Clinical trials

The goal of this observational study is to analyse the association between anti-factor Xa activity (antiXa) and the occurence of venous thromboembolism (VTE; either deep vein thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism) in critically ill patients who are admitted to an intensive care unit. The main questions it aims to answer are: * What is the association between antiXa and VTE? * What is the association between antiXa and symptomatic, respectively incidental, VTE? * How is pharmacological anticoagulation with enoxaparin related to measured antiXa? * What is the association between antiXa and bleeding complications. * What is the incidence of venous thromboembolism in patients treated at an intensive care unit? * How is the occurence of VTE related to patient-centred outcomes such as mortality, quality of life, length of stay and days outside of the intensive care unit/hospital.

Patients are randomly assigned to a study group. Depending on the study group, either an arteriovenous fistula or tunneled cuffed catheter (TCC) will be implanted, followed by continuous evaluation of the patients during the first year after initiating the vascular access. The evaluation includes statistical evaluation of all events, including loss of access, thrombosis, infection, loss of patency, increase in co-morbidities, e.g. congestive heart failure as well as quality of life. The implantation of the TCC is a standard procedure and it will be used only in accordance with the approved instructions of use on subjects who have signed an informed consent form. The surgery is a standard operation and it will be performed by specialized surgeons on subjects who have signed an informed consent form (No grafts will be used; implantation of a standard TCC, used at the Department of Nephrology). Both, an arteriovenous fistula or a TCC, will be used for routine chronic haemodialysis

There is evidence that central venous catheters made of the permanent and non-eluting integral polymer Endexo® are more resistant to intraluminal thrombosis. This has a direct reducing effect on catheter malfunctions. Indirectly, due to reduced handling of the dysfunctional catheter, this may lead to a diminished rate of catheter related infections. Since catheter malfunctions and infections represent leading complications in a dialysis population, dialysis catheters produced with Endexo® technology have the potential to have beneficial clinical effects. In addition to improving patient outcomes, this could also reduce overall costs. In this pilot study the tunneled hemodialysis catheter BioFlo Duramax with Endexo® technology (Merit Medical, Utah, USA) will be compared with historical catheter dysfunction rates in standard tunneled dialysis catheters (silicone or polyurethane) in chronic dialysis population.

The goal of this observational study is to learn whether hazardous alcohol consumption, measured objectively by carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) levels at intensive care unit (ICU) admission, is associated with worse outcomes in critically ill patients. The main question it aims to answer is: Do elevated CDT levels at ICU admission predict increased short-term mortality and adverse clinical outcomes in adult non-traumatic ICU patients? Participants admitted to the intensive care unit via the emergency department will have CDT levels measured as part of the study. Researchers will then collect and analyze clinical data, including mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, delirium, ICU length of stay, renal replacement therapy, and ICU readmission rates, during hospitalization and follow-up.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a major contributor to ICU mortality and is characterised by hypoxaemia and pulmonary oedema. Pathomechanisms include barrier breakdown, immunopathology, haemostatic derailment and dysbiosis; however, the actual sequence of events and how they cumulatively lead to lung failure remains unclear. Although ARDS is frequently triggered by pneumonia, it can also occur as a result of trauma, aspiration or non-pulmonary causes. Importantly, ARDS is highly heterogeneous; growing evidence points to aetiology-specific pathomechanisms - a circumstance that explains why attempts to develop specific drugs or timely diagnostic markers have so far failed. A comprehensive analysis of key microenvironmental and haemostasis-related parameters of the lung, combined with multidimensional quantitative image features derived from chest CT scans (radiomics), will enable us to i) identify ARDS phenotypes with different biological characteristics and ii) generate new hypotheses regarding aetiology- or subgroup-specific mechanisms, molecular markers and therapeutic options. Our approach is based on ICU management of our patients guided by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Together with previously sampled cases and new samples collected as part of this study, our cohort will consist of patients with i) COVID-19-associated ARDS, ii) ARDS associated with other viral pneumonia, iii) ARDS associated with bacterial pneumonia, and iv) ARDS of non-pulmonary origin. Bacterial and fungal co-infections and superinfections are recorded in all patients and taken into account in the stratification. Patients with pneumonia without ARDS, as well as ventilated patients without underlying lung disease, serve as controls. To characterise the microbial lung microenvironment, the investigators combine data from routine microbiological diagnostics with microbiome sequencing and metabolomics. In addition, the investigators conduct comprehensive and longitudinal immune and haemostatic profiling by regularly analysing immune cells, cytokines and parameters of immune thrombosis in BALF and blood. Multi-omics integration then identifies phenotypic subgroups by merging all multimodal datasets - including radiomics. Selected samples from identified clusters are then further characterised using single-cell sequencing to uncover specific features/markers and pathomechanisms of the respective ARDS subtypes. Although it is clear that the pathogenesis of ARDS is multifactorial, comprehensive studies that integrate all relevant parameters are rare. Radiomics is increasingly recognised as a powerful tool for capturing the clinical status of ARDS in detail; however, to date, this imaging data has not been systematically linked to other omics readouts. The investigators aim to bridging this gap by conducting a thorough investigation across various ARDS aetiologies in the present study, incorporating all identifiable key factors. Our interdisciplinary team comprises basic immunologists, infectious disease and computational biologists, as well as clinicians with expertise in ARDS, infectious diseases, immunothrombosis and radiology.

