How altitude affects outcomes for children with acute respiratory distress

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This multicenter observational study will collect prospective and retrospective clinical, physiological, and institutional data from PICUs located at different geographic altitudes. Investigators will record patient demographics, oxygenation and ventilation metrics, and details about available equipment and trained staff at each site. Analyses will examine how altitude and resource availability interact with oxygenation/ventilation parameters to influence outcomes such as mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, and complications. The goal is to identify management gaps and produce context-specific recommendations to improve PARDS care across varied resource settings.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Age between 1 month (corrected gestational age) and 18 years.
* Admission to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) or facility where mechanically ventilated children are cared for.
* Requirement of invasive mechanical ventilation.
* Diagnosis of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) according to PALICC criteria, confirmed within 24 hours before or after endotracheal intubation.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients with active perinatal lung disease (e.g., neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary hemorrhage, persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, early bronchopulmonary dysplasia, meconium aspiration).
* Patients who have received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) prior to or within the first 24 hours of PARDS diagnosis.
* Patients with pre-established limitation of therapeutic effort (LTE) orders or palliative care directives documented before the initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation.
* Readmissions to the PICU during the study period (only the first episode per patient will be included).

Where it's running

• Hospital del Niño Sor Teresa Huarte Tama
  Sucre, Chuquisaca Department, Bolivia Recruiting
• Hospital del Norte - El Alto
  La Paz, La Paz Department, Bolivia Recruiting
• Hospital Daniel Brancamonte
  Potosí, Potosí Department, Bolivia Recruiting
• Hospital Regional San Juan de Dios
  Tarija, Tarija Department, Bolivia Recruiting
• Clinica Indisa
  Santiago, Chile Recruiting
• Hospital Universitario Clinica San Rafael
  Bogotá, Dc, Colombia Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: PABLO VASQUEZ-HOYOS, MD, MSc
• Email: pablovasquezmd@gmail.com
• Phone: 573187172029

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.