There are about 212 clinical studies being (or have been) conducted in Qatar. 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.
Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support is a lifesaving tool used to treat cardiogenic shock, acute heart failure, or extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR). However, its use is associated with significant complications, including mortality. We aim to conduct a retrospective observational study of all patients at Heart Hospital who required VA-ECMO support due to cardiogenic shock during 1/06/2016 and 1/06/2022 to report the incidence of in-hospital mortality among patients who required VA-ECMO along with the predictors of mortality. Data will be collected to identify baseline characteristics and outcomes including clinical variables predictive of poor outcomes.
VA-ECMO is increasingly utilized in the setting of cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest to restore hemodynamic stability and end organ function. VA-ECMO serves as a short-term ventricular assist device that can be rapidly placed at the bedside in the emergency room, intensive care unit, cardiac catheterization suite, or operating room. A bridge to decision approach allows for the assessment of neurologic status, renal and hepatic function, and subsequent recovery of cardiac function. Despite its life-saving potential, VA-ECMO is fraught with complications including vascular complications from cannulation. In addition, neurologic injury, renal failure, liver failure, and sepsis are all well described sequelae of the post-cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest VA-ECMO patient. For these reasons, identifying early prognostic indicators and developing a score with regard to the outcome of this special patient population is of high interest. The proposed study aims to analyze 4 ICU scores/Survival prediction models [APACHE-II (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II), SAVE (Survival after VA ECMO) , SOFA (sequential organ failure assessment )and CASUS (Cardiac Surgery Score)] and evaluate their performance in predicting survival after VA ECMO insertion. This will be a clinical retrospective study which will be conducted in the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care unit (CTICU) in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Heart Hospital, Doha. Patients admitted to the CTICU after institution of VA ECMO in the period between 1st January 2015 to 31st October 2022 will be screened retrospectively. Patients who stay for at least 12 hours in the CTICU would be eligible for inclusion in the study. All charts of patients who were admitted to CTICU after institution of VA ECMO during the afore mentioned period will be included in the review. All the risk scores would be calculated separately for all the enrolled patients and then subjected to statistical analysis to determine predictive accuracy for survival.
Urinary incontinence is one of the most common complications of radical prostatectomy. Multiple prevention and treatment modalities have been proposed in the management of post prostatectomy urinary incontinence. This is a randomized controlled comparative study to evaluate the efficacy of extracorporeal magnetic stimulation alone and combined with pelvic floor muscle exercise versus pelvic floor muscle exercise alone in the management of post radical prostatectomy urinary incontinence. This study is expected to be performed over 7 years. The study population will be all male patients who are prepared for radical prostatectomy under urology department in HMC and were referred to voiding dysfunction for preoperative counselling and postoperative rehabilitation. Patients will be randomized into one of three treatment groups. The first group will receive sessions of extracorporeal magnetic field stimulation only. The second group will receive extracorporeal magnetic stimulation in addition to pelvic floor muscle exercise. The third group will receive pelvic floor muscle exercise only. The recruitment phase will take 3 years. Patients will be followed for 18 months for the course of urinary incontinence symptoms, severity of urinary incontinence on 1-hour pad test, urodynamic leak point pressure and the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form (ICIQ-SF) and the ICIQ quality of life (QOL) score. This study is proposed to reveal strong evidence on the efficacy of extracorporeal magnetic stimulation on the management of post radical prostatectomy urinary incontinence.
This study aims to compare NS and LR in terms of outcomes in patients with acute pancreatitis while addressing the current methodological issues with available meta-analyses on the topic. Such comparison combined with bias adjustment will assist with identifying the optimal fluid rehydration therapy in acute pancreatitis, since most of the available data is conflicted around the topic. A database search will be conducted to identify studies comparing normal saline and ringer's lactate. Existing meta-analyses will be assessed. The results will be discussed in the light of their strengths and limitations and then any deficiencies will be addressed through a new synthesis as a final step of this umbrella review. The primary outcome will be SIRS at 24 hours. OR and 95% confidence intervals will be generated using the quality effects model. Heterogeneity will be evaluated using the I2 statistic. Publication bias will be assessed using the Doi Plot.