Patients will receive in addition to standard histology analysis also the PDC- based drug screening.

The main goal of this observational, study is to develop a clinical decision support tool utilizing Impella 5.5 pump parameters to predict native heart recovery and prevent adverse events, by leveraging data science and real-world clinical data of cardiogenic shock patients. Therefore, secondary objectives are essential to consolidating a retrospective longitudinal analysis of Impella 5.5 pump data alongside ICU digital health record datasets to: 1. Validate the Impella 5.5 placement signal by comparing it with ICU arterial line waveforms. 2. Integrate pump data with ICU clinical data to identify patterns associated with therapy outcomes, including native heart recovery, heart replacement therapy, and mortality while on device support. 3. Define clinical scenarios linked to hemolysis, HRAEs, and arrhythmias and develop predictive models to mitigate their occurrence.

This study investigates if single lung ventilation on cardiopulmonary bypass can mitigate postoperative lung water accumulation determined by lung ultrasound in the ventilated lung as compared to the non-ventilated lung in patients at high-risk for developing severe pulmonary complications after cardiac surgery.

The goal of this registry is to better understand how primary biliary cholangitis develops over time, including the role of disease-related biomarkers, complications of the disease, and symptom burden. Patients with primary biliary cholangitis treated at participating centres in Austria will be invited to take part in this prospective registry. Participation in an associated biobank is optional. Clinical and laboratory data will be collected, and patients will be followed regularly through scheduled clinic visits. In addition, biological samples (serum, plasma, and, if available, liver tissue) may be collected and stored in the biobank for future research.

Preservatives such as m-Cresol are essential components in many subcutaneously injected medications, including insulin or human growth hormone, to prevent bacterial growth. However, clinical reports have suggested that these preservatives may cause local discomfort or pain at the injection site, which can negatively impact treatment adherence. While m-Cresol is widely used, its direct contribution to injection-site pain has not yet been investigated in a prospective clinical trial. This study aims to investigate whether subcutaneous injection of m-Cresol at concentrations commonly used in clinical practice (0.1% and 0.25%) cause significantly more pain than a preservative-free control solution. In a randomized, double-blind crossover design, healthy volunteers will receive three separate injections in a belly fold. Participants will rate their pain every 5 seconds until it subsides. The findings will help determine if m-Cresol is a primary source of injection-site pain and could lead to the development of more comfortable drug formulations.

Background Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (eCPR) is a rescue therapy for a selected group of patients. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is initiated to bypass the cardiac system and bridge time to definitive treatment of the cardiac arrest (CA) origin. eCPR treatment is very time-critical and, if indicated, should be initiated as early as possible. Patient selection for this highly specific treatment is challenging and relies on numerous factors. In the following phase of intensive care treatment, neuroprognostication is performed. However, following current guidelines, this is only recommended 72hours after CA. Once ECMO is initiated, a complex intensive care treatment is expected, without a guarantee for full neurological recovery. There is a recognized clinical need for more precise selection criteria, alongside predictive values, to enable earlier, reliable neuroprognostication. Aim This study aims to investigate whether super-early neuroprognostication before ECMO initiation is feasible. Super-early neuroprognostication will be performed using automated pupillometry and cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy (cNIRS) before ECMO initiation. Methods Patients evaluated for eCPR treatment at the Department of Emergency Medicine will be included in this study. By a study member not involved in clinical treatment, cNIRS and automated pupillometry will be performed before ECMO initiation and at predefined intervals: 10-20 minutes after ECMO Initiation, 1 hour (±15 minutes), 2 hours (±15 minutes), and 3 hours (±15 minutes). Follow-up measurements will be taken 24 hours (± 6 hours), 48 hours (± 6 hours), and 72 hours ± 6 hours after ECMO initiation. The secondary objective is to interpret the collected data regarding outcome parameters.

In this randomized crossover trial, participants begin with chest compressions at a 30:2 ratio while a study team member provides ventilation. In Scenario A, participants perform two-person CPR and receive a prerecorded patient history after 30 seconds. In Scenario B, participants only listen to the patient's history without performing CPR or any concurrent task. To control for time-dependent memory decay, Scenario B includes a 3-minute delay before completing the questionnaire, matching the interval between information exposure and recall in Scenario A. After each scenario, participants complete the NASA-TLX workload assessment and a semi-open questionnaire on the patient's history. A modified Brown-Peterson task follows as a washout period: participants subtract 3 repeatedly from 309 for 1 minute, followed by 4 minutes of rest without phone use or conversation. Calculation performance is not analyzed.

Asymmetrical and inadequate expansion of transcatheter heart valves (THVs) have been described as a key predictor of impaired valve hemodynamic performance predisposing patients for bioprosthetic valve dysfunction (BVD) and death. Post-dilatation using the original delivery system balloon at the identical filling volume after deployment of balloon-expandable THVs represents an invasive strategy to potentially optimize expansion and reduce asymmetry of balloon-expandable THVs. Currently, the efficacy and safety of routine post-dilatation has never been assessed in a randomized controlled fashion. The present randomized controlled DUOTAP trial aims to assess efficacy and safety of routine post-dilatation on THV expansion, hemodynamics, durability, and associated clinical outcomes in patients with severe aortic stenosis.

The therapeutic action of aVNS in pain treatment is based on the masking of pain by the electrical stimulation pulses, the activation of inhibiting pain control systems, and the release of neurotransmitters, such as endorphins. Pairing VNS stimulation with exercise and physiotherapy has yielded beneficial results in stroke patients as well as in smaller studies with back pain patients, already in short periods of time (2-4 weeks). The current study is intended to evaluate the performance of percutaneous auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (pVNS) in combination with Standard-of-Care (SoC) in a 3-week in-patient rehabilitation setting, in patients with chronic musculoskeletal/myofascial back pain. This will be a prospective, open, randomized, controlled pilot study to evaluate pVNS using the VIVO® wearable medical device for personalized pain treatment, in terms of feasibility, efficacy, and safety in combination with rehabilitation training. Patients will be randomized into one of the following treatment groups: * Group A: VIVO® (pVNS) + SoC (treatment group) * Group B: SoC (control/comparator group) Patients will remain on treatment for 3 weeks. This is comparable to other studies performed earlier, which showed safe and effective use of pVNS in chronic pain patients. The additional follow-up period of 3 weeks (optional 3 months and 6 months) allows to evaluate sustainable effects of treatment and late time effects, as previously shown in other studies. Patients in the treatment group (VIVO® + SoC) will receive personalized aVNS therapy in combination with SoC. Personalization of VIVO® treatment is performed based on the individual perception level of the stimulation at the ear with regards to the stimulation amplitude (in Group A). Amplitude is adjusted (range 0-5 V) to reach a distinct but comfortable tingling sensation to reach activation of Aβ-fibers of the auricular vagus nerve but not Aδ-fibers producing a sensation of pain. Not only the Investigator is able to adjust the amplitude at the trial visit (via VIVO® Pen) but also the patient is able to adjust the amplitude according to his/her perception. Patients will be randomized in this pilot study to receive either aVNS with the VIVO® system in addition to SoC vs. SoC alone as comparator group. Estimates of performance endpoints will thus be contrasted between aVNS and an established treatment option in this indication and controlled for regression to the mean and other forms of sampling bias. All concomitant medication and therapies will be thoroughly documented and taken into account in the final analysis.

