The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of performing a larger multicenter phase III trial to assess the effects of unfractionated heparin (UFH) in acute chest syndrome (ACS). Prespecified feasibility criteria consists of the ability to enroll potential study participants, which includes the timely notification of hospitalized patients with ACS, the capacity to consent eligible individuals, and the ability to appropriately randomize eligible patients within 24 hours of diagnosis. Additional feasibility objectives involve ensuring appropriate eligibility criteria, proper administration of the study drug, and the ability to completely and accurately collect clinical data of interest. The final aim of our pilot study is to provide preliminary data, with respect to treatment effect and variance, to allow sample size calculation in a larger trial given the lack of data available to help guide this process. The investigators hypothesize that the use of UFH in ACS will result in a decrease in the duration of hospitalization and improve other clinical outcomes, such as the duration of hypoxemia and duration of moderate to severe pain.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
7
University of Pittsburg Medical Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Time to Hospital Discharge
Duration of hospitalization
Time frame: Until hospital discharge
Duration of Hypoxemia Assessed by Arterial Oxygen Saturation
Arterial oxygen saturation less than 90%
Time frame: 7 days
Duration of Fever Assessed by Body Temperature
Body temperature greater than or equal to 38.0 degrees Celsius
Time frame: 7 days
Duration of Leukocytosis Assessed by White Blood Cell Count
White blood cell count greater than 10,000 per liter
Time frame: 7 days
Duration of Moderate to Severe Pain Assessed by Visual Analog Scale for Pain
Score of 4 or greater on the Visual Analog Scale for pain
Time frame: 7 days
Opioid Administration Per Participant
Total dose of opioids per participant
Time frame: 7 days
Units of Red Blood Cells Administered
Total number of units of red blood cells
Time frame: 7 days
Percentage of Participants Transferred to Intensive Care Unit
Time frame: 7 days
Percentage of Participants Requiring Mechanical Ventilation
Time frame: 7 days
Percentage of Participants Experiencing Multiorgan Dysfunction Syndrome
Acute development of 2 or more organs or organ systems unable to maintain homeostasis in a critically ill individual
Time frame: 7 days
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