There are about 173942 clinical studies being (or have been) conducted in United States. The country of the clinical trial is determined by the location of where the clinical research is being studied. Most studies are often held in multiple locations & countries.
To determine if intravenous unfractionated heparin (with standard therapy) for treatment of anaphylaxis results in faster time to recovery.
The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of the cholesterol medication taken with each blood pressure medication alone on heart disease risk factors including blood pressure, cholesterol, inflammation, blood sugar control, blood vessal function, and other heart disease risk factors.
Alcohol abuse and dependence are very prevalent and result in significant morbidity, mortality and cost to society (Harwood 2000). Pharmacotherapies to assist with alcohol dependence consist of disulfiram, naltrexone and acamprosate. Of these, acamprosate is unique in that it is not metabolized by the liver, but rather completely excreted renally. In contrast, naltrexone is metabolized by the CYP450 system of the liver and less than 2% is excreted unchanged and can cause liver damage (PDR 2005). Multiple cases of hepatitis, including both cholestatic and fulminant hepatitis, as well as hepatic failure resulting in transplantation or death, have been reported with administration of disulfiram (PDR 2005). The incidence of liver disease among alcoholics is high and increases with age and years of drinking and this may preclude the use of antabuse or naltrexone to help alcohol dependent patients with liver disease or that are elderly . Thus acamprosate has a unique safety profile that would make it ideally suited for treating alcohol dependence in the elderly, even in the presence of hepatic impairment. The current study is to evaluate the safety profile of acamprosate in elderly patients with alcohol dependence. Acamprosate, calcium acetyl homotaurinate, has been approved in most European countries and the U.S. for the maintenance of abstinence in recently detoxified alcoholics. The mechanism of action involves primarily the restoration of a normal N-methyl- D -aspartate (NMDA) receptor tone in glutamatergic systems (Rammes et al 2001). Several trials of acamprosate confirm its efficacy in the maintenance of abstinence in alcohol dependence (Lesch et al. 2001; Slattery et al. 2003; Mann et al. 2004; Verheul et al. 2004). It also reduces the severity of relapse in alcoholics in abstinence based treatment programs (Chick et al. 2003). There is limited data on the safety of acamprosate in the elderly (PDR 2005). For the purposes of this study, elderly will be defined as 60 years or older. STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the short-term safety of Acamprosate in the treatment of alcohol dependence in the elderly.
Sirtuin activators may prove useful in treating age-related diseases and extending lifespan in humans. Resveratrol (RSV), a polyphenol found in red wine, has been shown in vitro to enhance SIRT1 activity. RSV is associated with some of the beneficial effects of red wine or the "French Paradox". Recently RSV has been associated with increasing lifespan in mice on a high calorie diet and improved metabolic profile and activity levels. The effect of this small molecule in humans is unknown. Preclinical observations suggest that RSV is safe and has enormous potential in the treatment of obesity and insulin resistance in humans. This pilot study will examine the effect of RSV on improving the metabolic profile of adults with insulin resistance. Specifically, this randomized double blind placebo controlled study will examine the effects of 4 weeks of supplementation with RSV 5.0 grams daily, compared to placebo control (PC) on the metabolic profile of 36 men and women over the age of 50 with insulin resistance (IR) consuming a typical western diet consisting of at least 40% calories from fat.
A large number of patients are currently on Antiplatelet inhibition using aspirin or Plavix therapy (A Thieno pyridine - ADP mediated platelet inhibitor). A group of these patients often require Cardiac and/or Vascular surgical procedures. These patients are at a higher risk for perioperative bleeding complications and higher re-operation/re-exploration for bleeding and subsequent blood product transfusions. The aim of this protocol is to assess platelet function via the "Verify Now" device prior to surgery. The Verify Now device requires a small drop of fresh blood for each sample and is an FDA approved device. The investigators initial goal is to establish if a certain degree of platelet function abnormality can predict a higher bleeding complication or higher transfusions (Phase I, 20 patients). This initial study will allow us to determine a sample size for Phase II. Phase II will maintain the same protocol, however after completion of Phase I, a more accurate sample size determination can be made. Additionally, the investigators want to establish if knowledge of platelet dysfunction will change procedure technique or preparation to lower bleeding and/or lead to cancellation/rescheduling of procedure (Phase III). Participants will be those patients who are taking plavix and are undergoing vascular or cardiac surgery. They will undergo a platelet function evaluation measured as Platelet Response Unit (PRU) via the "verify now" device on admission/pre surgery. This test involves taking 1 drop of blood from the patient, one time, before the procedure. The Verify Now device is FDA approved. Perioperative bleeding will be assessed by absolute drop in hematocrit immediate post-op compared to the immediate preoperative value. An additional discharge hematocrit will be used if no blood products have been used during the initial hospital stay. Hematocrit evaluation via a complete blood count is a part of standard patient care. Additionally, utilization of blood products (factors, PLT, PRBC's, etc.) will be assessed. In order to conduct the research, patients will be identified by reviewing the OR schedule. All consecutive patients on ASA/Plavix will be mailed a letter in order to introduce them to the study. The letter provides a phone number to call if the patient does NOT want to receive a phone call from the investigative staff. This letter is uploaded under item 18-02 of the study application. If patients do not call the office, then the investigative staff will call the potential participants to introduce the study. Final consent will be completed in PACU on arrival at the hospital for planned surgical procedure. A Hematocrit will be performed on the consented patient preoperatively, immediately post-op, and at discharge. A PRU will be assessed using a few drops of the patients' blood preoperatively (PACU). Patients' records will be reviewed to assess use of blood products. No additional follow up is required. Patients' care will be no different than current standard of care, other than the 1 "verify now" test, which is done before the procedure.
Patients with acute ischemic stroke and persistent arterial occlusion following failed mechanical revascularization, who can undergo NeuroFlo treatment within 18 hours of last time symptom free, will be eligible for enrollment to assess the safety and feasibility of the NeuroFlo catheter in treating ischemic stroke patients with persistent arterial occlusion following attempted thrombectomy. The NeuroFlo catheter is designed to partially obstruct the abdominal descending aorta thereby increasing blood flow to the brain. Cerebral perfusion is improved by diverting more blood through vessels as well as by expansion of the collateral circulation. Improved regional perfusion leads to clinical improvement.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of the VersaMed iVent ventilator in the acute care setting, hypothesizing that, in comparison to the standard approach, the use of the VersaMed will facilitate transport and reduce transport-associated complications while providing equivalent ventilatory support and transport success rates for both intubated patients and patients receiving noninvasive ventilation.
The study hypothesis is that a transit-time ultrasonic sensor can help doctors diagnose a malfunctioning shunt valve. The study will simulate an implanted shunt flow monitoring system by placing the flow sensor and a programmable shunt valve into the patient's Extra-Ventricular Drainage line. Flow will be measured as the doctor raises/lowers the drainage bag to simulate the patient sitting up/lying down. The doctor will simulate a malfunctioning shunt by changing the valve's pressure release settings for each cycle of raising/lowering the bag. By monitoring shunt flow during these changes, the doctors hope to develop new ways to diagnose malfunctioning shunt valves when implanted shunt flow monitors become available.
The study hypothesis is that nurses and doctors can use a transcutaneously powered ultrasonic flow sensor to make repeatable and accurate hydrocephalic shunt flow measurements. The study participants will align the flowmeter probe with a flow sensor hidden under a thick saline pad that simulates skin. A hidden pump will provide a known flow through the flow sensor as the participants make their measurements. Each participant will repeat these measurements over a period of weeks, and the data will tell whether operator skill influences flow measurement accuracy.
We hypothesize that hand-assisted laparoscopy will overcome technical difficulties related to pure laparoscopic rectal surgery and allow surgeons to expand application of laparoscopic techniques to treating patients with rectal cancer. In this study, we plan to randomly assign patients diagnosed with rectal cancer to undergo either "standard" laparoscopic surgery or hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery. We will then compare both peri-operative and long-term outcomes of patients.