50 responsive patients with language barriers will be included in this study. The prehospital emergency physician will start video-interpreting via a tablet. Feasibility, quality of communication, usability as well as changes in diagnosis and treatment will be gathered and analysed.

Parathyroid insufficiency is a common complication in thyroid surgery and occurs in 6.6 to 24%. Up to 4.4% suffer from permanent hypoparathyroidism requiring life-time substitution of calcium and vitamin D in order to maintain a normal calcium homeostasis. To prevent permanent postoperative parathyroid insufficiency after thyroidectomy, devascularized parathyroid glands are re-implanted intramuscularly by standard. To achieve graft function, meticulous preparation and division of parathyroid tissue is necessary as a prerequisite for tissue nutrition by diffusion until a recapillarization of the parathyroid fragments sets in. There are persistent controversies about the optimal technique for the autotransplantation. The injection of mashed parathyroid tissue into a muscle appears to be a fast, secure and easy tech-nique to provide a sufficient parathyroid hormone (PTH) production in cases of insufficient production of the glands left in-situ. The study is based on the hypothesis that intramuscular injection of mashed parathyroid tissue is a safe procedure that enables graft survival through diffusion and allows for the subsequent production of systemically measurable levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH). The intervention consists of injecting mashed parathyroid tissue into the brachioradialis muscle of the non-dominant arm. The primary objective is to evaluate this technique with respect to both local complications arising from the transplantation procedure and the functional performance of the graft over time. Outcome measures include the PTH gradient between the transplanted and non-transplanted arms, parathyroid hormone levels measured in the antecubital fossa of both arms, and calcium levels. The study population comprises 100 patients, and the trial is designed as a prospective multicentre study. The risk-benefit assessment indicates that the risks associated with participation-particularly local complications and potential graft malfunction-are expected to be low. In patients with familial or renal hyperparathyroidism, autotransplantation of small parathyroid fragments (approximately 1 mm in diameter) has been standard practice for decades. Additionally, the injection of mashed parathyroid tissue into the sternocleidomastoid muscle during surgery has been performed in many centers for years. However, that approach has the limitation that PTH originating from the graft cannot be reliably measured due to anatomical constraints.

The prevalence of diabetes is increasing, with type 2 diabetes mellitus comprising over 90% of cases. Diabetes mellitus complications, including diabetic retinopathy (DR), impose significant health burdens. GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists show promise in improving cardiovascular and kidney outcomes, but their effects on retinal microvasculature and neuroprotection remain unclear. This study investigates the impact of GLP-1RAs (semaglutide, liraglutide) and GIP/GLP-1-dual agonists (tirzepatide) on ocular blood flow and retinal function in DM patients.

Patient derived cell line (PDC) -based drug screening will be applied to formulate a personalized treatment approach.

