There are about 53 clinical studies being (or have been) conducted in Malta. 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.
Older and more vulnerable persons are more likely to get very ill when infected with the coronavirus, and have the highest COVID-19 morbidity and mortality rate. The majority of patients that are admitted to the hospital are older (>70 years), and some of them have been admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICU). In the case of rehabilitation of older patients post-COVID-19, we do not know what the course of recovery for these patients will be, and what treatment/approaches will deliver the best outcomes. Persons that are recovering from a COVID-19 infection, and admitted on a geriatric ward for early rehabilitation, or geriatric rehabilitation ward or facility, can be included in the study. They will receive routine, usual care; participation in this study will not affect their rehabilitation care. Routine care data will be collected from their electronic patient files at admission to geriatric rehabilitation, and at discharge. This also includes some data about their premorbid status. In addition, study participants will be called six weeks and six months after discharge from rehabilitation and asked some questions about their recovery. There is no risk association with participation in this study. Data will be anonymously collected in an online database. The primary aim of this study is to get insight into the course of recovery in (geriatric) rehabilitation patients affected by COVID-19 in Europe. Mainly, we are interested in functioning in activities of daily living (ADL-functioning) such as toileting, bathing, dressing, etc., and in quality of life. The second aim of this study is to get insight into the treatment modalities employed and the organization of geriatric rehabilitation that post-COVID patients in Europe receive. Therefore, we collect data on the types of care provided and the professionals involved. Moreover, we collect some patient characteristics such as year of birth, gender, date of admission and date of discharge; and data about complications such as delirium, pain, post-traumatic stress syndrome, hospital readmissions, and mortality. Our hypothesis is that most patients will show recovery during geriatric rehabilitation and in the six months after. However, we expect that the amount and/or speed of recovery will vary between patients.
18 participants (novices, intermediates and experts) performed in total 248 insertions in a systematic way on Thiel embalmed bodies with wide and small bore versions of the conventional VNc (conventional Veress Needle) and the VN+(The Veress Needle plus). Insertion depth was measured by recording the graduations on the needle under direct laparoscopic vision.
Prospective multi centre cohort study examining the clinical presentation, diagnostic tests, and management of adult Emergency Department (ED) patients presenting with Transient Loss of Consciousness (TLOC) either undifferentiated or thought to be of syncopal origin.
An observational cohort study of patients discharged from the ICU following admission with COVID19 infection, looking at their medical wellbeing 6 months after discharge from the ICU.
This study aims to establish whether tocilizumab has any significant effect on procalcitonin levels on patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia requiring intensive care admission. The effects on other biochemical and clinical markers are also considered.
This is an international, cross-sectional and descriptive study that aims to investigate differences in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) and that aims to explore the profile and healthcare needs of adults with congenital heart diseases.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common disease that occurs more commonly amongst the elderly and is caused by the destruction of the joint cartilage. It is considered to be one of the most common joint disorders worldwide and a main cause of disability amongst older adults. After the knee, the hip is considered to be the second most commonly affected joint by OA. One of the functional capacities affected by OA is muscle strength with studies looking into knee OA documenting a decrement of this measure. It is reported that the muscle strength of the quadriceps, hamstrings and other musculature around the hip is significantly impaired in patients with knee OA compared to age-matched controls. Evidence for quadriceps muscle weakness in knee OA is consistent and programs based on quadriceps strengthening exercises as a core component in the management of knee OA are now evidence-based. Lower extremity muscle weakness is also apparent in hip OA. However, compared to the knee, there is less literature on muscle strength in hip OA with guidelines for therapeutic exercise prescription being more expert rather than evidence-based. Therefore, one of the major questions that arises here is whether muscle weakness as observed in knee OA is evident in hip OA, and if so, which muscles are most affected. A concept which has been found to help diminish the effect of decreased muscle strength in the above mentioned muscle groups is optimal core stability. Core stability contributes to strength, endurance, flexibility and motor control all of which optimise the stability of the spine during both dynamic and static tasks in daily normal biomechanical function in patients with a diagnosis of OA knees. Despite such evidence, no studies to the knowledge of the researcher have looked into the effects of core stability on pain and functional levels in patients with a diagnosis of OA hip. A lack of literature in relation to this aspect is due to the unavailability of a gold standard for measuring core stability. Therefore, the objective of this study will be multifold with an investigation into which muscles in the lower limb are predominantly weaker, whether there is core muscle weakness in patients with hip OA, looking for any correlation between both these factors and whether an exercise programme leads to changes on functional activity and pain levels.
Background: Many people think that people with mental disorders might be dangerous or unpredictable. These patients face various sources of disadvantages and experience discrimination on job interviews, in education, and housing. Mental health-related stigma (MHS) occurs not only within the public community, it is a growing issue among professionals as well. Aim: The investigators designed a prospective, observational, multi-centre, international study of 35 European countries to investigate the MHS among medical specialists and trainees in the field of general adult and child and adolescent psychiatry. Methods: An internet-based, anonymous survey will measure the stigmatizing attitude by using the local version of the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers. Presentation of the Results: The results of the research will be published in an international peer-reviewed journal. Furthermore, the research team will present the results at national and international conferences.
Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new pathology, declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization, which can have negative consequences for pregnant women and their newborns. It is estimated that 1 in 5 women will develop a mental illness in the perinatal period. COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with anxiety and depression in the population. The current pandemic is a unique stressor with potentially wide-ranging consequences in the perinatal period, but little is known about the impact of COVID-19 on perinatal mental health. Thus, the objective of this study is to explore the experiences of pregnant and new mothers during the current pandemic, particularly its impact on perinatal mental health (including depression, anxiety, PTSD and psychological distress). Methods: The study design is a prospective observational study, with a baseline assessment and three follow-ups: one month; three months; and six months post baseline. This international study will be carried out in 11 European countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Israel, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom) Chile and Brazil. The study population will comprise pregnant women and new mothers with an infant under six months of age, covering a broad range of women across the perinatal period. Ethics and dissemination: The study and handling of the data will follow all national required data protection standards. Each researcher (or team of researchers) involved will submit the project to their local ethical committee before starting the project. Results from the project will be disseminated in peer reviewed journals and international conferences.
This is an international, mulitcentre, observational, prospective study into Peak Inspiratory Flow in COPD patients that aims to: A) Determine the prevalence of suboptimal Peak Inspiratory Flow (PIF) and inadequate inhaler choice and assess the baseline characteristics of these groups. B) Assess the clinical role of PIF and inhaler choice in predicting COPD exacerbations and symptom burden. C) Assess the variability and correlation of PIF with other lung function measurements and CAT score in stable COPD. It is a 12 month study comprising one baseline assessment and 2 follow-up visits at 6 and 12 months.