17 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The purpose of this clinical trial is to evaluate the level of comfort adult patients with cirrhosis of the liver and ascites presenting to Northwestern Memorial Hospital experience during a bedside abdominal paracentesis by numbing the skin with a needle-less device (the J-Tip), instead of using a needle to numb the skin. The main questions it aims to answer are the J-Tip effect upon: 1. Pain during intra-dermal local anesthetic administration 2. Pain during subcutaneous local anesthetic administration 3. Pain during paracentesis 4. Procedure-related anxiety Participants will be randomly assigned to have their skin numbed either in the usual way with a needle or with the J-Tip. Participants will be responsible for having a paracentesis done in their hospital room and answering the survey questions regarding pain experienced during the procedure and how they would feel if they needed to have this procedure performed again. There is also a telephone follow-up survey 2 days after the procedure to ask the participant about their experience post-procedure. We will also collect data about any procedure complications.
The purpose of this study is to compare two different methods that are used for inserting the needle during paracentesis. One method is called the "coaxial insertion technique" and the other is called the "z-tract technique". Researchers would like to see which method is better and leads to less problems like oozing from the needle insertion site and pain during the procedure. Both methods are approved and currently used methods for doing a paracentesis at the University of Virginia. Which method is used generally depends on physician preference. There have been no studies done to date that compare these two methods for needle insertion.
This clinical trial compares a combination of two drugs that constrict blood vessels (Octreotide LAR and Midodrine) to albumin after large volume paracentesis. Subjects have cirrhosis and ascites.
For this study, the investigators will be collecting data based on patients' random selection to two different approved standard of care treatments for ascites: Subjects will get randomized into either Group A: Large Volume Paracentesis (LVP) with albumin infusion, or Group B: an early transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure.
Ascites is the accumulation of fluid within the peritoneal cavity of the abdomen. It is a frequent complication of cirrhosis that is associated with significant morbidity and poor quality of life. Large-volume ascites has been associated with impaired pulmonary function. In a previous study, the presence and severity of ascites were determined to be significant determinants of fatigue. In this study, we will determine whether large-volume ascites contributes to fatigue by assessing the response to drainage of ascites by means of a procedure called large-volume paracentesis. We hypothesize that treatment of ascites with a single large-volume paracentesis leads to decreased fatigue and improved quality of life and that this improvement is associated with improved sleep pattern. 20 patients with cirrhosis with refractory ascites requiring regular drainage of ascites fluid by large-volume paracenteses will be recruited for the study. All patients will undergo a complete clinical and physical examination for liver function, including blood tests. Hepatic encephalopathy, a change in mental status associated with liver dysfunction, will be assessed by obtaining historical data and by means of simple bedside neuropsychological examinations. Study visits will take place on two consecutive days, with each visit lasting approximately 2-3 hours. Immediately prior to a large-volume paracentesis, patients will complete standardized questionnaires for fatigue severity, quality of life, quality of sleep, and a physical assessment of fatigue by means of a 6-minute walk test. Repeat evaluations will be performed 1 day after the procedure. Statistical analysis will then be performed to determine the effect of the paracentesis on the various clinical assessments.
The investigators hypothesize that there is significant variability in management of patients with ascites despite guidelines provided by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, the professional organization most involved with management of liver patients. This variability may be attributable to knowledge deficits, skill limitations, or reflect systems-issues that limit the ability of a care provider to implement the clinical guidelines (time constraints, inadequate supervision, availability of appropriate equipment, and obtaining consent for non-emergent procedures). This variability does a disservice to the patients being treated, and results in trainee development of habits that are not evidence based. There are simple teaching tools available that may improve learning and retention of evidence based practice. Using these tools should result in more consistent appropriate patient care, improve patient outcomes, and provide better education to our trainees. The purpose of this study is threefold: 1. To improve medical house-staff's technical performance of and comfort level with paracentesis; 2. To improve adherence to professional organization guidelines and to determine if this in fact improves clinical outcomes; 3. To evaluate efficacy of three teaching interventions in inpatient medicine trainee rotations.
The purpose of this study is to assess in a controlled prospective setting, the safety of the use of Pleurx catheters and standard therapeutic paracentesis in patients with malignant ascites.
The purposeof this study is to determine the effect of a large volume paracentesis (procedure in whihc a catheter is placed to remove fluid from the abdomen) on the severity of fatigue i patients with cirrhosis (severe scarring of the liver) and large volume ascites (fluid in the abdomen).
Many medical procedures are done with the aid of ultrasound imaging, but they remain difficult to learn and perform. This study will use augmented reality technology for making these procedures potentially more intuitive, easier, more precise, and safer.
