77 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of short-course post-operative antibiotic treatment for simple and complicated appendicitis
Appendicitis
While appendectomy has been the main treatment of appendicitis for over 100 years, recent European studies found that, at least among highly selected patients, antibiotics alone can be an effective alternative. Surgeons and patients alike have a difficult time deciding if surgery or antibiotics are the best choice to treat appendicitis. The goal of the TRIAD is to evaluate the patients who are a part of the TRIAD implementation program and assess satisfaction and decisional regret for patients with appendicitis. This information will be used to inform the design of decision-support interventions to help patients improve their ability to make an informed decision in-line with their preferences and values.
Appendicitis
This prospective trial will randomize patients who have had an appendectomy to two different durations of antibiotic therapy depending on the status of the appendicitis. For simple appendicitis, patients will be randomized to peri-operative antibiotics or 24 hours duration. For complex appendicitis, patients will be randomized to 24 hours or 4 days duration. Data will be collected prospectively and test the hypothesis that shorter durations of antibiotics will be non-inferior to the longer durations.
Appendicitis
This study evaluates operative and non-operative management of acute appendicitis (infection or inflammation of the appendix) and acute cholecystitis (inflammation/infection of the gallbladder) in patients with active mild to moderate COVID-19 infection. The hypothesis is that COVID+ patients with uncomplicated acute appendicitis or acute cholecystitis amendable to a laparoscopic procedure can have safe operative outcomes compared to those managed non-operatively.
Covid19, Appendicitis, Cholecystitis, Acute, Cholecystitis; Gallstone, Cholecystitis
To determine the effectiveness of the use of probiotics in patients with a diagnosis of complicated appendicitis on antibiotic associated diarrhea (AAD). Probiotics are defined as live microbial organisms that when administered in sufficient amounts, can provide a protective benefit to the individual patient. The use of probiotics in a pediatric population exposed to antibiotics and gastrointestinal surgery such as an appendectomy may provide a protective effect and prevent antibiotic associated diarrhea (ADD)
Appendicitis, Appendicitis; Perforation
The investigators aim to determine if early operative intervention is superior to non-operative management for adult patients with computerized tomography (CT)-proven complicated appendicitis with phlegmon or abscess.
Appendicitis
Acute appendicitis (AA) is the most common condition requiring emergency surgery in children. At a network of institutions nationwide, a tool called the pediatric appendicitis risk calculator (pARC)1 is being studied to assess patient's true risk of appendicitis and provide guidance for clinical management to ER physicians. Preliminary studies have found the pARC to be more accurate at predicting risk of appendicitis in children when compared to other scoring systems. The study objective is to assess acute care charges and clinical outcomes among children with an appendix ultrasound and a pARC score of less than \< 25% risk.
Appendicitis
When the appendix becomes infected and inflamed, it is called appendicitis. Sometimes, if the infection and inflammation get worse, the appendix can die or burst, leading to a larger infection or even pus pockets around the appendix. This is called complicated, or perforated, appendicitis. Three common treatments for complicated appendicitis are * appendectomy (removal of the appendix) right away * appendectomy several weeks after the diagnosis * treating the appendicitis without performing an appendectomy This study seeks to determine which of these three approaches is most cost-effective in children with complicated appendicitis.
Appendicitis, Perforated Appendicitis, Ruptured Appendicitis, Complicated Appendicitis
Several prior studies have demonstrated that medical management of acute appendicitis in adults is a safe first-line therapy option. This study aims to determine whether non-operative management of uncomplicated acute appendicitis with antibiotics is non-inferior to operative management in a pediatric population. This study will be a randomized controlled trial comparing non-operative management with antibiotics to surgical management of uncomplicated acute appendicitis. The hypothesis is that antibiotics are not worse than surgery for the treatment of uncomplicated appendicitis in children.
Appendicitis
The objective of this study is to evaluate two standard post-operative pain regimens routinely used after laparoscopic appendectomy for perforated appendicitis. The investigators hypothesize that the use of intravenous (IV) acetaminophen in addition to IV ketorolac with narcotic pain pump will decrease time to transition off patient/nurse controlled analgesia (PCA) to oral pain medications.
