Diagnosis and management of tube infection (version 1)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Development of evidence based diagnostic criteria for intravascular catheter infection and an assessment of antimicrobial management of intravascular catheter infection using isothermal microcalorimetry
IRAS ID
227406
Contact name
Peter Austin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Joint Research Office
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Patients may need to receive nutrients into their bloodstream because their gastrointestinal tracts do not function in the normal way. To provide nutrition via the bloodstream it is administered through a narrow tube called an intravascular catheter which is inserted into a vein. The inside of an intravascular catheter may become infected despite adherence to strict measures that aim to prevent this happening. Such an infection may cause a patient to become very unwell, distressed and risk death.
The study has two primary objectives.
The first primary objective is to establish a single set of criteria that can be consistently used to diagnose an intravascular catheter infection. This is because there is currently no single accepted recommendation and often different recommendations contradict each other making management and monitoring of patients confusing and counterproductive. Whenever an intravascular catheter infection is suspected in up to 200 hospitalised adult patients each having nutrition administered into their bloodstream, information to confirm or exclude infection according to different recommendations will be collected and patients’ identities anonymised. No additional blood tests or invasive procedures will be carried out beyond routine care, although samples taken will undergo some additional tests. All the available anonymised information and the clinical expertise of six healthcare professionals will identify the most appropriate information that should be collected to confirm or exclude infection.
The second primary objective is to use a technique called isothermal microcalorimetry, which measures the heat produced by bacteria as they grow, to identify the most appropriate antibiotics to treat intravascular catheter infection. This may help identify the most appropriate antibiotic to treat intravascular catheter infection more quickly than traditional methods. This work will be undertaken in a university laboratory and include the use of some microbial isolates taken from the hospital patients.
REC name
South Central - Oxford B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SC/0373
Date of REC Opinion
25 Jul 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion