PIC Bone
Who is it for? Children and young people under 16years old with a diagnosis of bone or joint infection, suspected by the treating clinician
Why? The PIC Bone study is a research study led by surgeons, doctors and scientists who are working to improve accuracy and efficiency of diagnosis of bone and joint infection in children and young people.
Approximately 1800 children are admitted yearly to hospitals in England with suspected osteomyelitis (a bone or joint infection).
• Children with acute bone or joint infection present with symptoms of less than two weeks, including pain, reluctance to move the affected limb, raised temperature and malaise. It is important to be able to diagnose bone or joint infections as early as possible to avoid potential bone and joint damage.
• Early differentiation of bone or joint infection from less urgent conditions mimicking the symptoms is critical.
• Diagnosis after history taking, clinical examination, routine blood tests and x-rays can remain uncertain; therefore the study team would like to understand how helpful MRI and ultrasound scans are in achieving a more accurate diagnosis.
To find out more: contact Research Nurse Elsa Mathew
or visit the PIC Bone website
BronchStart
Who is it for? Children up to two years old attending the emergency department (ED) with symptoms of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) bronchiolitis such as cough and rapid breathing
Why? Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the most frequent cause of bronchiolitis, which is a common winter disease which usually affects children under 2 years of age. It is also a very common reason for presentations to ED and results in a large number of hospital admissions every winter. During the COVID-19 pandemic, measures such as social distancing and wearing face masks has affected how respiratory viruses are transmitted. With this study, we aim to find out the changes on timing, age and severity of bronchiolitis as COVID-19 restrictions are reduced throughout the country. This study only collects anonymised data, which is relevant to the study, so there is no need for consent to take place.
To find out more: contact your ED doctor
CURLY
Who is it for? Infants and children (3 months to 11 years) with a clinical diagnosis of febrile UTI in whom the decision has been made to treat with oral Cefalexin.
Why? CURLY is a study which aims to improve the treatment of children who have urine infections with high temperatures. Urine infections are very common in children. They can cause high temperatures, tummy pains and vomiting. This can be distressing for children and parents. Urine infections are usually treated with an antibiotic medicine called Cefalexin.
In adults, just a few days of antibiotics is usually enough to stop the infection. However, doctors are not sure if this is the same for children. Shorter treatments have fewer side effects, such as diarrhoea and sickness. Shorter treatments also mean that ‘bad bacteria’ do not form. ‘Bad bacteria’ can be difficult to treat as they cannot be killed by some antibiotics. However, doctors need to make sure that the treatment is long enough to cure the infection.
The study will compare different numbers of days of antibiotic treatment with Cefalexin.
To find out more: contact your ED doctor, or email CURLY@trials.bham.ac.uk, or visit the CURLY website
Empirical oral AntibioticS for possible UTI in well appearing Young febrile infants (EASY Study)
Who is it for?
- 29 to 90 days of age
- Suspected UTI
- History of fever
- Abnormal urinalysis
- Well on global clinical assessment
Why? In the EASY study we are investigating the use of oral antibiotics prior to the urine culture results being known. This may lead to earlier hospital discharge and management at home.
To find out more:
EASY Trial Team
Northern Ireland Clinical Trials Unit (NICTU)
7 Lennoxvale, Belfast, BT9 5BY
Tel: +44 28 9615 1447
Email: EASY@nictu.hscni.net
or contact Research Nurse Elsa Mathew
or take look at the EASY website
There may be other emergency medicine studies, which we haven’t listed here.
Please ask your Doctor about research that may be suitable for you or your child.
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