Clinical Trials

DIVA is a pragmatic randomized clinical trial (RCT) to determine: among (P) preterm infants born 24-27 6/7 weeks gestation undergoing extubation from mechanical ventilation, whether (I) Non-invasive neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NIV-NAVA) (C) compared with Non-synchronized nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NS-NIPPV), will reduce the incidence of (O) extubation failure within (T) 5 days (120 hours) of extubation.

This observational trial studies whether respiratory viruses are the cause of lung disease (bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome [BOS] or graft-versus-host disease of the lung) and changes in lung function in patients who have received a donor stem cell transplant. Patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) are at higher risk of developing BOS. Studies have also shown that patients who had a respiratory viral illness early after their transplant are at higher risk of developing lung problems later on. Patients who are at risk and who already have BOS might benefit from being monitored more closely. Spirometry is a way of assessing a patient's lung function and is often used to diagnose lung disease. Spirometry measured at home with a simple handheld device may reduce the burden of performing pulmonary function testing at a facility and potentially help patients get their lung disease diagnosed and treated sooner.

Ventilated pediatric patients are frequently over-sedated and the majority suffer from delirium, a form of acute brain dysfunction that is an independent predictor of increased risk of dying, length of stay, and costs. Universally prescribed sedative medications-the GABA-ergic benzodiazepines-worsen this brain organ dysfunction and independently prolong duration of ventilation and ICU stay, and the available alternative sedation regimen using dexmedetomidine, an alpha-2 agonist, has been shown to be superior to benzodiazepines in adults, and may mechanistically impact outcomes through positive effects on innate immunity, bacterial clearance, apoptosis, cognition and delirium. The mini-MENDS trial will compare dexmedetomidine and midazolam, and determine the best sedative medication to reduce delirium and improve duration of ventilation, and functional, psychiatric, and cognitive recovery in our most vulnerable patients-survivors of pediatric critical illness.

Are you a parent of a child in kindergarten to 5th grade? Or do you lead teachers who teach children in these grades? Researchers are testing if active learning can get children to move more. Active learning blends physical activity into school lessons. The study is taking place in Houston, Texas.

Does your child have Down Syndrome? Did they have a complete atrioventricular septal defect (CAVSD) repair within the first year of their life? Researchers in this study are investigating how the
brain develops in children with Down Syndrome who have congenital heart disease. To participate, your child must be between 5 and 12 years old and have Down Syndrome. The study will enroll children who have congenital heart disease as well as children who do not have congenital heart disease. The study is taking place in locations in Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, D.C., and Toronto, Canada

Are you a Hispanic father with a child between 5 and 11 years old? If so, would you be interested in learning how to prevent obesity for you and your child? Researchers are studying whether a father-child together program helps Hispanic dads and their children learn and use healthy behaviors to prevent obesity. You may be able to join if you are 65 or younger and have a child who is between 5 and 11 years old. Stepfathers, grandfathers, uncles, or older brothers may be able to join as well. The study is taking place in Houston, Texas.

This trial will compare time from randomization to failure of treatment or death from any cause of IST versus URD BMT when used as initial therapy to treat Severe Aplastic Anemia.

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare different types of blood transfusions for critically injured patients who require large-volume blood transfusions. Participants must be at least 15 years old and need a massive blood transfusion. The study is taking place in locations in Alabama, California, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The investigators' central hypothesis is that early combination therapy with two PAH-specific oral therapies that have been shown to be well tolerated in the pediatric population, sildenafil and bosentan, will result in better World Health Organization (WHO) functional class at 12 months after initiation of PAH treatment than therapy with sildenafil alone.

Have you or your child been diagnosed with a blood disorder? If so, you (or they) may be able to participate in a clinical study where researchers are studying a type of infusion using cord blood. Participants can be of any age but must have a blood disorder diagnosed by their doctor. The study is taking place in locations in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin.