Can MR-proADM improve prediction of outcome in acutely ill patients?

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    The clinical utility of a risk assessment tool combining NEWS (National Early Warning Score) and mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) for the disposition planning of acutely ill patients

  • IRAS ID

    169785

  • Contact name

    Ashley Price

  • Contact email

    david.price@nuth.nhs.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 4 months, 30 days

  • Research summary

    When a patient is admitted to hospital as an emergency, simple “early warning scores” (EWS) are used with the aim of identifying early deterioration in the patient’s condition, such that appropriate treatment can be started as early as possible. This system is not failsafe however, and any test that added to (or replaced) EWS by providing quicker, earlier and more accurate ways of predicting deterioration would be of huge value to healthcare services. One rapid blood test that potentially fulfills these criteria measures concentrations of MR-proADM (a protein produced in the early phases of acute illness). MR-proADM has shown great promise in predicting outcomes in specific medical conditions.

    The aim of this study is therefore to test whether MR-proADM could improve the capacity of the NEWS score (widely used in UK hospitals) to predict outcomes early in the course of hospital admission. The study simply involves adding the MR-proADM test to tests performed on blood already taken from patients on admission (ie there are no additional blood tests required) and observing the outcome of patients’ on the medical admissions unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne. The accuracy of either a) a change in NEWS or b) MR-proADM for predicting patient outcomes will be calculated. Outcomes will include which ward they transferred to, time to discharge, mortality, whether discharged patients were re-admitted, and cost to the NHS).

    Should the study demonstrate that MR-proADM could potentially have improved care in this patient cohort, it will pave the way for future studies testing whether MR-proADM can actually improve patient pathways and whether clinical staff would be accepting of such a test in practice.

  • REC name

    North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 1 Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    15/NE/0120

  • Date of REC Opinion

    21 May 2015

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion