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CirrhosisNCT01777971

The Effect of a Large-volume Paracentesis on Fatigue, Sleep, and Quality of Life in Cirrhosis

An observational study of Cirrhosis and Hepatic Encephalopathy, run by NYU Langone Health at 1 site in United States.

Withdrawn

Withdrawn. The study stopped before anyone enrolled.

Official record
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Trial summary

Ascites is the accumulation of fluid within the peritoneal cavity of the abdomen. It is a frequent complication of cirrhosis that is associated with significant morbidity and poor quality of life. Large-volume ascites has been associated with impaired pulmonary function. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 75 years
Conditions the study is for
Cirrhosis, Hepatic Encephalopathy, Ascites
How many people
0 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Jul 2012to Oct 2014
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 75 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Patients with cirrhosis with diuretic-resistant refractory ascites (based on International Ascites Club criteria)

Who may be able to join

  • Subjects with cirrhosis (based on clinical, laboratory, radiologic evaluation, and liver biopsy, when available) with diuretic-resistant refractory ascites, based on International Ascites Club criteria.[2,31] Specific criteria used for inclusion will be subjects with ascites that cannot be stabilized despite intensive diuretic therapy (e.g., 400 mg of spironolactone with 160 mg of furosemide per day) and dietary sodium restriction (90 mmol of sodium per day) with reappearance of grade 2 or 3 ascites within 4 weeks of mobilization (defined as decrease of ascites at least to grade 1). All subjects must provide separate written consent to undergo a large-volume paracentesis.

Who cannot join

  • Subjects will not be eligible for the study if they: (1) have been hospitalized in the previous 1 month for gastrointestinal bleeding, infection, or renal failure; (2) are unable to independently ambulate or have had unstable angina or myocardial infarction within the previous 1 month, as these are contraindications to participating in the 6-minute walk test; (3) are unable to participate in neuropsychological tests or questionnaires; (4) are receiving interferon therapy; (5) have a history of alcohol abuse within the previous 6 months; (6) have a diagnosis of a primary neurologic disorder or uncontrolled psychiatric disorder; or (7) are receiving psychotropic medications such as benzodiazepines and anti-epileptic drugs.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • New York University School of Medicine

    New York, New York, 10016

Other trials in United States

About this study

Ascites is the accumulation of fluid within the peritoneal cavity of the abdomen. It is a frequent complication of cirrhosis that is associated with significant morbidity and poor quality of life. Large-volume ascites has been associated with impaired pulmonary function. In a previous study, the presence and severity of ascites were determined to be significant determinants of fatigue.

In this study, we will determine whether large-volume ascites contributes to fatigue by assessing the response to drainage of ascites by means of a procedure called large-volume paracentesis. We hypothesize that treatment of ascites with a single large-volume paracentesis leads to decreased fatigue and improved quality of life and that this improvement is associated with improved sleep pattern.

Read more

20 patients with cirrhosis with refractory ascites requiring regular drainage of ascites fluid by large-volume paracenteses will be recruited for the study. All patients will undergo a complete clinical and physical examination for liver function, including blood tests. Hepatic encephalopathy, a change in mental status associated with liver dysfunction, will be assessed by obtaining historical data and by means of simple bedside neuropsychological examinations.

Study visits will take place on two consecutive days, with each visit lasting approximately 2-3 hours. Immediately prior to a large-volume paracentesis, patients will complete standardized questionnaires for fatigue severity, quality of life, quality of sleep, and a physical assessment of fatigue by means of a 6-minute walk test. Repeat evaluations will be performed 1 day after the procedure. Statistical analysis will then be performed to determine the effect of the paracentesis on the various clinical assessments.

Read the detailed description

The study design is a prospective observational analysis. Subjects who have been deemed candidates for a large-volume paracentesis, based on clinical criteria and who meet the above-referenced inclusion and exclusion criteria will be recruited to participate in this study. Study visits will take place on 2 consecutive days. Each study visit will last approximately 2 to 3 hours. The first assessment day will occur immediately prior to an electively-scheduled large-volume paracentesis. The second assessment will occur one day later.

Once enrolled, all subjects will undergo a baseline assessment of liver function. Medical records will be reviewed to determine etiology of cirrhosis, history of variceal bleeding, history of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, history of hospitalization for hepatic encephalopathy, and use of and clinical response to treatment with lactulose, neomycin, and/or rifaximin. Body mass index and grade of ascites (grade 1, mild ascites; grade 2, moderate ascites; grade 3, massive or tense ascites) will be determined based on physical examination. History or presence of asterixis will be recorded. Severity of hepatic encephalopathy will be graded according to the West-Haven criteria and further assessed by neuropsychological testing (discussed in further detail below). Baseline serum laboratory analyses will be obtained, including the following: aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, albumin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, prothrombin time and international normalized ratio, and platelet count. Based on these serum studies, the Child-Pugh score and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score will be calculated.

After baseline assessments are obtained, the six-minute walk test and a series of questionnaires (discussed in further detail below) to assess fatigue, sleep, and quality of life will be performed on study day 1, immediately prior to the paracentesis, and then repeated one day after the paracentesis. Note that neither the six-minute walk test nor the neuropsychological testing or questionnaires are considered standard of care for patients requiring large-volume paracentesis and these will be performed exclusively for research purposes.

Medical subject headings
Fibrosis, Hepatic Encephalopathy, Ascites, Fatigue

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Study groups in NCT01777971
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Patients with cirrhosisMale and female subjects who have cirrhosis of the liver and diuretic-resistant ascites (based on International Ascites Clib criteria) and have been evaluated and approved to have a large-volume paracentesis as part of standard of care treatment.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Fatigue

    Patients undergo 6-minute walk test and fill out Fisk Impact Scale (Fatigue Questionnaire)

    Measured: 10 min

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Hepatic Encephalopathy

    Patients undergo psychometric testing that involves Trail Making Test and Digit Symbol Substitution Test.

    Measured: 10 min

  2. Quality of Life

    Patients fill out Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 questionnaire

    Measured: 5 min

  3. Daytime Sleepiness

    Patients fill out Epworth Sleepiness Scale questionnaire.

    Measured: 5 min

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted29 Jan 2013 (estimated)
  2. Study startJul 2012
  3. Primary completionOct 2014
  4. Study completionOct 2014

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Case only
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
0 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01777971
Sponsor's protocol ID
R11-00672
Status last verified
Aug 2015
First submitted
24 Jan 2013
Last updated
4 Aug 2015
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Cirrhosis and Hepatic Encephalopathy, run by NYU Langone Health at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: withdrawn, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Aug 2015. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Fatigue (time frame: 10 min). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 4 Aug 2015.

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