View clinical trials related to Communicable Diseases.
Filter by:Hepatitis C infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease and death with approximately 3% of the world's population is infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). New drug therapies called new direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have been developed and have proven to be well tolerated with minimal side effects. The current costs of these agents are extremely high, however, they provide an opportunity to cure most patients of HCV if they can access and adhere to treatment. The bigger challenge is to engage and cure underserved groups who are not accessing medical care, or who have other complex problems, including homelessness, incarceration, and substance misuse problems. Strategies to improve HCV case detection and case management have much to learn from other infectious diseases. Tuberculosis (TB) disproportionately affects in large part the same group of individuals and community models of care have been used with great success. Strategies such as active case finding, community based screening and treatment, directly observed therapy (DOT) and peer support have all shown high rates of case detection and treatment completion. These strategies are currently being used by the Find&Treat team, UCLH NHS Trust and this study will ain in evaluating it's effectiveness. Previously used to aid homeless patients engage with treatment services for TB, it is now being used with other disease groups such as HCV. This observational study aims to assess the effectiveness of community based interventions with peer support to improve case detection, carry out pre-treatment assessments and assist underserved populations through HCV treatment by the Find&Treat service.
The present research aims to collect virological and clinical data on hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections, either in acute or chronic forms of HEV infection in North-Eastern France, with liver- or non liver-related symptoms, plus data on HEV circulation in the outside environment. The purpose of this study is to improve the diagnosis and care of HEV-infected patients, as well as the preventive features to take into account in order to avoid food- and environment-borne infections. At last, we will investigate HEV molecular characteristics, with the hypothesis that some advantageous HEV strains coul be more pathogenic for some tissues and/or organs.
This study is a single center, randomized controlled trial investigating the use of an abdominal closure bundle to reduce surgical site infection in patients undergoing cesarean section. The abdominal closure bundle consists of surgeon repeat scrub, changing gown and gloves, as well as usage of new instruments for closure of fascia, subcutaneous tissue, and skin. Patients will be randomized to either abdominal closure bundle or normal operative procedure. Primary outcome is surgical site infection within 30 days of procedure.
Stool and blood samples from patients with a non-typhoid Salmonella infection will be collected during an observation period of six months and analyzed for changes in the microbiota diversity and composition, mutation rates in the Salmonella strains and the specific immune response evoked by the infection. Findings are compared to healthy individuals and individuals with acute, infectious diarrhea caused by other microorganisms.
Immunocompetent subjects with high load of Epstein-Barr virus DNA (EBV-DNA) in peripheral blood will be enrolled and prospectively followed up to track the natural histories of the chronic high load of EBV virus. The primary goal of this study is to explore the association of peripheral high load of EBV with the hematological malignancies, and second goal is to investigate the genetic mechanisms of immune escape and tumorigenesis of chronic EBV infection.
Our data suggest that modulating the characteristics of light carries the potential to modify the host response to injury and critical illness and thus, improve outcome. The ability to modify the host response to the stress of major operations and sepsis carries immense potential to improve patient care. The primary purpose of this study is to determine if exposure to bright blue (442nm) enriched light, by comparison to ambient white fluorescent light, reduces the inflammatory response or organ dysfunction in patients undergoing 1) medical treatment for pneumonia, 2) a 2-stage arthroplasty for surgical management of a septic joint, 3) surgery for a necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI), and 4) surgery for an intraabdominal infection (e.g., diverticulitis). We will expose participants to one of two (2) lighting conditions: 1) high illuminance (~1700 lux,), blue (442nm) spectrum enriched light and 2) ambient white fluorescent light that provides the standard environmental lighting (~300-400 lux, no predominant spectrum) of the hospital. Both cohorts will be exposed to a 12 hours:12 hours light:dark cycle photoperiod. Those subjects assigned to blue light will be asked to shine this small portable blue enriched light on themselves from 0800 to 2000 for 3 days. At the transition from light to dark, the blue-enriched light is turned off, and additional blue wavelength light removed with an amber filter. Thus, the total period of intervention is 72 hours. The outcome of interest is change in the inflammatory response after surgery for appendicitis or diverticulitis as measured by the following parameters: white blood cell count, heart rate, the development of abdominal abscess, serum cytokine concentrations. The outcome of interest is change in the inflammatory response during pneumonia as measured by the following parameters: white blood cell count, heart rate, and serum cytokine concentrations.
