There are about 300 clinical studies being (or have been) conducted in Nepal. 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.
Vitamin B12 plays a key role in the development and normal functioning of the brain and nervous system. Unborn and new-born infants derive their vitamin B12 stores almost entirely from maternal B12 stores. As such, infants who are born to vegetarian mothers and exclusively breast fed are at a high-risk of B12 deficiency. This is because the best sources of vitamin B12 are found in animal based or fortified foods (e.g. cheese, milk and eggs). Vitamin B12 deficiency is widely reported among antenatal mothers and children, particularly in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) where these food sources are uncommon. So far, studies have shown that antenatal vitamin B12 deficiency in mothers may be associated with poorer neurodevelopment in their children. Furthermore, vitamin B12 supplementation during pregnancy and early lactation has been shown to increase maternal, breast milk, and infant levels of vitamin B12. Although existing literature documents several studies on maternal vitamin B12 supplementation, there is a lack of research on the causative effect of maternal vitamin B12 supplementation on infant development. This project, funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), will undertake a multi-centric nutritional trial in Nepal and India, as these are two LMICs where high incidence of vitamin B12 deficiency is reported.
Erythema Nodosum Leprosum (ENL) is a painful, debilitating complication of leprosy. Patients often require high doses of corticosteroids for prolonged periods. Thalidomide is expensive and not available in most countries. The use of corticosteroids for long periods is associated with adverse effects and mortality. It is a priority to identify alternative agents to treat ENL. Methotrexate (MTX) is a cheap, widely used medication which has been reported to be effective in ENL resistant to steroids and thalidomide.
The vast majority of blindness is avoidable. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80% of cases of visual impairment could be prevented or reversed with early diagnosis and treatment. The leading causes of visual impairment are cataract and refractive error, followed by glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and diabetic retinopathy (DR). Loss of vision from these conditions is not inevitable; however, identifying at-risk cases and linking cases with appropriate care remain significant challenges. To address the global burden of avoidable blindness, eye care systems must determine optimal strategies for identifying people with or at risk for visual impairment beyond opportunistic screening. Outreach programs can prevent blindness both by screening for asymptomatic disease like age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), and glaucoma and case detection of symptomatic disease like cataract and refractive error. Eye care systems have developed numerous community-based approaches to these identification methods, including screening using telemedicine and case detection via cataract camps or community health worker models, but no studies have been conducted on the comparative effectiveness or cost effectiveness of these various approaches. Technology promises to greatly improve access to sophisticated eye care. AMD, DR, and glaucoma can result in irreversible vision loss, and early diagnosis and effective treatment can prevent progression.Thus, community screening programs may prevent progression and improve the vision of a population.However, mass screening for eye disease is currently not recommended. Although self-evident that early detection can prevent blindness for an individual, no randomized controlled trial has been able to demonstrate that screening improves visual acuity at the community level. However, recent technological advances promise to dramatically change the equation by allowing non-medical personnel to use mobile,easy-to-use retinal imaging devices to diagnose screenable eye diseases such as AMD, DR, and glaucoma. Mobile technology could also transform the way clinics communicate with their patients, improving linkage to and retention in care. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an ideal test for community-based screening. OCT can be performed through an undilated pupil and is less subject to optical aberrations due to cataract than is fundus photography. OCT machines have pre-installed algorithms to screen for glaucoma, and major anatomical abnormalities can easily be detected even by novice technicians. The infrared image allows detection of referable diabetic retinopathy, and newer OCT angiography machines offer even more discrimination of early diabetic retinopathy. OCT machines are ever more portable, and could be feasibly used in community-based screening programs. The investigators propose a large cluster-randomized trial in Nepal to compare two community-based blindness prevention programs: (1) a state-of-the-art screening program employing OCT and intraocular pressure testing to screen for glaucoma, DR, and AMD followed by enhanced linkage-to-care to the local eye hospital, and (2) a screening program involving only visual acuity assessment. An initial door-to-door census will assess baseline visual acuity in both study arms. The investigators will compare visual acuity between the two arms through a second door-to-door census 4 years later (primary outcome). The investigators maximize their chances of finding an effect by conducting the study in Nepal, where the burden of undiagnosed eye diseases is high. If successful in Nepal, future studies could assess the generalizability of such a program to other settings, such as rural communities in the industrialized world.
Pneumonia continues to be a leading cause of death in children under five years of age worldwide. Many studies have evaluated clinical signs and symptoms that may predict pneumonia. A recent meta-analysis found that no singular physical exam finding predicted pneumonia. The World Health Organization (WHO) Criteria diagnose pneumonia based on fast breathing; however, tachypnea has not been shown to strongly predict pneumonia. This study will evaluate accuracy of clinical history, physical exam and WHO criteria, laboratory findings, and lung ultrasound compared with chest radiograph for the diagnosis of pneumonia in children under five years of age in a resource limited setting. Determining diagnostic accuracy of these findings may help derive a clinical decision rule that may more accurately predict which children have pneumonia than current WHO guidelines.
A study to compare between intravenous atropine and glycopyrrolate in preventing spinal anesthesia induced hypotension in patients undergoing major lower limb orthopedic surgeries. Hypotension is the most common complication in spinal anesthesia that can be life threatening. If this can be prevented patients comfort can be increased and satisfaction as well.
Brachial plexus block as done by landmark technique use large volume of local anaesthetics (at least 30-40 ml), leading to higher incidence of phrenic nerve involvement and diaphragmatic dysfunction. With use of ultrasound dose of local anaesthetic can be reduced. Volume as low as 20 ml when use by ultrasound guidance has shown to provide successful block with no hemidiaphragmatic palsy when compared with nerve stimulation technique. But no study has compared the different volumes of drug on success rate and diaphragmatic motility.So in this study , the investigators want to compare the incidence of hemidiaphragm paralysis and success of block with different volumes of local anaesthetic , so that the lowest effective dose with higher safety profile can be determined.
The investigators will conduct a cluster-controlled, stepped wedge implementation science trial of a bundled reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child healthcare (RMNCH) delivery intervention within an approximate population of 300,000 people in rural Nepal. This intervention integrates five evidence-based approaches for reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health focused on the "golden 1000 days" from conception through age two: 1) Community Health Worker model of home-based care to monitor and increase utilization of services, maternal and neonatal health knowledge, self-efficacy, social support, and emergency planning among mothers; 2) Continuous surveillance of all pregnancies and children via an integrated electronic medical record; 3) Delivering community-based integrated management of newborn and childhood illness (CB-IMNCI) via CHWs; 4) Group antenatal and postnatal care to improve care delivery and reduce mortality during the "golden 1000 days" from conception to age two; and 5) Balanced counseling to increase post-partum contraception.
REMAP-CAP is a randomised, embedded, multifactorial, adaptive platform trial for community-acquired pneumonia. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of a range of interventions to improve outcome of patients admitted to intensive care with community-acquired pneumonia. In addition, REMAP-CAP provides and adaptive research platform for evaluation of multiple treatment modalities in the event of a respiratory pandemic such as COVID-19. REMAP-COVID is a sub-platform of REMAP-CAP that evaluates treatments specific to COVID-19 in the United States of America.
This study aims to compare whether De Vega's Suture annuloplasty is equally effective in reducing the progression of Functional Tricuspid regurgitation as that claimed for Ring annuloplasty in Rheumatic Heart Disease patients with concurrent Mitral valve replacement.
The primary goal of this study is to directly compare repeat doses of sublingual and buccal routes of 400 mcg misoprostol following mifepristone for second trimester abortion in order to determine if sublingual route confers an advantage with respect to efficacy and median time to complete abortion.