Infection Clinical Trials

This study will examine the effectiveness of a new laboratory method for detecting pneumocystis organisms in a salt-water (saline) oral wash. Pneumocystis infection in people with weakened immunity especially patients with HIV infection or cancer, organ transplant recipients and people receiving immune suppressing therapy can cause life-threatening pneumonia. Currently, pneumocystis infection is diagnosed by sputum analysis or bronchoalveolar lavage. For the sputum analysis, patients are induced to produce a sputum sample (liquid discharge from the lung) using a saline mist; however, many hospitals lack the expertise to perform this procedure. The second method, bronchoalveolar lavage, involves inserting a flexible tube into the lung and injecting saline to produce a specimen for diagnosis. This method, however, is time-consuming and can be uncomfortable. New techniques may allow the use of an oral wash to diagnose pneumocystis, even though an oral sample contains far fewer organisms than are obtained with the current methods. This study will examine whether new techniques, such as nucleic acid amplification, may enable a simple oral wash to be used effectively for diagnosis of pneumocystis infection. Patients 3 years of age and older with weakened immunity who have acute pneumonia may be eligible for this study. In addition, people at increased risk of infection with pneumocystis, including health care professionals, family members of patients, and other patients in health care facilities, may participate. Participants will have a medical history and review of medical records to determine their health status and determine if they have had recent respiratory problems or documented PCP. They will then provide an oral wash sample. For this procedure, subjects first rinse their mouth well. Then, they vigorously swish 50 milliliters of saline for 5 to 10 seconds and immediately repeat the procedure to provide two specimens. Washes may be requested daily, weekly, monthly, or for a period of time to be specified. Participants will also have two tubes of blood drawn (total of 20 milliliters, or 4 teaspoons) to test for evidence of pneumocystis. Although no other tests are required for this protocol, participants may be asked to provide optional add'l samples, as follows: If a sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage sample is required in the course of the patient s clinical mgmt, enough material will be obtained, if possible, for research purposes as well as what is needed for routine care. An induced sputum sample may be requested just for this protocol. For this procedure, a mask with a saline mist is placed over the face, inducing a cough that, it is hoped, will produce sputum from the lungs. Read Less

Approximately one million transrectal prostate biopsies are performed annually in the U.S., and the risk of post- biopsy infection is increasing due to greater antibiotic resistance of rectal flora. Preliminary data demonstrates that a transperineal MRI-targeted biopsy approach under local anesthesia compared to the standard practice transrectal MRI-targeted prostate biopsy has a much lower risk of infection, comparable pain/discomfort and may improve detection of prostate cancer. This randomized controlled trial will be the first prospective study to evaluate in-office transperineal MRI targeted prostate biopsy. The investigators hypothesize that a transperineal MRI-targeted biopsy approach under local anesthesia compared to the standard practice transrectal MRI-targeted prostate biopsy has a much lower risk of infection, comparable pain/discomfort and may improve detection of prostate cancer. Read Less

Background: CGD is caused by a gene mutation. For people with CGD, their cells cannot kill germs well, so they can get frequent or life-threatening infections. Researchers want to see if a new procedure can help a person s cells kill germs for a short time. It uses messenger RNA (mRNA) to deliver correct instructions for the gene mutation to the cells. Objective: To test a procedure in which mRNA is added to a person s blood cells. Eligibility: Males aged 18-75 with CGD with a mutation in the gene that makes the protein gp91phox. Design: Participants will be screened with: Medical history Physical exam Blood and urine tests Swab to test for strep throat Some screening tests will be repeated during the study. Participants will be admitted to the NIH Clinical Center hospital for at least 7 days. They will have apheresis. For this, a medicine is injected under their skin to prepare their white blood cells for collection. An IV line is placed into an arm vein. Blood goes through the IV line into a machine that divides whole blood into red blood cells, plasma, and white blood cells. The white blood cells are removed, and the rest of the blood is returned to the participant through an IV line in their other arm. The next day, they will get their mRNA-corrected cells via IV. They will be monitored for 3 more days. After discharge, participants will keep a symptom diary. They will be contacted weekly for one month, and then once a month. They will have a follow-up visit 3 months after the infusion.... Read Less

This protocol is being established to cover the evaluation of patients with inflammatory and/or infectious diseases which are not covered under previously existing protocols. The purpose of such a protocol is that frequently patients are referred to us with either diagnosed or undiagnosed illnesses which would be of interest to our teaching program or which would serve as a source of patients to subsequently be entered into established, ongoing protocol studies. Such patients will be admitted to the protocol and handled according to accepted medical practice of diagnosis and treatment. Read Less

The study will evaluate the performance, clinical benefits and safety of the Persona Revision Knee System in patients who have received primary or revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA) treatment. This will be done using a multicenter, single-arm, consecutive series, retrospective cohort study with prospective follow-up. Read Less

The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate how early biomarkers of infection and inflammation perform in identifying patients at risk for poor outcome in sepsis and septic shock. Read Less

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are associated with increased patient morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. ESKAPE (Enterococcus, S. aureus, Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Enterobacter spp.) pathogens are particularly pathogenic because they have increased capacity to acquire resistance and virulence traits. The investigators have proven that a multifaceted program involving improved basic perioperative preventive measures can generate substantial reductions in S. aureus transmission and significant reductions in SSIs (88% reduction as compared to usual care). In this study, the investigators aim to examine the relative effectiveness of each component of this program in controlling ESKAPE transmission and reducing SSIs and to identify an optimal implementation strategy for national dissemination. Randomization occurs at the site level, and sites adopt preventative programs. This work will improve perioperative patient safety for the 51 million patients who undergo surgery each year. Read Less

This study plans to learn more about people who are sick in the hospital with a lung infection, or respiratory failure. Respiratory failure, or severe lung failure, is a life-threatening disease. When it happens, the lungs have trouble carrying out their normal function of getting oxygen into the blood, and removing carbon dioxide from the body. Investigators are conducting this study to see what drinking too much alcohol, using tobacco products, or using drugs (both legal and illegal) may do to lung infections and respiratory failure. Subjects are asked to be in this research study because they are thought to have a lung infection and may also have respiratory failure. Alcohol, tobacco, and drug use have been linked to lung infections, respiratory failure, and even death, but the reasons for this aren't known. People who use unhealthy amounts of alcohol, tobacco, and or drugs may be more at risk for lung infections, and for severe complications due to lung infection. Subject participation is important whether or not you use alcohol and or drugs. Read Less

This study evaluates the difference between 2 prostate biopsy methods, transrectal (through the rectal wall) and transperineal (through the skin) needle biopsy. Men who are in need of prostate biopsy due to clinical suspicions of prostate cancer will be randomly assigned (1:1) to either transrectal or transperineal approach. This research study will scientifically determine if one biopsy method is better than the other in reducing complications and improving cancer detection. Read Less