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Intensive Care Unit EnvironmentNCT02143661

eValuatIon of The ALl New Environment for crITicallY Ill Patients (VITALITY)

An observational study of Intensive Care Unit Environment, run by Claudia Spies at 1 site in Germany.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this prospective observational study is to investigate if mechanically ventilated patients who are treated in one of the new intensive care unit (ICU) rooms have less delirium compared to patients who are treated in the conventional rooms on the same ICU. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Intensive Care Unit Environment
How many people
74 participants
Where
1 siteGermany
Study dates
May 2014to 11 Nov 2019
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 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Critically ill patients

Who may be able to join

  • Male and female patients with age ≥ 18 years
  • Expected intensive Care unit stay ≥ 48 hours
  • Invasive mechanical ventilation or non-invasive mechanical ventilation (with positive ventilation pressure >6 hours/day and high flow >30 liters) on the day of intensive care unit admission

Who cannot join

  • Participation in other clinical studies 10 days before study inclusion and during the study period
  • Patients with psychiatric diseases
  • Patients with a history of stroke and known residual cognitive deficits
  • Patients with a history of cardiopulmonary arrest or pulseless electric activity with cardiopulmonary resuscitation followed by therapeutic hypothermia during entire hospital stay
  • Analphabetism
  • Anacusis or Hypoacusis with hearing aid device, Amaurosis
Show all 16Show fewer
  • Non-German speaking
  • Allergies to any substance of the electrode fixing material
  • Lacking willingness to save and hand out data within the study
  • Accommodation in an institution due to an official or judicial order
  • History of sleep disorders
  • History or suspicion of hypoxic brain damage (e.g. intracranial bleeding)
  • History or suspicion of elevated intracranial pressure in the last 7 days before study inclusion
  • Patients with an open chest after cardiac surgery
  • The informed consent of the patient or the subject's legally acceptable representative can´t be obtained in time
  • Patient has a power of attorney or patient's provision, where he/she refuses participation in any clinical trial

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Germany1 site
  • Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Campus Charité Mitte and Campus Virchow - Klinikum, Charité- Universitätsmedizin

    Berlin, 13353

Other trials in Germany

About this study

The purpose of this prospective observational study is to investigate if mechanically ventilated patients who are treated in one of the new intensive care unit (ICU) rooms have less delirium compared to patients who are treated in the conventional rooms on the same ICU. The investigators will further evaluate the impact on sleep quality, circadian rhythm, global cognitive function and general outcome parameters.

The investigators recorded light and noise conditions in the ICU rooms before start of the redesigning process (subproject light and noise in the intensive care unit (LiNo-ICU)). The investigators will compare data regarding light and noise in the ICU rooms before and after the redesigning process (non-patient related data; ethical vote amendment 08.05.2014).

Read the detailed description

Delirium is one of the most frequently seen brain organ dysfunctions in the intensive care unit (ICU). Depending on the ICU population, up to 87% have delirium at some point during their critical illness. Patients with delirium have a 3fold increased risk of dying compared to patients without delirium. Studies could show that sedation is the most common independent risk factor for transitioning to delirium. However, the no-sedation approach is often challenging. ICU patients who are not sedated often develop severe anxiety and agitation. These symptoms are often treated with sedatives that have delirogenic side effects.

One of the major reasons for anxiety and agitation of patients is the ICU environment which causes distress. The feelings of being surveyed all the time by monitors, being exposed to different kinds of machinery or equipment which sometimes do not work properly are major stressors.

The objective of the interdisciplinary research project "Parametrische (T)Raumgestaltung" was the development of two redesigned intensive care rooms that help to reduce patients' anxiety, helplessness and stress through a holistic architectural approach. The patient's perception and needs, his or her obvious feelings of helplessness and fear are the starting point for a concept that is able to reduce stress factors such as functional and purely technical environment, insufficient lighting conditions and noise. Minimizing or eliminating these common stress factors in the ICU could reduce the need for sedatives and thereby reducing the incidence of ICU delirium.

What participants receive

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

Study groups in NCT02143661
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Critically ill patients in the newly designed ICU roomsCritically ill patients treated in one of the newly designed ICU rooms.
Critically ill patients in the conventional ICU roomsCritically ill patients treated in one of the conventional rooms on the same ICU.

What is being measured

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

  1. Prevalence of intensive care unit delirium

    Delirium will be measured with the Confusion Assessment Method for the intensive care unit (CAM-ICU)

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

Secondary outcomes (34)
  1. Circadian plasma melatonin level

    Plasma melatonin levels will be assessed in a maximum of three 24-hour periods. Blood samples will be collected every 4 hours within each series of measurements.

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  2. Circadian plasma cortisone level

    Plasma cortison levels will be assessed in a maximum of three 24-hour periods. Blood samples will be collected every 4 hours within each series of measurements.

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  3. Gene expression of clock genes in blood monocytes

    Clock gene levels in blood monocytes will be assessed in a maximum of three 24-hour periods. Blood samples will be collected every 4 hours within each series of measurements.