Perforated Appendicitis
The primary purpose of this study is to determine the accuracy of ultrasound (US) in diagnosing appendicitis in emergency department (ED) patients, as compared to the criterion standards of computed tomography, operative reports, or discharge diagnosis. The secondary purposes of the study include evaluation of the effect of ultrasound for appendicitis on the patient length of stay in the emergency department, the diagnostic utility of specific ultrasound findings in the diagnosis of appendicitis, the role of body mass index (BMI) in the utility of ultrasound for appendicitis and relation of ultrasound findings to the Alvarado score. The study will also examine the inter-rater agreement between point-of- care sonographers' interpretation and blinded reviewers' interpretation of the ultrasound images.
Acute Appendicitis
Rationale and Aim: The standard treatment for acute appendicitis in children is appendectomy. An increasing body of evidence from the adult literature suggests that acute appendicitis may be treated effectively with antibiotics alone, avoiding the need for surgery. The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of non-operative treatment of acute appendicitis in children. Study design: Pragmatic, parallel-group, unmasked, non-inferiority multicentre randomized controlled trial (RCT). Patient allocation: Children will be randomly allocated (age 5-16 years) with a diagnosis of acute appendicitis to either laparoscopic appendectomy or treatment with antibiotics. Randomization will be performed using stratification to ensure equal distribution between groups of presenting clinical and demographic features that may influence outcome including gender, duration of symptoms and center. Interventions: One group of children will undergo laparoscopic appendectomy that is the current standard treatment for children with acute appendicitis. The other group will be treated with intravenous antibiotics. A treatment pathway specifically designed for this study will be used. Primary Outcome: To be meaningful to parents of, and clinicians treating, children with acute appendicitis, the primary outcome is treatment failure defined as: (i) any additional intervention related to appendicitis requiring general anesthesia within 1 year of randomization (including recurrence of appendicitis after non-operative treatment, which we will treat with appendectomy) or (ii) negative appendectomy. Secondary outcomes are: (i) complications; (ii) time to discharge following randomization; (iii) number and duration of hospital admissions. Sample size and data analysis: The proposed RCT has a 20% non-inferiority margin to test the null hypothesis that treatment with antibiotics is inferior to appendectomy. Based on data from collaborating centers and a pilot study that we have performed, we expect recruitment of 978 children in total (90% power) over 19 months allowing for drop out. Follow-up will be for 12 months.
Appendicitis
1. Purpose and Objective: The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility of rapid acquisition of point of care 3D ultrasound for pediatric appendicitis. The study will use a newly developed acquisition method and post-processing technique to create three dimensional image models of the abdomen. 2. Study activities and population group. The study population will be a convenience sample of patients 18 years and younger with suspected appendicitis, whose clinical care (unrelated to the study) includes ultrasound and/or CT of the abdomen. The study intervention includes acquisition of research ultrasound images, which will not be used for clinical care, and comparison of these images with clinically obtained images. Other clinical data such as surgical and pathology reports will also be reviewed. If not evident from the patient medical record, the final diagnosis will be confirmed by a telephone call to the subject 2 weeks after the initial visit. 3. Data analysis and risk/safety issues. This is a pilot study intended to determine feasibility and to refine image reconstruction algorithms. Research images will be compared to clinical images to determine the frequency of visualization of the appendix and whether the appendix was deemed normal or abnormal. Comparison of research images with final diagnosis will also occur. The research intervention, an ultrasound exam, has no known safety risks. The only risk to subjects is loss of confidentiality. This study is observational, not interventional, because the experimental ultrasound will be performed in all subjects and will not be used in the clinical care of patients (consequently, will not have the opportunity to affect clinical outcomes). Experimental images will be reviewed after completion of clinical care and will not be provided to the clinicians caring for the subjects. We are not measuring the effect of the ultrasound examination on the subjects' outcomes.