The study will prospectively analyze the analgesic and anxiolytic effects of thermomechanical stimulation (cold and vibration effects) with or without patient selected music preference during non-sedating interventional radiology procedures.
Background: Researchers want to study fluids and blood of people with cancer. The fluids are from the abdomen and around the lungs. Studying these might help researchers learn about the biology of cancer. This may lead to better ways to treat cancer. Objectives: To study the biology of cancer. Eligibility: Adults 18 and older with malignant solid tumors. Design: Participants will be screened with medical history, blood tests, and confirmation of diagnosis. Participants will have samples taken at regularly scheduled procedures. Fluids from the abdomen and/or lungs will be taken as part of the procedures. Blood will be taken separately. Participants may be asked to give more samples at future procedures.
Background: - Some people with gastrointestinal or ovarian cancer also have ascites. That is free fluid built up in the abdomen. Researchers want to see if a new drug can affect some of the immune cells in the ascites. This may also treat the cancer. Objective: - To look at the immune markers the ascites of people with gastrointestinal or ovarian cancer. Eligibility: - Adults age 18 and older with a malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract (GI) tract or metastatic ovarian cancer. As a result, they have ascites in the abdomen. Design: * Participants will be screened with: * Medical history, physical exam, and blood tests. * Echocardiogram: sound waves make images of the heart. * Electrocardiogram: measures electrical activity of the heart. * Paracentesis: a needle will be inserted in the abdomen and will remove some of the ascites fluid. * They may have a tumor biopsy. * Participants will get AZD9150 through a vein for 3 hours. They will get this 6 times in cycle 1 and 4 times all other cycles. Each cycle is 28 days. * Each cycle, participants will: * Have a physical exam. * Have blood tests weekly. * Be asked about how they feel and any medicines they are taking. * After every 2 cycles (about every 2 months), participants will have scans and x-rays of their tumor. * Participants will have paracentesis 2 more times during the study. They will have another echocardiogram. * At the end of therapy, participants will have a physical exam and blood tests. They will be asked about how they feel and any medicines they are taking.
Ascites is a frequent complication of patients with portal hypertension. As portal hypertension progresses, a percentage of these patients develop refractory ascites. Management options at that point include either TIPS or intermittent large volume paracentesis (LVP), with its attendant risks, Portal hypertension is accompanied by systemic circulatory dysfunction (decreased systemic vascular resistance and systolic BP), which is exacerbated by large volume paracentesis, with resultant renal and cardiac dysfunction. There are limited options for managing patients with acute decompensation, such as hepatorenal syndrome, although midodrine and other vasoconstrictors have been used in such patients. Midodrine has not been used as a possible therapeutic for ascites. Midodrine however, has been found to change the hemodynamics related to portal hypertension and ascites. There has been also change in mediators related to renal and circulation in studies of short duration (7 days) but not found in studies of 1 month duration, however the clinical effects of midodrine is found for longer duration in other similar conditions. The purpose of the study is to assess the utility of midodrine in patients with obvious systemic circulatory dysfunction (hypotension) in improving the outcome of patients with refractory ascites and change in hemodynamic parameters and its mediators. Specific endpoints include: 1) an objective reduction of the volume/rate of accumulation of ascites and 2) a decrease in the frequency of LVP.
The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of using Bevacizumab in the prevention of recurrent malignant ascites. Ascites is a debilitating and unpleasant complication of several types of cancer. Animal and laboratory studies have shown that tumor cell production and/or increases in the amount of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is a major cause of the formation of malignant ascites. Therefore, giving patients with malignant ascites a drug that targets and neutralizes VEGF should prevent the recurrence of malignant ascites following paracentesis (a procedure to remove fluid from the abdominal cavity).
The NASTRA Clinical Trial is a multi-center, randomized, controlled clinical trial designed to determine if treatment with transjugular intrahepatic portasystemic shunts (TIPS) is superior to high volume paracentesis (total paracentesis, TP) for the treatment of refractory ascites due to cirrhosis. Only patients with clinically tense symptomatic ascites (shortness of breath, umbilical hernia, abdominal pain and/or distension, and/or limitation of activity) who have either diuretic-resistant ascites or diuretic-intractable ascites are being studied.
This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of intraperitoneal administration of Bevacizumab to prevent the recurrence of malignant ascites. Ten patients will receive intraperitoneal Bevacizumab 200 mg in 250 ml of normal saline for infusion every two weeks for up to six weeks, or a maximum of three treatments.
The purpose of this research study is to see how effective bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) is in determining body composition (the amount of fat versus muscle in the body) and nutritional status in patients with End Stage Liver Disease (ESLD)