We'd like your feedback
Your feedback is important to us. It will help us improve the quality of the study information on this site. Please answer both questions.
Contact the study team using the details below to take part. If there are no contact details below please ask your doctor in the first instance.
Other infectious diseases
This information is provided directly by researchers, and we recognise that it isn't always easy to understand. We are working with researchers to improve the accessibility of this information. In some summaries, you may come across links to external websites. These websites will have more information to help you better understand the study.
1 in 5 patients in intensive care units (ICU) develop an infection; those who develop an infection have double the mortality rate of those who do not. Caring for critically ill people is challenging, it is difficult to identify an infection and understandably doctors tend to treat with a wider range of antibiotics for longer periods. We know however, that an increasing number of bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics. This leaves us with an urgent need to find alternative treatments.
There are two main reasons why critically ill patients are more likely to develop an infection. Firstly, medical interventions essential to support their recovery - such as the ventilators that help them to breathe – increase the risk of infection. Secondly, the innate immune system, the body’s initial defence against infection, does not work as well in the critically ill. Innate immunity requires the coordination of several components including the function of white blood cells and of the cells that line the inside of blood vessels (endothelial cells). The reasons why innate immunity often fails in critically ill patients are not understood.
The function of white blood cells during critical illness, and the interaction between different types of white blood cell and the cells lining blood vessels has yet to be investigated during infection.
This study aims to investigate the innate immune system in critically ill people with an emphasis on white blood cells and the cells lining blood vessels. This should suggest the design of new therapies that could act as an alternative to antibiotics.
Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.
The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:
Observational type: Cohort study;
You can take part if:
You may not be able to take part if:
Exclusion criteria • < 18 years of age • Pregnancy • Known infection with human immunodeficiency virus • Haematological malignancy • Concurrent use of immunosuppressant medication other than corticosteroids (allowed up to prednisolone 10mg/day or equivalent)
Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.
The study is sponsored by THE NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST and funded by Medical Research Council (MRC) .
Your feedback is important to us. It will help us improve the quality of the study information on this site. Please answer both questions.
Read full details
for Trial ID: CPMS 37019
You can print or share the study information with your GP/healthcare provider or contact the research team directly.