View clinical trials related to Pulmonary Disease.
Filter by:Respiratory rate (RR) is a vital sign used to monitor clinical condition of a patient. Various devices using different techniques are available to measure RR. One technique, capnography, uses continuous monitoring of expired gases, via a nasal cannula to assess end tidal CO2 concentration. This long-established technique is frequently used for patients in intensive care. Both RR and the shape of the capnogram waveform, which has a wave pattern marked by alternating inspiratory and expiratory phases, are used to help monitor the patient. Clinician Over-scored End Tidal C02 (COSC) waveform (whereby an expert identifies and scores each breath on the waveform and counts the number of breaths per minute) is considered to be a "gold standard" for measuring RR. Being able to record RR, without contact or interference with the patient is appealing because it requires minimal patient co-operation, enables measurements even during acute respiratory conditions, and may be more representative of "real life" physiology. Based on a principle originally described in the 1980s, a novel instrument that uses a completely non-contact system based on structured light plethysmography (SLP) has recently been designed by Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust. The device has been refined with the development of the Thora-3Di by Pneumacare Ltd, Cambridge. A grid of visible light is projected onto the thoraco-abdominal wall and two digital video cameras record changes in the grid pattern due to breathing motion. A waveform is produced by the anterior excursion of the thoraco-abdominal wall (SLPVol) over time, and a numerical output of RR is provided . The present study aims to simultaneously measure tidal breathing with the Thora-3Di and a BCI Capnograph 9004 device to compare the Thora-3Di RR output against that of the gold standard clinician over-scored end-tidal C02 (COSC) and to assess equivalence of the two devices with the aim to establishing the validity of SLP for RR measurement.
Communication about end-of-life issues is often suboptimal. A way to improve the quality of end-of-life care is Advance Care Planning (ACP). ACP is a discussion between an incurable ill patient and the health professionals about preferences for end-of-life care. In Denmark, there is no tradition of systematic communication with patients about end-of-life care. The aim is to investigate how ACP can be beneficial among incurable ill patients treated in an outpatient context and if the concept is feasible in a Danish context. The study is designed as a prospective randomised controlled trial. Patients from relevant departments will be included and randomised in two groups: one receiving usual care and the other receiving usual care and ACP. Data will be collected from Electronic Patient Files and from questionnaires. If ACP is effective, it will improve the quality of end-of-life care for patients and their families and reduce the psychological distress in the bereaved relatives.
Background: - High blood pressure in the lungs, known as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), is a rare disorder. Some people have disease-associated PAH and some have PAH from an unknown cause. Researchers want to follow the natural history of all PAH patients to understand how PAH progresses in order to discover targets for future research into new treatments. To further identify treatment targets, they will compare healthy volunteers to patients with PAH. Objectives: - To study the natural history of PAH. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 18 years of age who have PAH. - Healthy volunteers at least 18 years of age. Design: - Participants with PAH will have periodic visits to the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. After the first visit, they will return in 6 months and then yearly or every other year for as long as the study continues. - The first visit will take up to 3 days. It will involve the following tests: - Physical exam and medical history - Blood and urine samples - Heart and lung function tests and imaging studies - Six-minute walk test - Questions about exercise and physical activity - Healthy volunteers will have only one visit to the Clinical Center, during which they will undergo screening tests, and complete many of the same tests as patients with PAH
The objective of this work is to investigate and then to sequence new biomarkers in the plasma of patients presenting with dyspnea secondary or not to heart failure, and study their diagnostic and prognostic value.
This study will examine the different types of proteins present in the lungs of patients with pneumonia to explore the causes of different types of the disease. Pneumonia is a condition that causes lung inflammation AND is often caused by an infection. It is usually diagnosed by lung x-rays and listening to the chest with a stethoscope. This method can diagnose pneumonia, but it does not provide information on the cause of the inflammation - information that might be helpful in guiding treatment. This study will measure proteins in the lungs of patients to see if certain proteins are associated with specific forms of pneumonia, and can thus serve as biomarkers for disease. Patients undergoing diagnostic bronchoscopy at the NIH Clinical Center may participate in this study. Patients will undergo bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage as scheduled for their medical care. For this procedure, the patient's mouth and throat are numbed with lidocaine; a sedative may be given for comfort. A thin flexible tube called a bronchoscope is advanced through the nose or mouth into the lung airways to examine the airways carefully. Saline (salt water) is then injected through the bronchoscope into the air passage, acting as a rinse. A sample of fluid is then withdrawn for microscopic examination. Researchers in the current study will use some of the fluid obtained from the lavage to examine for protein content. In addition to the bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage, participants will have about 2 tablespoons of blood drawn to compare blood test results with the results of the lung washings. Patients' medical records will be reviewed to obtain information on past medical history, current medical treatment, vital signs, and results of x-ray tests.