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  4. Cholinesterase activity in blood

    The Activity of Cholinesterase will be measured at least once a day, maximum three times a day.

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  5. Core body temperature

    Temperature will be measured continuously during those days

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  6. Severity of intensive care unit delirium

    Severity of delirium will be measured with the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC)

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  7. Severity of anxiety

    Severity of anxiety will be measured with the Faces Anxiety Scale (FAS)

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  8. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

    At intensive care unit discharge, at hospital discharge, 3 and 6 months after intensive care unit discharge Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Incidence will be measured with the PTSS-14 Scale

    Measured: Up to 3 and 6 months after intensive care unit discharge

  9. Barthel Index

    Barthel Index will be measured at hospital discharge, 3 and 6 months after intensive care unit discharge.

    Measured: Up to 3 and 6 months after intensive care unit discharge

  10. Health Related Quality of Life

    At 3 and 6 months after intensive care unit discharge. Health Related Quality of Life will be measured with the Short Form questionnaire (SF-36)

    Measured: Up to 3 and 6 months after intensive care unit discharge

  11. Global cognition and executive function

    At intensive care unit discharge, at hospital discharge, 3 and 6 months after intensive care unit discharge.

    Measured: Up to 3 and 6 months after intensive care unit discharge

  12. Polysomnography

    Polysomnography will be performed for a maximum of three 24-hour periods. Polysomnography will start after the 1st, 3rd and 5th night of intensive care unit admission.

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  13. Subjective sleep quality

    Subjective sleep quality will be assessed with the Sleep Questionnaire SF-A from Collegium Internationale Psychiatriae Scalarum at morning of 2nd, 4th and 6th day of study participation.

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  14. Duration of mechanical and non-mechanical ventilation

    Measured: Participants will be followed for the duration of intensive care stay, an expected average of 1 week

  15. Intensive care unit length of stay

    Measured: Participants will be followed for the duration of intensive care stay, an expected average of 1 week

  16. Hospital length of stay

    Measured: Participants will be followed for the duration of hospital length of stay, an expected average of 3 weeks

  17. Level of sedation

    Level of sedation will be measured with the Richmond Agitation-Sedation-Scale (RASS)

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  18. Sedation goal adherence

    Adherence of optimal sedation level measured by Richmond Agitation-Sedation-Scale (RASS)

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  19. Pain level

    Pain level will be measured with the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), or the Visualized Numeric Rating Scale (NRS-V) or the Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R) or the Behavioral Pain Scale (BPS) or the Behavioral Pain Scale for Non- Intubated (BPS-NI).

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  20. Amount of administered opioids

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  21. Amount of administered benzodiazepines

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  22. Amount of administered antipsychotics

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  23. Sepsis/Septic shock

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  24. Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA-Score)

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  25. Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS II)

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  26. Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS-28)

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  27. Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II)

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  28. Sleep-wake-behavior monitoring

    Sleep-wake-behavior using actigraphy will be assessed continuously.

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  29. Light levels

    Light levels will be measured continuously.

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  30. Light frequencies

    Light frequencies will be measured continuously.

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

  31. Noise levels

    Noise levels will be measured continuously.

    Measured: Participants will be followed for 10 days after intensive care admission

  32. Patients´ perception of the room and light environment

    Measured: Participants will be followed for 10 days after intensive care admission

  33. Hospital mortality

    Measured: Up to 6 months

  34. Multiplex-Genexpression analysis

    Ncounter neuroinflammation and micro rna panel are analysed

    Measured: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission

Timeline

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

  1. First posted21 May 2014 (estimated)
  2. Study startMay 2014
  3. Primary completionApr 2017
  4. Study completion11 Nov 2019

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
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
74 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02143661
Sponsor's protocol ID
Vitality
Status last verified
Apr 2020
First submitted
19 May 2014
Last updated
30 Apr 2020
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Schmidt S, Heinrich M, Wernecke KD, Spies C, Hancke L, Mueller A, Luetz A. Modification in ICU design may influence circadian serum cholinesterase activities: a proof-of-concept pilot study. Intensive Care Med Exp. 2024 Dec 23;12(1):120. doi: 10.1186/s40635-024-00709-5.

    PubMed 39715945
  • Spies C, Piazena H, Deja M, Wernecke KD, Willemeit T, Luetz A; ICU Design Working Group. Modification in ICU Design May Affect Delirium and Circadian Melatonin: A Proof of Concept Pilot Study. Crit Care Med. 2024 Apr 1;52(4):e182-e192. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000006152. Epub 2023 Dec 19.

    PubMed 38112493

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Intensive Care Unit Environment, run by Claudia Spies at 1 site in Germany.

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 3 inclusion and 16 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 30 Apr 2020. 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 Germany. 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 is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

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?

Prevalence of intensive care unit delirium (time frame: Participants will be followed up to 10 days after intensive care unit admission). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02143661, which also lists 2 linked publications.

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 30 Apr 2020; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.

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