The foods we eat - our diet - can affect whether we develop diseases during our lives, such as diabetes or heart disease. This is because the amount and types of foods we eat can affect our weight, and because different foods are metabolised (processed) by the body in different ways. Scientists have also found that the bacteria in our guts (the gut microbiome) affects our metabolism, weight and health and that, together with a person's diet and metabolism, could be used to predict appetite and how meals affect levels of sugar (glucose) and fats (lipids) found in blood after eating. If blood sugar and fat are too high too often, there's a greater chance of developing diseases such as diabetes. The gut microbiome is different in different people. Only 10-20% of the types of bacteria found in our guts are found in everyone. This might mean that the best diet to prevent disease needs matching to a person's gut microbiome and it might be possible to find personalised foods or diets that will help reduce the chance of developing chronic disease as well as metabolic syndrome. The study investigators are recruiting volunteers aged 18 years or over from the TwinsUK cohort to take part in a study that aims to answer the questions above. The participants will need to come in for a clinical visit where they will give blood, stool, saliva and urine samples. The participants will also be given a standardised breakfast and lunch and fitted with a glucose monitor (Abbott Freestyle Libre-CE marked) to monitor their blood sugar levels. After the visit, the participants will be asked to eat standardised meals at home for breakfast for a further 12 days. Participants will also be required to prick their fingers at regular intervals to collect small amounts of blood, and to record constantly their appetite, food, physical activity and sleep using apps and wearable devices.
Immunoprophylaxis with two hepatitis B vaccinations following the hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIg) and hepatitis B vaccine at birth is largely effective in protecting infants from hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, hepatitis B infection due to immunoprophylaxis failure often occurs in approximately 10% of infants who are born to highly viremic mothers with HBeAg-positive. Maternal HBV DNA > 200,000 IU/mL is the major independent risk for mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). A recent randomized controlled trial has shown that Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate (TDF) use during the third trimester of pregnancy could safely reduce the rate of MTCT with few adverse effects when combined with the administration of the standard immunoprophylaxis to the infants. However, HBIg is expensive and not available in many developing countries, resulting approximately 30% of infant infection when they received only HBV vaccination. The present study aims to investigate if highly viremic mothers who are treated with TDF from the second trimester to delivery in combination of infant's standard series of HBV vaccinations (omission of HBIg) have a comparable MTCT rates, when compared to those of mothers who receive TDF at the third trimester in combination of infant's standard HBV vaccinations and a birth dose of HBIg.
Implantation of joint prostheses is currently the second largest diagnosis-related group in the Danish health service, and in view of the demographic development and spread of lifestyle diseases, this type of intervention is expected to continue to increase. Unfortunately, 5% of patients experience significant discomforts and complications. The second most frequent and serious complication is infection. While the established laboratory analyses (culture of tissue biopsies) are good at diagnosing acute infections, they are not satisfactory to diagnose a large group of patients especially with chronic infections. This can lead to prolonged diagnosing time and even to wrong diagnosis. Several studies have shown that analyses of prosthetic parts and the use of molecular biological methods for detecting infecting microorganisms can significantly improve diagnostics accuracy. The purpose of this project is primarily to demonstrate that analyses of bacterial specific DNA (16S rRNA genes) can confirm or rule out infection as fast (or faster) as cultivation methods. Rapid clarification can promote targeted treatment and in order to demonstrate this, the trial is conducted as a randomized study. .
A prospective, randomized study will be performed. Patients are randomized using a 1:1 allocation into 2 groups: patients receiving a vitamin E-containing dressing (group 1) and a conventional dressing (group 2). The primary outcomes variable will be occurrence of incisional SSI. Follow-up will be 30 days postoperatively.