EMBER Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exhaled Breath Metabolomic Biomarkers in the Acutely Breathless Patient
IRAS ID
198921
Contact name
Salman Siddiqui
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leicester
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 10 months, 30 days
Research summary
Hospitalisation for acute cardio-respiratory breathlessness due to heart failure, airway diseases (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)) and community acquired pneumonia account for up to 70% of acute hospital admissions to the NHS.It is well recognised that when clinicians remain uncertain of the cause of breathlessness, patients have a longer hospital stay as well as increased morbidity, mortality and risk of readmission.
The response to hospitalisation and recovery are heterogenous, and good markers to inform longer term outcome are unknown.
This observational study aims to identify biomarkers of cardio respiratory breathlessness as a part of a nationally awarded Medical Research Council (MRC) Molecular Pathology Node. Adult and paediatric patients presenting acutely with breathlessness to the University Hospitals of Leicester (Clinical Decisions Unit , Children's Assessment Unit and Diagnostic Development Unit/A&E) secondary to heart failure, pneumonia, asthma/COPD, will be recruited. A range of measurements additional to routine care- including breath measurements, questionnaires, lung function tests as well as blood, urine and sputum collection will then be performed within the Hospital Trust and Leicester Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit at Glenfield Hospital. Spousal/Parent/Sibling healthy aged /environment matched volunteers will be recruited in parallel and evaluate at two matching time point to the acute disease population. Participants will be followed up for two years, with selected measures performed during their hospital admission and following clinician defined recovery during their clinical outpatient follow up at 8-16 weeks following discharge from hospital.
The sensitivity and specificity of breath volatile organic compounds as biomarkers of acute breathlessness states will then be evaluated as the primary outcome. Additional outcome measures will replicate breath biomarkers of acute disease, evaluate their relationship with conventional clinical pathology tests and risk scoring systems and outcome measures such as readmission at 30 and 60 days and death using hospital episode statistics and clinical information systems.REC name
London - South East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/1747
Date of REC Opinion
16 Nov 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion