Clinical trials

Brief Summary People with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often have too much air trapped in their lungs (pulmonary hyperinflation). This makes it hard to breathe and reduces quality of life. This study tests whether a single session with a medical device called Simeox® can reduce the amount of air trapped in the lungs. Simeox® works by applying gentle intermittent negative pressure during exhalation to help air move out of the lungs more easily. Patients with severe or very severe COPD and documented hyperinflation will undergo lung function measurements before and immediately after a 20-minute Simeox® session. The main measurement is the change in residual volume (RV), which is the amount of air left in the lungs after a full exhalation. We will also measure changes in other lung volumes, breathlessness, and any side effects. This is a single-arm pilot study enrolling 23 patients at one center in Italy (ASST Lodi). The study is non-profit and has been approved by the Ethics Committee Comitato Etico Territoriale Lombardia 1 (CET Lombardia 1).

Heart failure is a chronic condition that can lead to frequent hospitalizations and reduced quality of life. This study aims to evaluate whether a nurse-led, face-to-face educational intervention can improve clinical stability, treatment compliance, and self-care behaviors among patients with heart failure after hospital discharge. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group, receiving a structured 30-minute educational session using the teach-back method, or the control group, receiving standard follow-up care. The primary outcome is clinical stability at three months, assessed using the Heart Failure Somatic Perception Scale. Secondary outcomes include self-care and medication compliance measured up to 12 months. The study will be conducted at the ASST di Lodi Heart Failure Clinic in Italy and is expected to last three years.