Rapid Administration of Carnitine in Sepsis (RACE) (L-Carnitine Treatment for Vasopressor Dependent Septic Shock)
The purpose of this protocol is to study the effect of L-carnitine in patients with sepsis. This is an adaptive, phase II trial designed to efficiently identify the dose of L-carnitine that provides the greatest improvement in SOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment) score. The specific aims are: 1) to test if intravenous L-carnitine reduces cumulative organ failure in septic shock, and 2) to test if L-carnitine improves blood flow in the sublingual microvasculature during septic shock.

Multi-Center Randomized Trial to Study Tamsulosin for Urolithiasis in the Emergency Department (STONE)
The study is a multi-center randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial. Participants are randomized to one of two treatment groups, placebo or active tamsulosin (Flomax). The primary objectives of this study are to test the hypothesis that tamsulosin is clinically useful in the treatment of acute urolithiasis (stones/calcifications located within the kidneys, ureters, or bladder), focusing specifically on stones within the ureters. If tamsulosin achieves similar results in a properly conducted placebo controlled trial to those noted in previous smaller pilot studies, we expect to see a significant reduction in days lost from work and decreased morbidity, as well as cost savings resulting from a decreased number of patients referred for the surgical management of retained stones.

Procalcitonin Antibiotic Consensus Trial (ProACT) 
Procalcitonin is a new FDA-approved blood test which can help to determine whether a lung infection is caused by a bacteria or a virus. The purpose of this study is to test the effect of implementation of a novel procalcitonin guideline on antibiotic and adverse outcomes in emergency department patients with lower respiratory tract infection. Procalcitonin levels are typically high with bacterial infection, and low with viral infection. This study will randomize emergency department patients to a procalcitonin testing group, or a usual care group. In the procalcitonin group, participants will be tested for procalcitonin, and the treating physician will be informed of the test results. The physician is not obligated to follow antibiotic guidelines based on this testing, but is given the guidelines. The usual care group will be treated per usual standard protocols. Both groups will be followed for 30 days, and we will track antibiotic use and hospitalizations.



See a list of our Population Sciences research studies.