The aim of this clinical trial is to assess the effect of playing patient preferred audio clip for controlling the pain and anxiety in patients while dressing burn wounds. The age group to be selected for this explicit examination is 18 years and above. The researcher will assess the pain and anxiety levels in both experimental and control groups having sample size of 50 each using standardized tools. The patient in intervention group will be offered selected audio clips to choose from. The patient preferred audio clips will be played for 10 days while the control group will be provided with treatment as usual. After collecting the data from both groups, it will be compared to analyze the effectiveness of listening to the audio clips chosen by the patient.
The use of cold on muscle (Ice, Cold Water Immersion - CWI or cryotherapy) is a widespread practice used by health professionals, athletes or non-athletic population in the treatment of muscle soreness and soft tissue injuries. Application of cold on muscle is well known to decrease inflammation and reduce pain perception. However, some studies in humans and animals have reported contrasted effects of cold on muscle regeneration. On the other hand, recent studies in humans suggest that passive heat exposure can impact positively muscle protein synthesis, mitochondrial content and muscle torque in different types of populations. Rodent studies comparing heat and cold modalities following a muscle injury have reported that only repeated heat exposure enhances cross sectional area, accelerate macrophage infiltration in damaged fibers and enhances satellite cells activation which led to a faster muscle regeneration. As such heat therapy may be a promising tool to accelerate recovery after muscle injury. This study will investigate the effect of three distinct thermal interventions (Hot, Cold and Thermoneutral water immersion) on human skeletal muscle regeneration after an eccentric exercise. 36 participants will be distributed in a counterbalanced way into 3 groups being immersed for 15min to 1h per day in either HEAT or COLD or NEUTRAL water for 10 days following eccentric contractions.
A high prevalence of diabetes has been reported in Qatar with nearly 23% population suffering from the pandemic, thereby increasing the associated healthcare cost. Low compliance with exercise and physical activity in patients with diabetes increases foot risk complications, deteriorates health, and further increases economic costs. This is particularly true among patients with diabetes who are undergoing hemodialysis (HD) process. Exercise interventions have been shown to improve mobility and balance, reduce the incidence of falls, and improve peripheral blood flow, which is essential to reduce foot problems and peripheral arterial disease. However, uptake of exercise programs for individuals who are undergoing HD treatment has been limited. The three main factors limiting uptake and adherence among HD patients are time availability, post-dialysis fatigue, and transportation to exercise programs, which are usually offered in rehabilitation departments or cardiovascular centers but not in nephrology departments or in free-standing dialysis clinics. Many of these patients visit clinics 3 times a week to receive hemodialysis, providing an optimal opportunity for intervention. Thus the investigators are proposing an innovative intervention based on plantar electrical stimulation treatment during HD (3 times per week) to enhance balance and quality of life while reducing the risk of peripheral arterial diseases and diabetic foot ulcers, which are highly prevalent among people with diabetes and chronic kidney disease. This interdisciplinary study is based on preliminary studies, in which the investigators demonstrated that regular plantar electrical stimulation is an effective and practical therapy to enhance motor performance and plantar sensation in patients with diabetes. The scientific premise of the proposed intervention has been also supported by literature as well as three systematic reviews suggesting the effectiveness of electrical stimulation to reduce pain, improve balance, improve skin perfusion, and improve plantar sensation. In the context of this study, the investigators propose to bring an innovative technology based on an FDA-cleared bio-electric stimulation technology (BEST®) microcurrent platform, named Tennant Biomodulator® (Avazzia Inc., Dallas, TX, USA), which is a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) and has been designed for symptomatic relief and management of chronic pain. However, the system was modified to provide electrical stimulation to the plantar area via two electrodes placed on the hind and forefoot area instead of the leg. The device has a 60-minute run cycle after which it automatically turns off. In the context of a previous study funded by QNRF, the investigators developed and tested 50 electrical stimulation units (which will be used in the context of