REplicating MeAsurements of Total Haemoglobin The 'REMATcH' study

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Replicating measurements of total haemoglobin mass (tHb-mass) within a single day: feasibility and safety

• IRAS ID

  205301

• Contact name

  Michael PW Grocott

• Contact email

  mike.grocott@soton.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Southampton

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 11 months, 17 days

• Research summary

  It is possible to measure the total amount of haemoglobin (the pigment in the red blood cells that carries oxygen) in the body using a method called the ‘optimised carbon monoxide re-breathing technique’.

  To ensure accurate results the test needs to be repeated. Currently this has to be done on separate days due to a period of time being required for the carbon monoxide (used as a marker gas) gas to ‘wash out’ of the body. However it would be easier for both the patient and the doctor if this could be done on the same day. This study is being done to show if this method can be done twice on the same person in a single day, and that it is safe to do so. We would like to work out the best, safest and most comfortable way for this to be achieved by patients. Another group of researchers have managed to successfully do this in elite athletes but their bodies are quite different from ‘normal people’ and patients.

  The best way to do this is to firstly test it out on healthy volunteers using 3 different methods to ‘wash out’ the carbon monoxide gas that is being used as a tracer gas.

  We will be using 3 different techniques

  1- Cycling for 45 minutes (gently)
  2- Breathing in oxygen for 1 hour
  3- Cycling for 45 minutes (gently) and breathing in oxygen

  The volunteer will have their total haemoglobin mass measured 6 times in total over 3 separate days. Each time they will have a rest of at least 3 hours before they are retested and on each separate day a different method will be used either 1,2 or 3 above. Each participant in the study will undergo each of the 3 ‘washout’ techniques.

• REC name

  West Midlands - Edgbaston Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  16/WM/0274

• Date of REC Opinion

  16 Jun 2016

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion