Research

Name of Trial: Alpha 2 agonists for sedation to produce better outcomes from critical illness: A randomised, parallel-group, allocation concealed, controlled, open, phase 3 pragmatic clinical and cost- effectiveness trial with internal pilot

Start date: 14/10/2019

End date: January 2021

Co-ordinated by: Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit

Local PI: Dr Daniel Harvey

Lead Research Nurse: Megan Meredith

 

Many patients in intensive care (ICU) need help to breathe on a breathing machine and need pain killers and sedatives to keep them comfortable and pain free. However, keeping patients too deeply sedated can make their ICU stay longer, can cause ICU confusion (delirium) and afterwards may cause distressing memories. Ideally, we want to keep patients less sedated, but it is difficult to get the balance of sedation and comfort right. The purpose of this study is to compare if patients on dexmedetomidine or clonidine come off the ventilator quicker than those just on Propofol. We will also see if there was a difference between the groups in the number of people who experienced delirium in ICU, compare how comfortable people were and measure if participants memories of being in ICU differed.

Name of Trial: Early low dose steroids for adults admitted to hospital with influenza-like illness during a pandemic: a randomised placebo-controlled trial

Start date: 01 Jan 2014

End date: 30 May 2025

Co-ordinated by: Nottingham Clinical Trials unit

Local PI: Dr Frank Coffey

Lead Research Nurse: Cecilia Peters

 

This is a multi-centre, randomised trial. We want to know if a course of Dexamethasone (steroid) given within 24 hours of hospital admission during a pandemic is associated with a lower risk of death or admission to intensive care. This study is currently in hibernation. We will only recruit to this study if a Flu Pandemic is declared.

Name of Trial: A phase III randomised controlled trial of continuous beta-lactam infusion compared with intermittent beta-lactam dosing in critically ill patients

Start date: 01 Feb 2019

End date: 31 Dec 2021

Co-ordinated by: Imperial College London

Local PI: Dr Dan Harvey

Lead Research Nurse: Louise Conner

 

This is randomised trial looking at the way we give a certain group of antibiotics. More specifically looking at the best way to treat patients whilst they are on intensive care. We currently give antibiotics at set times throughout the day. We would like to know if giving someone a continuous drip of antibiotics will help patients get better quicker.

Name of Trial: Epidemiological analysis for Hereditary Angioedema Disease.

Start date: June 2019

End date: June 2022

Co-ordinated by: Centogene

Local PI: Dr Frank Coffey

Lead Research Nurse: Cecilia Peters

 

This study is looking into how we diagnose the rare condition Hereditary Angioedema. Patients who attend the Emergency Department with undiagnosed abdominal pain may be eligible for this study. Blood is taken and applied to a blood spot card. These are then analysed by the laboratory to see whether or not this is an effective way to diagnose the condition.

Name of Trial: Fluid Optimization in Emergency Laparotomy.

Start date: Dec 2018

End date: 01 Jan 2022

Co-ordinated by: University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation trust

Local PI: Dr Iain Moppett

Lead Research Nurse: Cecilia Peters

 

This is a large clinical trial which aims to find out whether cardiac guided fluid therapy given to patients during and shortly after emergency bowel surgery could save lives, when compared with usual care.

Name of Trial: Forearm Fracture Recovery in Children Evaluation: A multi-centre prospective randomised equivalence trial of a soft bandage and immediate discharge versus current treatment with rigid immobilisation for torus fractures of the distal radius in children.

Start date: January 2019

End date: 29 January 2020

Co-ordinated by: Clinical Trials Unit, University of Oxford

Local PI: Dr Christopher Gough

Lead Research Nurse: Megan Meredith

 

Force is a multi-centre randomised trial looking at the treatment of buckle fractures in children aged 4-15 years. Buckle fractures are when the edge of the bone buckles but does not break. We do not know if wearing a splint is any better or worse than a simple bandage in this type of injury. We randomise participants to a Splint (Standard of care at QMC) or Offer of a soft bandage. Patients are followed up for 6 weeks via email or text.

Name of Trial: Genetic Links in Anxiety and Depression.

Start date: 25 Mar 2019

End date: 31 Jan 2028

Co-ordinated by: King’s College London

Local PI: Louise Conner

Lead Research Nurse: Louise Conner

 

This is the largest study of Anxiety and Depression in the UK. Anyone can join so please follow the link below to find out more and sign up.

https://gladstudy.org.uk/

Name of Trial: Haemoglobin transfusion threshold in traumatic brain injury optimization.

Start date: May 2019

End date: 01/12/2021

Co-ordinated by: University of Edinburgh in conjunction with the Canadian Institute for Health Research

Local PI: Dr Daniel Harvey

Lead Research Nurse: Megan Meredith

 

This is a randomised study. We are looking into what effect giving a blood transfusion to patients who have suffered a head injury. These patients are admitted to the intensive care unit. Blood transfusions are given earlier than our standard practice; we will follow patients up for 6 months and measure how well they recover.

Name of Trial: International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium 

Start date: 2014

End date: Ongoing

Co-ordinated by: University of Oxford and the World Health Organization.

Local PI: Dr Dan Harvey

Lead Research Nurse: Louise Conner

 

This study is classified as a ‘sleeping study’. It will be activated if a patient attends the Emergency Department with symptoms relating to rare diseases which may be of public interest within the UK. This is part of a much larger international co-ordination of studies. The study hopes to develop an understanding of disease processes. This includes risk factors for severe illness, and the development of new treatments.

Name of Trial: Methoxyflurane Analgesia in Paediatric Injuries.

Start date: July 2018

End date: December 2020

Co-ordinated by: Medical Developments International Limited

Local PI: Dr Christopher Gough

Lead Research Nurse: Megan Meredith

 

This is a randomised study open across England. The study is looking at the safety and effectiveness of Methoxyflurane (Penthrox) in children who have pain after a minor trauma. Penthrox is a pain killing medication, that has been used in Australia for similar purpose for the last 30 years. It is used in the UK for adult patients with the same complaints.

Name of Trial: The role of the OPM MEG in assessment and diagnosis in mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Start date: 30 May 2019

End date: 31 Dec 2019

Co-ordinated by: University of Nottingham

Local PI: Dr Nikos Evangelou

Lead Research Practitioner: Amy Clark

 

This study is looking into how we assess and diagnose mild head injuries in the Emergency Department. Eligible patients will be involved in a series of scans and cognitive tests to look at the way their brain is functioning following an injury.

Name of Trial: Pandemic Influenza Triage in the Emergency Department.

Start date: 2013

End date: Ongoing

Co-ordinated by: The University of Sheffield

Local PI: Dr Frank Coffey

Lead Research Nurse:  Megan Meredith

 

This study is currently in Hibernation. It will be activated when an Influenza (Flu) Pandemic is declared. The study aims to identify the most accurate methods for predicting severe illness among patients attending the Emergency Department with a suspicion of pandemic

Name of Trial: Perioperative Quality Improvement Programme

Start date: March 2017

End date: November 2020

Co-ordinated by: National Institute for Academic Anaesthesia’s Health Services Research Centre

Local PI: Ravinder Vohra

Lead Research Practitioner:  Amy Clark

 

This is a multi-centre study aimed to gather and analyse patient data for the newly established National Perioperative Quality Improvement Programme (PQIP). PQIP will measure complications and outcome from the patient perspective after major surgery. Patients will be approached at random, in participating hospitals, to give consent to have their data collected and used for research. This is important as it will hopefully lead to more streamlined care for NHS patients and a reduction in the time spent in the hospital.

Name of Trial: Randomized, Embedded, Multifactorial Adaptive Platform trial for Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

Start date: June 2019

End date: To be confirmed.

Co-ordinated by: University Medical Centre Utrecht

Local PI: Dr Daniel Harvey

Lead Research Nurse: Megan Meredith

 

This study aims to look at multiple treatments within the same condition. Patient’s with Pneumonia and admitted to the intensive care unit will be recruited. The treatments we are looking into are Antibiotics, Macrolides (a different type of antibiotic) and steroids. The intention of the study is to look at the condition as a whole rather than one single treatment.

Name of Trial: Resuscitation with Pre-Hospital Blood Products is a multi-centre randomised controlled trial of pre-hospital blood product administration versus standard care for traumatic haemorrhage

Start date: September 2017

End date: January 2020

Co-ordinated by: University of Birmingham

Local PI: Dr Chris Gough

Lead Research Practitioner: Amy Clark

 

This is a multi-centre randomised trial looking at the use of blood products for patients who are heavily bleeding as the result of trauma. The study will assess if giving blood products pre-hospital will improve the patient’s recovery.

Name of Trial: The Significant Ankle Ligament Injury Cohort Study

Start date: 2016

End date: December 2019

Co-ordinated by: Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Local PI: Dr Kapka Nilan

Lead Researchers:  Cecilia Peters/ Amy Clark

 

This study is observational. It aims to look at people between the ages of 18 and 70 who have attended the Emergency Department having had a significant isolated ankle injury. Recruited participants will fill in questionnaires at set intervals over a period of 15 years. The aim is that this data will be used to facilitate and support advice to prevent chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis.

Name of Trial: Standard versus Accelerated initiation of Renal Replacement Therapy in Acute Kidney Injury.

Start date: April 2018

End date: September 2019

Co-ordinated by: University of Toronto and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

Local PI: Dr Andrew Sharman

Lead Research Nurse: Megan Meredith

 

STARRT AKI is a trial run within the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) specifically based around the initiation of Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT) in patients with Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). The trial aims to clarify an optimal time to start RRT.

Name of Trial: Study into the reversal of septic shock with Landiolol (Beta Blockade)

Start date: 04 Sep 2018

End date: 30 Nov 2020

Co-ordinated by: Warwick Clinical Trials/ University of Birmingham

Local PI: Dr Dan Harvey

Lead Research Nurse: Louise Conner

 

This is a randomised trial looking into the effects of Landiolol (Beta Blockade) on patients who have been admitted to the intensive care unit with septic shock.