the study), including 25 active systems and 25 placebo systems. The placebo systems are similar to active systems in the appearance and functioning of lights and indicators. However, they were programmed not to provide any electrical current. In a preliminary study, the proof of concept of this revised technology was tested in the context of enhancing balance and skin perfusion in ambulatory patients with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy. In the context of this study, the investigators plan to translate this technology for routine treatment during HD sessions for patients with diabetes who are undergoing regular HD treatment. Using a double-blinded randomized-controlled model, the investigators will validate the effectiveness of this technology to enhance balance, reduce pain, and improve skin perfusion. One hundred (n=100) HD volunteers with diabetes will be recruited and randomized to either intervention (n=50) or control (CG: n=50) group for the purpose of this study. Plantar electrical stimulation will be provided during HD sessions, 3 times per week and for 12 weeks. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks to examine the effectiveness of the proposed intervention to enhance balance, improve quality of life, and improve lower extremity skin perfusion among HD patients with diabetes. This proposal is in line with Qatar National Priorities Research goals and if successful the result will open new doors to managing diabetes and kidney failure. In a setting where no therapeutic agents or interventions effectively address poor balance and loss of protective sensation among HD patients with diabetes and where affected individuals life with a heightened risk of developing a debilitating foot ulcer and quite possibly a disabling amputation, the potential impact from the plantar electrical stimulation system may offer the potential for significant clinical benefit, with very low risk, and with ease of implementation in routine care application for patients who are undergoing HD treatment.
The in-utero exposure of acute viral infection in some instances is proven to have short- and long-term neonatal effects during the postnatal and childhood period and the Zika virus, measles, mumps, and rubella are few examples. COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus strain of unknown consequences. The main purpose of this registry is to collect baseline data and help to establish future studies and hypothesis generation. In addition, we will be exploring the psychological impact of COVID-19 on women during the pregnancy and postnatal period. Stress and anxiety level are increased with potential adverse pregnancy and/or neonatal outcomes especially during an infectious disease outbreak. In fact, COVID-19 is associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes resulting in increased levels of stress and anxiety. In addition, women during the pregnancy, peripartum, and postpartum period are at increased risk of depression. A risk that has been aggravated by social and physical isolation. Indeed, the social and physical isolation, a critically needed measure to stop the virus transmission, resulted in increased stress and depression levels and adversely affecting the mental and physical health of both the mother and the baby.
Echocardiographic measurement of inferior vena cava (IVC) collapsibility index (CI) with automated software analyses has been introduced. This study aims to assess the accuracy of IVC-CI (caval index) measurements as well as the ability to track fluid responsiveness (FRes) over time comparing the automated echocardiographic method with the pulse pressure variation (PPV) technique and the manual echocardiographic method in cardiac surgery patients.
Colchicine acts upstream in the cytokines cascade by inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome while IL-6 receptor antagonists (tocilizumab) block the end result of the cytokines cascade. Hence, adding colchicine to tocilizumab with the aim of blocking the early and end products of the cytokines cascade, might reduce the risk of developing cytokine storm and hence the need for invasive mechanical ventilation and eventually death. Therefore, investigators aim to conduct an open-label randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adding colchicine to tocilizumab among patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia in an attempt to reduce the rate of invasive mechanical ventilation and mortality. Investigators will include patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia and already received tocilizumab according to local protocol. Enrolled patient will be then randomized in 1:1 to colchicine versus no colchicine. Patients will be followed up until discharge or for 30 days, whichever comes first. Data will be collected from electronic medical profiles. The primary efficacy outcome will be rate of invasive mechanical ventilation and will be determined using Cox proportional hazard model.