Croup

Researchers are evaluating the combination of Adebrelimab with carboplatin or cisplatin plus etoposide chemotherapy and concurrent radiotherapy as a first treatment for patients with extensive-stage oligometastatic small cell lung cancer. This Phase II open-label study aims to assess the safety and effectiveness of this regimen in this patient group. The trial is led by Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University and focuses on patients with limited metastatic lesions and organs affected. Participants will first receive Adebrelimab intravenously along with carboplatin or cisplatin and etoposide for two cycles during the induction phase. Next, participants undergo concurrent chemoradiotherapy, including thoracic radiation and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to metastases, combined with one to two cycles of chemotherapy. Following this, they will receive one to two additional cycles of Adebrelimab combined with chemotherapy, and then continue on Adebrelimab alone as maintenance therapy until disease progression, unacceptable side effects, or withdrawal from the study. During the study, participants will be closely monitored through clinical assessments, imaging, and laboratory tests to track progression-free survival and other measures such as overall survival and response rates, with follow-up lasting up to approximately 30 months. Safety will be monitored by recording adverse events throughout the treatment and maintenance phases. The total participation time includes induction, concurrent chemoradiotherapy, maintenance, and follow-up periods to fully evaluate treatment outcomes and tolerability.

Researchers are conducting a Phase 1, open-label, randomized crossover study to evaluate how the study drug ibuzatrelvir is absorbed into the bloodstream of healthy adults. The trial compares the amount of ibuzatrelvir in blood after taking different tablet formulations, including the original and new tablets, both with and without food. The study also assesses the safety and tolerability of the medication. Participants will take a single dose of ibuzatrelvir in four different ways across four dosing periods: the original tablet fasted, the new tablet fasted, the new tablet dispersed in water fasted, and the new tablet fed. Each dosing period lasts 2 to 3 days, and participants will stay in the clinical research unit for 9 nights and 10 days to complete all dosing and procedures. The study uses a crossover design where each participant receives all treatment types in varied sequences. During the study, participants will have blood and urine samples collected for safety and to measure drug levels, with up to 40 blood draws for pharmacokinetics. They will also undergo up to 8 ECGs to monitor heart activity. Participants must fast overnight before most doses. After the inpatient stay, a follow-up phone call will occur 28 to 35 days after the last dose. Total participation lasts about 10 to 11 weeks.

Researchers are evaluating the effects of acupressure on cough and related symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue in lung cancer survivors. This randomized controlled trial aims to see if acupressure can reduce these symptoms, improve symptom burden, and enhance health-related quality of life and functional ability in patients with lung cancer. The study addresses the significant impact that cough and its related symptoms have on lung cancer survivors' quality of life and overall survival. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group receives an 8-week acupressure intervention, while the other receives an educational booklet about lung cancer, cough causes, and management. The acupressure group attends two hospital training sessions in the first week to learn the technique, then performs acupressure daily on 15 specific points twice a day and during coughing episodes as needed. The education group receives the booklet after baseline assessment and will be offered acupressure later after the study ends. Participants keep diaries of their acupressure practice and symptoms and are assessed four times: before starting (baseline), after one week, after eight weeks, and eight weeks after the intervention ends. Researchers measure cough, quality of life related to cough, symptom clusters, fatigue, shortness of breath, symptom burden, functional capacity, and overall health-related quality of life. Follow-up continues for 16 weeks to monitor lasting effects and safety throughout the study period.

Researchers are evaluating the ability of the AeviceMD, a wearable medical device, to detect wheezing in both children and adults. Wheezing, cough, and breathlessness are common respiratory symptoms usually identified manually by healthcare professionals through listening to lung sounds. The study aims to find out if AeviceMD can detect wheezes as accurately as a physician and to explore its potential for remote lung sound monitoring. During the study, participants will have the AeviceMD device placed on them to record lung sounds and detect wheezes. The device's findings will be compared with assessments made by physicians through traditional auscultation. The study includes two groups: patients diagnosed with acute asthma exacerbations and patients with other non-cardiac and non-pulmonary complaints. Participants will undergo lung sound recordings both onsite with a physician and remotely, with the results compared between the AeviceMD device and medical professionals. The primary outcome is the detection of wheeze within 60 seconds, while the secondary outcome involves identifying respiratory sounds within 150 seconds. The study is observational and will continue until December 2026, involving children aged 3 years and older.

Researchers are investigating whether adding a diagnostic test that can distinguish whether an acute respiratory illness is caused by bacteria or viruses early in the evaluation can improve patient management and reduce healthcare resource use. The study focuses on adults presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) with undiagnosed respiratory infections who meet SIRS criteria and require immediate blood tests and treatment. The goal is to see if this test affects decisions about further diagnostic work, antimicrobial use, hospital stay length, and related costs. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. The experimental group receives the usual care plus results from the MeMed BVae biomarker test, which analyzes a blood sample to provide a score that may help guide treatment. The control group receives standard care without the test results. Both groups are managed by clinicians following standard practice protocols. The study aims to compare outcomes such as additional testing, use of antibiotics, hospital admissions, and length of stay between these groups. During the study, participants will be monitored from admission to the ED through about 28 days of follow-up. Researchers will track costs related to diagnostic tests, consultations, antimicrobial treatments, hospital stays, and emergency department visits. They will also assess hospital length of stay up to six months post-admission, the number of patients returning to the ED within 72 hours, and appropriate antibiotic use based on infection type. Safety and patient management quality will be evaluated by reviewing these clinical and resource measures.