Appendicitis
The major goal of the project is to demonstrate the feasibility of conducting a multi-center randomized clinical trial of antibiotic therapy versus appendectomy for the treatment of patients with acute uncomplicated appendicitis by conducting a single-site pilot study so as to optimize the chance of a large multi-center clinical trial's future success.
Acute Uncomplicated Appendicitis
A successful non-operative management strategy for early appendicitis will decrease the number of children requiring surgery and may improve the quality of care related to the treatment of appendicitis. To account for the child-family perspective and treatment preferences, the investigators will perform a study in which patients and their families choose between antibiotics alone (Non-operative group) or appendectomy (Surgery group) at ten U.S. hospitals. This study will determine the effectiveness of non-operative management of early appendicitis with antibiotics alone in children and compare differences in morbidity, disability, quality of life, satisfaction, and cost between families choosing surgery or non-operative management.
Appendicitis
To determine if non-operative management with antibiotics alone is a feasible treatment alternative for pediatric patients with uncomplicated acute appendicitis with an appendicolith identified on imaging.
Appendicitis
The purpose of this study is to determine if a patient activation tool (PAT) can improve decision making and patient centered outcomes in pediatric patients with appendicitis and their caregivers choosing between antibiotics alone and appendectomy.
Appendicitis, Children
The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of non-operative management of early appendicitis in children. We hypothesize that non-operative management of early appendicitis in children with antibiotics alone will be successful in 80% of children at 1 year follow-up.
Appendicitis
Several recent studies have examined the feasibility and benefits of nonoperative treatment of perforated appendicitis in children. One such study showed a trend toward longer operative times for patients randomized to immediate appendectomy, but no overall advantage. In another larger study, the costs of delayed appendectomy for perforated appendicitis were higher - in part related to readmissions in the interval (6-8 weeks). Nevertheless, these and other studies have demonstrated the safety of delaying appendectomy for perforated appendicitis. Emergency appendectomy is a well-established approach, and postoperative recovery in children is fast. Nevertheless, from the onset of symptoms through the hospital stay and the postoperative recovery, appendicitis causes a disruption of a family's normal routine (absence from school and work) of up to 1-2 weeks. Because this is an unplanned operation, patients have to wait until an operating room becomes available, or elective operations have to be placed on hold to accommodate the emergency operation. Each year, more than 250 children undergo an appendectomy at HCH. This represents 250 episodes of emergency surgery, or about one emergency add-on operation per working day. If an initial trial of antibiotics is safe for the treatment of appendicitis, converting an emergency operation into an elective, scheduled outpatient procedure may reduce stress and disruption of routine for patients and their families - and may allow better operating room planning for health care professionals and hospitals. The investigators hypothesize that initial antibiotic treatment of acute (non-perforated) appendicitis, followed by scheduled outpatient appendectomy, reduces the overall cost of treating the disease and results in greater patient and family satisfaction. This pilot study aims to establish the safety and feasibility of treating acute appendicitis with intravenous antibiotics, followed by outpatient oral antibiotics. Patients and their families will be offered the possibility of initial nonoperative treatment and subsequent outpatient elective appendectomy in a nonrandomized, single arm study.
Acute Appendicitis
The purpose of this study is to test a standardized approach for children being evaluated for appendicitis in the emergency department. This means that all doctors would use the same approach to diagnose appendicitis in children in the emergency department. This pathway uses two scoring systems to identify patients who are at high and low risks of appendicitis. These scoring systems are based on the patient's symptoms, signs the doctor finds when examining the patient, and their blood tests. The goal of this part of the study is to determine if the investigators' pathway accurately identifies patients who have appendicitis.
Appendicitis
Recent advances in laparoscopic instrumentation have made it possible to perform intra-abdominal operations entirely through a small incision that can be hidden within the umbilicus. The goal is to perform surgery with fewer incisions and no visible scars. Other potential benefits are faster recovery, less pain, and fewer wound complications. The term SILS (Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery) is being used to describe such techniques, and many have touted SILS as a major breakthrough in minimally-invasive surgery, moving the field closer to surgery that is bloodless, incisionless, and painless. Despite the hype, prospective comparisons of SILS versus conventional laparoscopy are lacking. Results of SILS procedures have generally been limited to case reports and small case series that lack controls. The investigators propose to conduct a prospective, randomized, single-center trial of SILS appendectomy versus conventional laparoscopic appendectomy to treat acute appendicitis. Primary end-points are operative time, complication rate, postoperative pain, recovery time, and long-term cosmetic outcome. The investigators hypothesize SILS appendectomy is equivalent to laparoscopic appendectomy with respect to operative time, complication rate, postoperative pain, and recovery time while providing a better cosmetic outcome.
Appendicitis
Study to find out if MRI can diagnose appendicitis in children as well as or better than CT scan and/or ultrasound scan performed at the same time. No additional contrast material or sedation will be used to perform the MRI.
Appendicitis
Computed tomography (CT) scan using intravenous contrast (CT IV) as the sole type of contrast material, was studied as one method of evaluating children with suspected appendicitis. We felt that this technique could provide physicians with a faster and better-tolerated alternative to CT imaging which involves patients drinking oral contrast or needing rectal contrast administered. SPECIFIC AIMS 1. To test an imaging protocol using CT IV for the evaluation of suspected appendicitis in children in the setting of a pediatric emergency department (ED). 2. To determine test performance characteristics (specificity, sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy) of CT IV in detecting appendicitis in children.
Appendicitis, Child, Contrast Media
The purpose of this study is to compare traditional triple antibiotic therapy against dual single day dosing antibiotic therapy in the management of perforated appendicitis in children.
Perforated Appendicitis
The exploratory objective of this pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of an enhanced recovery protocol that will allow adult patients to be discharged to home on an oral antibiotic regimen for three days following a laparoscopic appendectomy for complicated appendicitis. Feasibility will be determined by high compliance and adherence of patients to the postoperative instructions, while safety will be assessed by the incidence of postoperative infectious complications and requirement for re-admission.
Appendicitis Acute, Appendicitis Perforated, Appendicitis With Perforation, Appendicitis Suppurative, Appendicitis Gangrenous
The purpose of this study to assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of povidone-iodine (PVI) irrigation in perforated appendicitis, to investigate barriers and facilitators to future implementation of PVI irrigation, and to collect costs and clinical and patient-reported outcomes among patients with non-perforated appendicitis.
Perforated Appendicitis
To demonstrate the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of short-course post-operative antibiotic treatment for simple and complicated appendicitis
Appendicitis Surgery
Appendicitis (inflammation of the wall of the appendix, causing pain and tenderness in the abdomen) has a range of severity that goes from simple to complicated. Complicated appendicitis may present with infected fluid inside of the abdomen or a perforation or hole in the intestines. This research is being done to determine if placing an antibiotic solution in the abdomen at the time the appendix is removed is a safe procedure in patients between the ages of 3 and 18 years old with findings of complicated appendicitis. Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital (JHACH)'s current standard of care for patients with complicated appendicitis includes suctioning the infected fluid out of the abdomen at the time the appendix is removed. As part of this study, the investigators would like to see if patients with complicated appendicitis will benefit from routine care plus leaving an antibiotic solution inside the abdomen, after fully suctioning the infected fluid out of the abdomen.
Complicated Appendicitis, Acute Appendicitis
After the recent publication of the CODA Trial comparing antibiotics and surgery for acute appendicitis, the investigators developed a comprehensive decision support tool. This tool will help patients understand the risks and benefits of each treatment and make a treatment decision. This study is an online randomized field test comparing the decision support tool to a control infographic and assessing it's affect on decisional outcomes, such as decisional conflict.
Appendicitis Acute
A longitudinal observational/survey study evaluating patient centered decision making in the choice of treatment for acute appendicitis. Survey evaluates patients experience with decision making and the types of decision support they receive.
Acute Appendicitis