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Recruiting NCT07269743

AEROSOL THERAPY IN ARDS PATIENTS (AERO-IN-ARDS)

— Observational ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) Receiving IMV

For patients and families

In plain language

An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.

What is being studied
The protocol lists: Types of drugs being delivered as aerosol therapy.
Who it may be relevant to
Registry conditions: ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) Receiving IMV. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
What needs checking
Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
Where it takes place
India
Next step
Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →

Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →

Official title

To OBSERVE PRACTISE OF AEROSOL THERAPY IN ARDS PATIENTS (AERO-IN-ARDS)

Overview

Aerosol therapy delivers medicines as a fine mist directly into the lungs. This allows faster action and fewer whole-body side effects. It is a key treatment for diseases such as asthma and COPD. In acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), early laboratory and small clinical studies suggested that inhaled beta-2 agonists and corticosteroids might help the lungs heal by improving mucus clearance, reducing inflammation, and helping remove excess fluid. However, larger randomized trials have not shown clear clinical benefits. Therefore, major guidelines do not provide specific recommendations for aerosol use in ARDS. There are also safety concerns, including risks of low potassium levels, abnormal heart rhythms, worsening lung function, and increased healthcare costs. Despite these uncertainties, our previous study showed that aerosol therapy continues to be used widely in ARDS patients. However, that study was small and limited to one country, so the findings may not apply to other regions. To address this gap, we have designed Aero-in-ARDS, a large, multi-national, prospective observational study. This study will investigate how often aerosol therapy is used in ARDS, what types of aerosol drugs are given, and how practices differ across countries. By identifying current patterns and comparing them with existing evidence, the study aims to highlight gaps in knowledge and guide future research.

Detailed description

This prospective, multi-center, international cohort observational study will be conducted upon approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC). Centers' recruitment from various parts of the Globe will be done on an invitation basis. Participation in centers will be purely voluntary. As per their local policy, the participating center will take additional IEC approval or waiver at their center to initiate enrollment. Requests for patients' or legal representatives' informed consent will be made in accordance with national law.

The study protocol is designed and will be reported in accordance with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement. All consecutive eligible patients with ARDS admitted to participating ICUs will be enrolled. The study aims to include all consecutive eligible patients to ensure accurate and representative data collection. Each Participating center will screen all consecutive ARDS patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation during the study's six-month inclusion period, or a maximum of 25 patients per center. Patients who met the inclusion/exclusion criteria will be followed for the next 14 days or till ICU discharge/death or weaning from IMV, whichever comes first.

Interventions

  • Drug Types of drugs being delivered as aerosol therapy
    Every time the patient receives inhaled medication, except for the instillation of 0.9% normal saline in the artificial airway for suctioning, will be counted in aerosol therapy.

Primary outcome measures

  • FREQUENCY OF AEROSOL THERAPY [Time frame: 6 MONTHS]
  • TYPES OF drug USED as aerosol therapy [Time frame: 6 MONTHS]
  • frequency of aerosol therapy [Time frame: 6 MONTHS]
  • types of drugs use as aerosol therapy [Time frame: 6 months]
Secondary outcome measures (2)
  • Modality used for aerosol drug delivery [Time frame: 6 MONTHS]
  • Types of aerosol generators used for aerosol drug delivery [Time frame: 6 months]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria: all newly admitted adult patients with a diagnosis of ARDS in the participating ICU

  • The patient requires mechanical ventilation.
  • Age ≥ 18 years
  • Informed consent (if required)

Exclusion criteria

  • Age <18 years
  • Patients managed with NIV, and HFNO

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Observational model
Cohort

Study locations

India · 1 center
  • Ts Misra Medical College — Lucknow

Publications

  • Singhal S, Saran S, Joshi K, Gurjar M, Rao PB, Sahoo JN, Dua R, Sahoo AK, Sharma A, Agarwal S, Sharma A, Ghosh PS, Kothari N, Deokar K, Mukherjee S, Sharma P, Sreedevi B, Sivaramakrishnan P, Singh U, Sundaram D, Agrawal A. Practice pattern of aerosol drug therapy in ARDS patients: A secondary analysis of the Aero-in-ICU study. J Intensive Med. 2025 Jul 5;5(4):385-391. doi: 10.1016/j.jointm.2025.05 PMID 41180103
  • Singhal S, Gurjar M, Sahoo JN, Saran S, Dua R, Sahoo AK, Sharma A, Agarwal S, Sharma A, Ghosh PS, Rao PB, Kothari N, Joshi K, Deokar K, Mukherjee S, Sharma P, Sreedevi BP, Sivaramakrishnan P, Singh U, Sundaram D, Agrawal A, Katoch CDS. Aerosol drug therapy in critically ill patients (Aero-in-ICU study): A multicentre prospective observational cohort study. Lung India. 2024 May 1;41(3):200-208. doi PMID 38687231

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07269743 · TSMMC-2025-237(6)

Primary sources (government registries)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