Even after atraumatic tooth removal and/or immediate implant placement, some reduction of the alveolar ridge dimension is expected. To counteract (or limit) this reduction, alveolar ridge preservation technique (ARP) was developed. However, standard ARP techniques, such as grafting with bone substitutes, have some concerns, such as a long healing time prior to implant installation, residual graft particles, and often the need of re-grafting at implant installation. To overcome some of these limitations biologics have been discussed as an alternative approach, such as cross-linked hyaluronic acid (xHyA). However, whether the use of biologics only can achieve comparable results to the standard techniques, has yet to be answered. The aim of the present single-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial is to test non-inferiority in terms of mid-buccal alveolar ridge height resorption 4 months after ARP between 1) control/standard treatment (i.e., grafting with bone substitutes and socket seal) and 2) test treatment (i.e., xHyA applied with a collagen sponge and socket seal) at maxillary non-molar teeth. Forty-eight patients will be included and randomly assigned to one of the following 2 groups: 1) control group: standard ARP with deproteinized bovine bone material and covering of the socket with a free gingival graft (FGG) (n=24), 2) test group: application of xHyA soaked in a collagen sponge and covered by a FGG (n=24). The primary outcome parameter is the extent of mid-buccal alveolar ridge height resorption after 4 months, i.e., prior to implant installation, and the sample size calculation is based on a non-inferiority limit of 0.6 mm. The secondary outcome parameters are frequency of additional grafting at implant installation due to 1) a bony dehiscence or fenestration, 2) a thin buccal bone (\< 1.5 mm), or 3) contour improvement, cervical alveolar ridge width, alveolar ridge volume, histomorphometric assessment of alveolar ridge healing, feasibility of implant installation, aesthetic outcome parameters, patient reported outcome measures, changes in keratinized mucosa width, soft tissue healing, and assessment of postoperative complications. Patients will be followed up to 1 year after prosthetic restoration.

The goal of this clinical trial is to systematically categorize potential prohedonic effects of psilocybin in patients with anhedonia in depression. The main questions it aims to answer are: Primary Objectives 1. Systematically categorize prohedonic effects (antianhedonic effects in patients with anhedonia in depression, increase in well-being in all participants). 2. Test effects of psilocybin on brain network complexity measures during the hedonic experience using fMRI as a correlate for prohedonic (anti-anhedonic and well-being increasing) effects. 3. Elucidate relevance of the psychedelic experience to these effects (clinical, behavioral, and imaging) in a pharmacological challenge using the 5-HT2A/D2 antagonist risperidone and extensive characterization of the psychedelic experience. Secondary Objectives 4. Test the differential effects of the psychedelic experience on fMRI paradigms measuring symptoms shown to be altered in anhedonia, more specifically reward processing and sexual arousal. 5. Test the relevance of neuroplasticity (BDNF) and inflammatory parameters to anti-anhedonic, well-being promoting, and brain network dynamic complexity effects. 6. Test the effects of the psychedelic experience on BDNF and inflammatory parameters. Researchers will compare the effects of psilocybin in two separate sessions (one with psilocybin alone, one with co-administration of risperidone) in both patients with depression and anhedonia and healthy control participants. Participants will: * Take 25 mg of psilocybin p.o. in two sessions, in one of the two sessions they will take 1 mg risperidone p.o. before ingestion of psilocybin, to block psilocybin's acute psychedelic effects. * Undergo 3 MRI sessions, one before the first psilocybin session ('baseline') and one session each on the day after each respective psilocybin session. * Perform a variety of tasks during each fMRI session to asses the treatment's effects on anhedonia.

The aim of the present study is to gain more information about retinal functional parameters in myopic children in Europe. For this purpose, a prospective case-control study in children aged between 8 and 13 years, as this is the usual age of myopia onset, will be conducted. Forty myopic children will be age- and sex-matched to non-myopic controls. Retinal oxygen extraction will be used as the main outcome parameter, as data from animal and human studies point towards an involvement of hypoxia in the disease process. In addition, other parameters probably linked to myopia will be investigated, such as retinal and choroidal blood flow as well as choroidal and retinal vessel density and anatomical structures such as choroidal and central retinal thickness. Also, questionnaires about lifestyle factors will be completed.

