Improving outcomes for adults with ARDS by learning from nurses at top hospitals
Official title: Achieving High Quality Outcomes for Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Lessons Learned from Nurses in High Performing Hospitals
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11044193 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores how nursing staff, resources, and care practices in hospitals relate to survival and readmission for adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | March 27, 2023 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $406,250 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NR020471-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11044193 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
The work focuses on adults hospitalized with ARDS (typically age 21 and older), especially those treated in intensive care units.
✕Less likely to help
Children, people without ARDS, or patients treated entirely outside of hospitals/ICUs are unlikely to be directly affected by this project.
What this research studies
If you or a loved one has ARDS, researchers will compare hospitals that get better outcomes to those that do not to see what nurses do differently. They will link hospital nursing resource data (like staffing levels, training, and care practices) to patient records showing mortality and readmissions. The team will use large hospital and ICU datasets and statistical analyses to find which nursing factors are tied to better recovery. The findings will be used to suggest nursing-related changes that could help ARDS patients do better in the hospital and after discharge.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify nursing practices and staffing patterns that reduce deaths and readmissions for adults with ARDS.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown links between better nurse staffing/training and improved ICU outcomes, but applying these comparisons specifically to ARDS outcomes is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brooks Carthon, Jacqueline Margo — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Brooks Carthon, Jacqueline Margo
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Identifying ARDS patients who may benefit from paralytics guided by high-frequency clinical data
This grant aims to help doctors figure out which adults with ARDS are most likely to benefit from paralytic medications using detailed bedside data and electronic health records.
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Resilience endotypes and early ARDS detection using biomarkers and AI
A Duke University team is using biomarkers and smart data analysis to detect ARDS early and uncover patterns that predict how patients recover.
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PAR1’s role in lung lymphatics and a new therapy approach for ARDS
This grant explores how the thrombin receptor PAR1 affects lung lymphatics to understand and ultimately reduce lung injury in ARDS patients.
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Dead space and inhaled nitric oxide in pediatric ARDS
This project looks at whether measuring dead space and using inhaled nitric oxide can help improve outcomes for children with acute respiratory distress syndrome.
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Immune, hormone, and muscle energy links to recovery after ARDS
This project looks at why some ARDS survivors have ongoing weakness and how immune, hormone, and muscle energy factors might influence recovery.</n>
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Understanding why some people with severe lung injury get worse and how to tailor therapy
A patient-focused program that looks at why people develop sepsis-associated ARDS and how their bodies respond, with the goal of guiding better, personalized treatments.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.