Active clinical trials for "Respiratory Tract Infections"

Viral upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), one of the commonest infection faced by humans, have a significant impact on individuals, families, health service and economy. Though rhinoviruses are called the "common cold virus", numerous viruses can cause URTI. Hence virus specific remedy for URTI is impractical. There are currently no evidence-based interventions that reduce the severity, symptom duration or viral shedding. Preliminary evidence suggests that hypertonic saline nasal irrigation and gargling (HSNIG) may reduce the duration of symptoms. With this pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT), the investigators aim to assess the feasibility of undertaking a definitive RCT of HSNIG in adults with URTI. This pilot focuses on recruitment rate, willingness to be randomised, acceptability, compliance and likely effect size of the intervention. This pilot RCT compares HSNIG vs. usual care in 60 adults. Serial self-collected mid-turbinate swabs will help assess change in viral shedding. Symptomatic relief is measured by a validated symptom score. A questionnaire based participant feedback will help assess intervention and trial procedures. This mixed-methods pilot trial will help inform plans for a definitive RCT of this low-cost intervention that has the potential of substantial health and societal benefits.

The excessive use of outpatient antibiotics in the pediatric population has contributed to the rapid development of resistance in many strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Research has shown that community-based interventions may have a modest impact on reducing the injudicious use of antibiotics in children. However, since the actual prescribing of antibiotics is done by physicians and research has shown that physician-parent communication patterns during pediatric visits for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) strongly influence antibiotic prescription rate, it is crucial to develop effective interventions aimed specifically at them. The overall goal of this study is to improve physician-parent communication patterns during visits for pediatric ARTI and, ultimately, to decrease rates of antibiotic prescribing for these illnesses in children.

The goal of this study is to determine if either of two, commercially available, Echinacea purpurea products stimulate the immune system. For the study, 60 healthy adults will be randomized to receive one of the two Echinacea purpurea products or placebo for 10 days. Blood will be drawn to assess immune markers just before beginning the study medication, during the 10 day course of medication and after completing the course of medication. It is postulated that adults receiving either of the Echinacea products will have evidence of immune stimulation and those receiving placebo will not.

The primary goal of this study is to characterize the pharmacokinetics of doxylamine succinate in children ages 2 to < 18 years. Once characterized, these pediatric pharmacokinetic data will be pooled with historical adult PK data from other studies to assess whether the existing Over-the-Counter (OTC)doses provide comparable systemic drug exposure as that associated with efficacy in adults.

Aging is associated with a variety of changes in the immune system. These changes result in a less effective immune response, which places the elderly at a greater risk for infection and disease. Respiratory infections cause a great number of morbidity and mortality in the elderly population. Vitamin E has been known to improve the immune response of the elderly and has been suggested for use in preventative strategies for this population. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of one year vitamin supplementation on respiratory infection in the elderly population residing in nursing homes. This study was conducted using a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial at 33 long-term care facilities in the greater Boston area. A total of 617 subjects over the age of 65 were enrolled in the study, with 451 completers. The participants were supplemented wit either 200 IU of vitamin E per day or placebo. The primary outcomes consisted of respiratory tract infection, number of sick days, and antibiotic use. The study involved use of questionnaires, standard anthropometrics measurements, non-invasive body composition, blood and urine sample collection, and delayed type test (DTH) using the Mantoux method. This study has been closed since August 2000 and is in the stage of data analysis only.

The purpose of this study is to comparatively assess the effectiveness of a tailored educational intervention to improve health literacy levels regarding upper respiratory infections (URIs) and to decrease pediatric emergency department (PED) visits, among Latino households in Early Head Start.

This study will explore the possible effect of a tailored educational intervention towards general practitioners, in order to improve antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory infections.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a short training program for general practitioners in patient-centered communication to reduce antibiotic prescription for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI).

Study topic：A comparative effectiveness research on Jinyebaidu granule in treating patients with acute upper respiratory infection: A double blind, double dummy, randomized, controlled trial. It is a post-marketing clinical study to evaluate effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness on Jinyebaidu granule in treating acute upper respiratory infection. Objectives of Study：This study aims to evaluate effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness on Jinyebaidu granule in treating patients with acute upper respiratory infection. Study design：multi-center double-blind, double-dummy, randomized, controlled trial

Acute viral respiratory infections are among the most common causes of hospitalization in the pediatric population. The usual presentation of viral respiratory tract infections (VRTI) includes fever, malaise, wheezing and or coughing, rhinorrhea and loss of appetite. Up to 50% of children will have at least one viral-induced wheezing illness by school age. Currently treatment of VRTI is essentially supportive and no specific and efficient treatments are known. Given the lack of effective medications, current treatment for severe viral lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in infants relies on supportive measures only. These measures include supplementation of oxygen, monitoring of apnea, nasal/gastric tube feeding or intravenous fluids, and, if required, respiratory support with nasal bi-level positive-airway pressure. VTRI therefore represent an important unmet need for improved treatment strategies. Acupuncture's effect on has also been studied. Acupuncture has been shown to be a safe and effective in various respiratory tract inflammations. A review published in 2011 have found that acupuncture is safe for pediatric patients. Acupuncture's effect on acute viral induced wheezing and cough in hospitalized children has yet to be studied. Since the current standard of care is supportive care only, using acupuncture as an additional treatment may provide benefit in reducing wheezing, respiratory distress, and shorten hospitalization.