The aim of this clinical study is to evaluate a toric add-on intraocular lens (IOL) for the correction of high astigmatism in patients who have undergone keratoplasty and cataract surgery. As this patient group often suffers from significant preoperative residual astigmatism, there is a relevant clinical need for effective and safe refractive treatment options. The implantation of a toric add-on IOL in the ciliary sulcus is intended to significantly reduce postoperative astigmatism and improve visual rehabilitation. The study is designed as a prospective, monocentric clinical trial with a limited number of cases, as this is a rare condition with limited availability of suitable patients. It is being conducted in accordance with Section 3 of the Austrian Medical Devices Act (MPG 2021) and is investigating a CE-marked add-on intraocular lens implant used within its intended purpose. The postoperative refractive cylinder serves as the primary endpoint, as it reflects the actual effectiveness of astigmatism correction. The rotational stability of the add-on IOL, which significantly influences refractive precision, is recorded as a secondary endpoint. All study participants will be examined pre- and postoperatively in accordance with applicable medical standards. The results should contribute to the optimization of refractive care after keratoplasty and assess the clinical applicability of toric AddOn IOLs in this specific indication.

This randomized controlled unblinded trial aimes to compare BeFlared FEVAR Stent Graft System (BeFlared) with GORE® VIABAHN® VBX Balloon Expandable Endoprothesis (VBX) in patients undergoing endovascular aneurysm repair with fenestrated device (FEVAR). Primary objectives: * compare cumulative device time between patients undergoing FEVAR with BeFlared and VBX brindging device; * compare target vessel (TV) instability at early, short-term and midterm follow-up in patients undergoing FEVAR with BeFlared and VBX brindging device. Secondary objectives: \- compare intraoperative TV technical success in patients undergoing FEVAR with BeFlared and VBX bridging device.

Drug-eluting stent (DES)-based primary percutaneous intervention (pPCI) has been established as the standard of care for patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), having demonstrated superiority over thrombolysis, plain balloon angioplasty, and bare-metal stents. Recently, the use of drug-coated balloons (DCB) has expanded dramatically across a variety of anatomical and clinical settings, including de novo coronary lesions. A DCB-based pPCI strategy may simplify the procedure and mitigate the risks of inadequate stent sizing due to spasm or large thrombus burden, acute stent thrombosis, distal embolization, no reflow, and the relatively higher incidence of late stent-related adverse events compared with elective PCI. Despite these theoretical advantages, data on the safety and efficacy of DCB-based pPCI in STEMI remains limited. The aim of this registry is to explore procedural and clinical outcomes of patients with STEMI treated with a DCB-based pPCI strategy.

Patients with with recurrent or progressive medulloblastoma, ependymoma, atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT), and CNS tumors of various histologies have a very poor prognosis whether treated with conventional chemotherapy, high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue, irradiation or combinations of these modalities. Antiangiogenesis therapy has emerged as a new treatment option in solid malignancies. The frequent delivery of low doses of chemotherapy, referred to as metronomic or antiangiogenic chemotherapy, targets endothelial cells while reducing the toxicity associated with standard dose chemotherapy. The aim of the study is to extend therapy options for children with recurrent or progressive medulloblastoma, ependymoma, ATRT, and CNS tumors of various histologies, for whom no known curative therapy exists, by prolonging survival while maintaining good quality of life. The study will be conducted in independent strata. Stratum I (recurrent medulloblastoma): recently completed (Peyrl, 2023). Stratum II (recurrent ependymoma), III (recurrent ATRT) and V (recurrent CNS tumors of various histologies, patients with exclusion criteria and adult patients): The primary objective is to determine the response rate defined as the percentage of patients with complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD) or lack of recurrence at 6 months after start of antiangiogenic treatment. Stratum IV (recurrent medulloblastoma): To determine whether temozolomide, irinotecan, bevacizumab, thalidomide, celecoxib, fenofibrate, etoposide ivt, cytarabine ivt can increase the response rate after 6 months of treatment, compared with etoposid, cyclophosphamide, bevacizumab, thalidomide, celecoxib, fenofibrate, etoposide ivt, cytarabine ivt. Additionally, PFS, OS, toxicity, QoL, performance status, predictive and prognostic markers will be examined. In stratum II and III, the study will follow an open label, single arm phase 2 design, and an open label randomized two-arm phase 2 design in Stratum IV, and the exploratory Stratum V.