Time-limited trials to guide invasive ventilation decisions
Official title: Quantifying Uncertainty to Inform Time-Limited Trials of Invasive Mechanical Ventilation
Funded at Boston University Medical Campus · NIH-11401902 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scientific team is testing how short, structured trials of life-support in ICU patients with acute respiratory failure can help patients and families choose the best path.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University Medical Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $710,056 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL179666-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11401902 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with acute respiratory failure who require invasive mechanical ventilation and whose goals of care and prognosis warrant clarified decision-making.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with stable courses where decisions are straightforward or where a time-limited approach is not appropriate.
What this research studies
This project looks at patients who require invasive mechanical ventilation due to acute respiratory failure. It explores time-limited trials as a way to align treatment with patients’ goals by involving clinicians and families in a defined trial period, after which decisions are updated based on how the patient is doing. The study aims to identify how long these trials should last, how to best select patients for them, and how to reduce prognostic uncertainty that can bias choices. The goal is to improve shared decision-making and ensure care aligns with patient values, potentially avoiding prolonged, non-beneficial interventions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients and families may experience more clarity and better-aligned care during critical illness, potentially reducing unwanted prolonged ventilation.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests time-limited trials can support better decision-making in severe illness, but optimal durations and selection criteria remain uncertain.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston University Medical Campus
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Law, Anica C — Boston University Medical Campus
- Study coordinator: Law, Anica C
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Advancing Acute Respiratory Infection Care for Kids on Home Ventilators
This grant aims to improve how doctors and families manage acute respiratory infections in children who rely on invasive long-term home ventilation.
-
A Tablet-Based Emotion Regulation Program for Surrogate Decision-Makers of ICU Patients on Ventilation
A randomized trial tests a brief tablet program to help people who decide for ICU patients on ventilation feel less anxious and make better decisions.
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Optimizing pain relief for children on mechanical ventilation
A large, multi-site trial tests whether adding non-opioid pain medicines to standard opioid care can reduce pain and lower opioid use in children on breathing machines in PICUs.
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Role of titin in diaphragm weakness during mechanical ventilation
This grant studies how the diaphragm’s core proteins work together, especially titin and myosin, to understand why diaphragm weakness happens during mechanical ventilation.
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How breathing machines can harm the kidneys
Doctors will look at how ventilators change kidney filtering and salt handling in people who are critically ill to help prevent kidney damage.
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Optimizing Time-Limited Trials of Ventilation in Acute Respiration Failure
Aimed at patients with acute respiratory failure, this project looks at how short-term trials of life-support in the ICU can be better planned and communicated.
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.