovery and method comparison etc.

The investigators prospectively studied the results of wound closure after abdominoplasty with randomized use of PrineoTM and conventional suturing to assess the possible difference in outcome between these two methods.Follow-up visits to the outpatient clinic were scheduled at 2 weeks, 6 months and 12 months after surgery. A panel consisting of three plastic surgeons and three plastic surgery residents assessed the wound and scar appearance during the three follow-up visits.

The goal of this study is to present a large single-institution experience reporting surgical site infection rates in patients who have undergone intra-abdominal surgery followed by wound closure with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy. A retrospective review of patients' charts will be conducted to analyze surgical site infection rates between wound closure with and without Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT). American College of Surgeons National Quality Improvement Program data from previous standard of care (primary closure after colorectal surgery) will be used for comparison with newly adopted standard of care treatment regimen (wound closure with NPWT). Data on patients who underwent intra-abdominal surgery will be retrospectively collected and a database will be created. These individuals will be identified through medical records and recontacted by mail and/or phone to collect study data. Finally, patients newly referred to the Principal Investigator for intra-abdominal surgery will be enrolled in the database. After giving informed consent, data on surgical site infection rates and outcomes will be collected. Longitudinal outcomes will be assessed at 30 days, 6 months, and 12 months post-operatively. These patients' outcomes will be compared to a group of patients treated by the Principal Investigator who also underwent intra-abdominal surgery without Negative Pressure Wound Therapy. We hypothesize that fewer patients treated with negative pressure wound therapy following intra-abdominal surgery will develop surgical site infections than patients who had intra-abdominal surgery but were not treated with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy.

The purpose of the research study is to collect information about brain function and structure among active duty military personnel or civilians who are healthy. Researchers want to develop a database from normal volunteers that will be used in comparison with a similar database from active duty military with post-concussive syndrome (PCS) from a mild traumatic brain injury. Findings from this study may be used to design larger studies that will evaluate whether hyperbaric oxygen treatments actually improve PCS. Participants in this study will undergo numerous tests to assess physical, mental, and intellectual health and how they might change over time. Participants will wear heart and activity monitors, undergo brain imaging, provide blood and urine for laboratory testing, and have vision, hearing, balance, and muscle function tests. They will also complete a number of questionnaires and interviews. This battery of tests will be repeated twice more over the course of 6 months.

Traumatic injury in rural America is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, and the challenges of a rural trauma system can put patients at unique risk. Prolonged transport times to a trauma center, stopping for care at referring hospitals, and longer exposure to care-associated factors distinguish rural patients from their urban counterparts. Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a significant risk in rural patients, increasing hospital stay, healthcare costs, and even mortality in the critically injured. The investigators propose a pilot study to test the hypothesis that a single dose of oral chlorhexidine gluconate (antiseptic) for trauma patients in the prehospital environment will decrease subsequent development of early VAP. Chlorhexidine is currently a standard therapy in intensive care units to prevent airway colonization and subsequent development of VAP. Demonstrating safety and effectiveness of prehospital infection control practices could significantly improve outcomes of traumatic injury in rural America.

In this prospective observational study, the investigators tried assess the presence of biofilm on chronic wound samples coming from a large cohort study of patients, whilst cross-referencing the clinical, bacteriological and wound care observations.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate blood-based biomarkers before and after sports-induced concussion using neuroimaging and head impact sensor technology.

The potential long-term effects of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) are poorly understood. Repeated concussions have been associated with an elevated incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) along with a reduced age of onset. As repetitive TBI has been studied, a syndrome has now been identified: chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). There are growing concerns about the long-term neurologic consequences of head impact exposure from routine participation in contact sports (e.g., boxing, football). Brain autopsies of athletes with confirmed CTE have demonstrated tau-immunoreactive neurofibrillary tangles and neuropil threads (known as tauopathy). The relationship between exposure to repetitive head impact and the subsequent development of chronic neurodegenerative disease has not been established. Further, as the diagnosis of CTE (defined by the presence of tauopathy) is presently made after death at autopsy, clinical tools and biomarkers for detecting it remain to be defined. With the advent of FDA-approved PET amyloid imaging, clinicians and researchers are now able to estimate plaque density in the brains of living patients. However, there are critical limitations to amyloid imaging. Current evidence suggests that markers of the presence and severity of tauopathy may be able to address these limitations. The study will utilize both [18F] Florbetapir and [18F]-T807 PET imaging to investigate amyloid and tau accumulation in subjects with a history of concussions. In order to determine whether problems with cognition and memory are seen within the populations defined for the study, the researchers will administer a core battery of neurocognitive testing. This battery will assess cognitive abilities commonly affected by TBI, including processing speed, reaction time, new problem-solving, executive functions, attention and concentration, and learning and memory. These tests, in conjunction with the imaging, will be able to determine whether regional brain activity is associated with specific cognitive problems. The researchers will obtain PET and neurocognitive data in 3 cohorts: subjects with a history of TBIs, subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and no TBI history, and healthy controls. The investigators aim to determine whether individuals with TBI are on the same trajectory of neurodegenerative disease seen in AD or in CTE. Because of the overlap in clinical/cognitive and some behavioral symptoms in AD and CTE, an additional biomarker tool is needed to prevent misdiagnosis. Accurate diagnosis is crucial in order to provide patients with appropriate treatment.

The purpose of this study is to examine the placement, timing, associated complications, efficacy of temporary and tunneled catheters for renal replacement therapy in patient with acute kidney injury.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) complicates over 50% of cardiac surgical procedures in children where it increases morbidity and the use of healthcare resources. The pathogenesis of AKI is poorly understood, current diagnostic tests lack specificity and sensitivity, and there is no effective treatment. Improving outcomes in patients at risk of AKI has recently been defined as a National Health Service priority. The investigators are currently undertaking a program of work that is evaluating the role of plasma-derived microvesicles (MV) and MV associated microRNAs (miRNA) as diagnostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets in cardiac surgery patients at risk of developing AKI. Preliminary results indicate that these biomarkers may have clinical utility in adults. An important consideration is whether these biomarkers also have utility in children undergoing cardiac surgery. Measurement of MV at serial time points in children presents ethical challenges related to conducting clinical research in critically ill subjects. It also presents technical challenges related to the very small volumes of blood that may be sampled safely from babies and infants undergoing surgery. The aim of the study is to provide estimates of the perioperative variance of MV concentrations in 24 children undergoing cardiac surgery, as well as the frequency of AKI and other adverse events, protocol adherence and recruitment rates. This will assist with the design of a subsequent prospective observational study that will consider the role of MV/miRNA in children undergoing cardiac surgery.