Clinical trials

This study wants to see if some interventional radiology (IR) procedures can be done without using general anesthesia. General anesthesia needs a lot of staff and equipment. It can also cause side effects. There are not enough anesthesia providers, which makes it harder to use for every procedure. The researchers will test deep sedation with ketamine instead. They will start with 20 patients. If it works well and is safe, they may include up to 40 patients. Patients will be asked to join the study before their procedure. The anesthesia team will be told ahead of time and will be ready to help if needed. The IR team will give the deep sedation and follow all safety rules. The main goal is to finish the procedure without stopping early or switching to general anesthesia. The study will call this successful if fewer than 10% of cases fail. The researchers will also look at patient pain, patient satisfaction, any side effects, and how long recovery takes.

Decompensated cirrhosis (liver disease) occurs when liver function decreases to the extent that serious complications develop and can include internal bleeding, fluid buildup in the abdomen, or mental confusion. This reduced decreased liver function subsequently decreases life expectancy. There is a critical need for strategies to delay progression to decompensation and reduce the occurrence of serious complications. Currently, limited therapeutic options are available for managing decompensated liver disease, with beta-blockers (BB) being the only proven medication with significant benefits in preventing disease progression. Statins have been historically under- prescribed in cirrhosis due to concerns of liver damage. However, there is emerging evidence that statin use may be beneficial and able to lessen liver disease worsening, with studies demonstrating its safety. Thus, we aim to conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) study of 50 subjects comparing the outcomes of decompensated cirrhotic patients receiving the statin, atorvastatin, and a non-selective beta-blocker (NSBB) versus those receiving NSBB plus placebo. Both groups will be followed for 12 months to investigate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of combination therapy.

Coronary angiography (CAG) for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes such as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is one of the common procedures which require the use of intravenous contrast media. The reported incidence of contrast induced nephropathy (CIN) in high-risk patients following CAG varies from 10% to 30%. The high rate of CIN in post-PCI patients could be related either to the patient (advanced age, previous CKD, diabetes, dehydration, and concomitant use of other nephrotoxic drugs) or procedure related (intra-arterial route of administration, use of high osmolar contrast media, repeated exposure to contrast within 48 hours, volume of contrast used). Several strategies to prevent or treat CIN have been developed, including hydration, N-acetyl-cysteine, statins, ascorbic acid, bicarbonate, aminophylline, forced diuresis, renal replacement therapy, and choice of low-osmolarity or alternative agents, but one of the most obvious means is to minimize contrast volume. The DyeVert plus Contrast Reduction System, is designed to lower the amount of contrast dye the kidneys are exposed to during a procedure. Because the amount of contrast dye is precisely controlled. The purpose of this prospective study is to understand how the monitoring system of Dye-Vert Plus will impact Acute Kidney Injuries rates in high-risk patients undergoing cardiac catheterization when used in conjunction with a standardized hydration policy.