Researchers are evaluating the safety and effectiveness of stopping antibiotic treatment early in adults hospitalized with respiratory viral infections. This study focuses on patients with moderately severe disease who test positive for respiratory viruses such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza virus, or human metapneumovirus. The goal is to determine if early discontinuation of antibiotics leads to similar clinical outcomes compared to continuing antibiotic therapy, aiming to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use and combat antimicrobial resistance. Participants are randomly assigned to either stop antibiotic therapy as started by their admitting physician or to continue antibiotic therapy without changes. The study monitors early clinical response at 120 hours after randomization, defined by survival with symptom improvement and no need for rescue antibiotics. Secondary assessments include mortality rates, hospital stay duration, antibiotic use, and readmission rates, all measured during hospital admission and up to 30 days after discharge. During the trial, participants undergo nasopharyngeal swab testing to confirm viral infection and are monitored closely for symptoms, survival, and antibiotic use. Researchers evaluate clinical response at 120 hours and track outcomes such as mortality, hospital stay length, and antibiotic doses until discharge and 30 days later. The study aims to gather detailed safety and efficacy data over the hospital stay and follow-up period, supporting more targeted antibiotic use in viral respiratory infections.

Researchers are investigating the best approach to treat low-risk patients with isolated subsegmental pulmonary embolism (SSPE), a type of blood clot in small lung arteries. The study aims to determine whether monitoring patients without anticoagulation is as safe and effective as giving anticoagulant medication. This is important because many patients currently receive anticoagulants that carry a risk of bleeding, but it is unclear if all patients with isolated SSPE need this treatment. Patients in the trial are randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group receives the anticoagulant drug rivaroxaban, starting with 15 mg twice daily for 21 days, then 20 mg once daily for a total of 90 days. The other group receives a placebo matching the same schedule. The trial compares clinical surveillance without anticoagulation to anticoagulation treatment to assess safety and effectiveness. Participants will be followed for 90 days after randomization to monitor for recurrent venous thromboembolism, significant bleeding events, and overall survival. Researchers will track these outcomes through clinical assessments and safety monitoring. This study is designed to evaluate if careful monitoring alone is a safe alternative to anticoagulation in selected patients with isolated SSPE, potentially reducing bleeding risks from treatment.

Researchers are evaluating the use of portable dynamic digital radiography (DDR), a new advanced chest X-ray technology, in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. DDR captures dynamic images of lung motion, ventilation, and perfusion at a high frame rate, potentially providing more detailed and quantitative lung function information compared to traditional chest X-rays. This trial aims to test the feasibility and safety of portable DDR in the ICU and to compare its diagnostic value with current standard imaging methods. Participants will receive one to three sets of DDR scans, including 7-second breathing and breath-holding scans. These images will be compared to gold standard clinical exams such as chest X-rays, CT scans, or ventilation-perfusion (VQ) scans. The study will observe how DDR performs in diagnosing lung conditions like diaphragmatic dysfunction, pulmonary embolism, and pulmonary edema, alongside routine clinical imaging. Throughout the study, participants will undergo DDR imaging alongside their routine clinical imaging. Researchers will analyze these images to measure lung motion, diaphragmatic movement, and perfusion. The primary outcomes include assessing the precision of DDR in evaluating cardiopulmonary functions related to the diaphragm and lung motion as well as pulmonary blood flow, over a period of up to two months. The study will monitor safety and diagnostic accuracy while patients receive standard care.

Researchers are examining fluid and tissue samples from the lungs and noses of healthy individuals and people with a history of lung infections to identify differences that may relate to susceptibility to certain infections. This observational study includes healthy volunteers and patients aged 5 to 75 years who are followed at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The goal is to better understand immune function and pathways involved in respiratory infections by comparing samples from these groups. Participants may undergo various procedures including bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage, bronchial brushings, and endobronchial biopsies in adults; nasal mucosal biopsies and brushings; sputum induction; measurement of nasal nitric oxide and nasal potential difference; collection of exhaled breath condensate, aerosol samples, and cough aerosols; and Lung Clearance Index testing. These samples will be analyzed for cellular and acellular components in specialized laboratories. During the study, participants will have medical history reviews, physical exams, blood and urine tests, chest X-rays, electrocardiograms, and treadmill stress tests if indicated. Bronchoscopy procedures involve sedation and numbing for comfort while collecting samples from the airways. Researchers will measure immune function differences and monitor various respiratory and physiological parameters over time. Participants will also provide informed consent and arrange for transportation home after procedures, with the total participation involving multiple sample collections and assessments.

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are a significant health concern worldwide, causing substantial illness and disability. This study focuses on postmenopausal women aged 40 to 60 years to explore how hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may influence the frequency and severity of RTIs. The research aims to better understand risk factors for RTIs during menopause and evaluate how wearable technology can predict infection onset before symptoms appear. The study observes two groups of women: those taking HRT and those not taking HRT. Over six months, participants will wear a smartwatch to continuously monitor physiological data such as heart rate and sleep patterns. They will also complete questionnaires about lifestyle, medical history, and environmental exposure. RTI episodes will be tracked through self-reporting and confirmed by lab tests. Data analysis will use statistical and machine learning methods to identify predictors of RTI and develop an early-warning model. Participants will be followed for six months from enrollment, during which researchers will record the number and severity of RTI episodes. Wearable devices and questionnaires will provide ongoing data, while laboratory confirmation will validate infections. The study will assess daily individual risk of RTI onset and correlations between participant characteristics and infection outcomes. Findings aim to support personalized prevention strategies and improve respiratory health management in postmenopausal women.