Understanding risk factors and biomarkers in ARDS, sepsis, and pneumonia
Official title: The ARDS, Pneumonia, and Sepsis (APS) Consortium: A Prospective Observational Study to Evaluate Phenotypes
Run by Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NCT06521502 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is trying to find out what causes acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, and pneumonia by collecting health information and samples from hospitalized adults to help improve treatment for these conditions.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 4000 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Vanderbilt University Medical Center Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | chemotherapy |
| Locations | 20 sites (Fresno, California and 19 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | July 25, 2024 |
| Main results expected | April 30, 2029 |
| Study ends | April 30, 2029 |
| Registry record updated | February 20, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06521502 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates for this study are hospitalized adults aged 18 and older who are admitted to an ICU or similar unit and exhibit acute cardiovascular or pulmonary dysfunction.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients who are not hospitalized or do not exhibit acute organ dysfunction may not benefit from this study.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The APS phenotyping study aims to gather detailed clinical data and biological samples from hospitalized adults who have or are at risk of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis, or pneumonia. Participants will undergo various assessments, including questionnaires and collection of blood, urine, and stool samples, to identify potential biomarkers and risk factors associated with these conditions. The study will also create a biobank for future research, focusing on classifying patients into biologically relevant phenotype categories to enhance understanding and treatment of these illnesses.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this study could lead to improved identification and treatment strategies for patients suffering from ARDS, sepsis, and pneumonia.
How similar studies have gone: Other studies focusing on phenotyping and biomarker identification in similar conditions have shown promise, indicating a potential for success in this approach.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
To be eligible for enrollment, a patient must meet all the following inclusion criteria at the time of the first study-specified biospecimen collection (Time 0):
1. Age ≥ 18 years old
2. Admitted (or planned to be admitted) to an intensive care unit (ICU) or other in-patient hospital location where IV vasopressors or advanced respiratory support (invasive mechanical ventilation, non-invasive ventilation, or high flow nasal cannula) are routinely provided (referred to as an "eligible unit.")
3. Acute cardiovascular or pulmonary organ dysfunction defined by meeting at least one of the two criteria below:
* New receipt of invasive mechanical ventilation, non-invasive ventilation, high flow nasal cannula, or supplemental oxygen at a flow rate of ≥ 6 lpm for acute hypoxemia.
a. Patients who use chronic oxygen therapy are eligible to participate if they are receiving at least 6 lpm higher than their baseline oxygen requirement (e.g., a patient on 3 lpm O2 at baseline is eligible if they require ≥9 lpm for hypoxemia) or are started on advanced respiratory support (invasive mechanical ventilation, non- invasive ventilation, or high flow nasal cannula).
* Receipt of intravenous infusion of a vasopressor medication for at least one hour.
4. Acute cardiovascular or pulmonary organ dysfunction (inclusion criterion #3) is attributed to an acute inflammatory condition, including but not limited to any of the following:
* Any infection including pneumonia.
* Aspiration pneumonitis.
* Pancreatitis.
* Auto-inflammatory condition such as:
1. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.
2. Suspected acute rheumatologic or auto-immune disease with pulmonary or cardiovascular manifestations.
3. Suspected cryptogenic organizing pneumonia presenting acutely.
4. Suspected diffuse alveolar hemorrhage.
5. Suspected acute anaphylaxis.
6. Suspected acute pulmonary drug toxicity.
Exclusion Criteria:
To be eligible for enrollment, a patient must not meet any of the following exclusion criteria at the time of the first study-specified biospecimen collection (Time 0):
1. Patient/legally authorized representative (LAR) declines participation.
2. Acute cardiovascular or pulmonary organ dysfunction (inclusion criterion #3) has been present for \> 48 hours.
3. Patient has been in an eligible unit (inclusion criterion #2) for more than 120 hours (five days).
4. Patient is no longer expected to meet the acute cardiovascular or pulmonary organ dysfunction inclusion criterion (inclusion criterion #3) 24 hours after enrollment.
5. Patient desires comfort measures only.
6. Patient is a prisoner.
7. Patient had out-of-hospital cardiac arrest leading to this hospitalization.
8. Residence immediately before this hospitalization in a long-term acute care facility.
9. Presence of tracheostomy for respiratory failure.
10. Home invasive mechanical ventilation or non-invasive ventilation (except patients with non-invasive ventilation prescribed as a treatment for a sleep disorder may participate).
11. Suspected cause of the patient's acute cardiovascular and/or pulmonary dysfunction (inclusion criterion #3) is an alternative condition (not ARDS, pneumonia, or sepsis), including but not limited to the list below:
* Drug overdose (without aspiration, lung injury, pneumonia, or infection).
* Trauma (without aspiration, pneumonia, or infection).
* Chronic lung disease without suspected infection, aspiration, or inflammation.
* Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sarcoidosis, interstitial lung disease, neuromuscular respiratory failure.
* Status epilepticus.
* Acute pulmonary embolism.
* Acute decompensated heart failure.
* Diabetic ketoacidosis.
* Acute stroke or intracranial hemorrhage.
* Acute bleeding (GI bleeding, post-procedural bleeding, hemolysis).
* Cytokine release syndrome due to chemotherapy.
12. Inability or unwillingness to complete study-specified blood draws, for example, due to local policies about hemoglobin thresholds for research blood draws.
Where it's running
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Fresno Community Hospital and Medical Center
Fresno, California, United States Recruiting -
Stanford University
Palo Alto, California, United States Recruiting -
San Francisco General Hospital
San Francisco, California, United States Recruiting -
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, California, United States Recruiting -
University of Colorado, Denver
Denver, Colorado, United States Recruiting -
Denver Health and Hospital Authority
Denver, Colorado, United States Recruiting
Show 14 more locations
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National Jewish Health
Denver, Colorado, United States Recruiting -
UC Health Medical Center of the Rockies
Loveland, Colorado, United States Recruiting -
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Chicago, Illinois, United States Recruiting -
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States Recruiting -
Johns Hopkins Univeristy
Baltimore, Maryland, United States Recruiting -
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States Recruiting -
Washington University School of Medicine
St Louis, Missouri, United States Recruiting -
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina, United States Recruiting -
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States Recruiting -
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Recruiting -
Meharry Medical College
Nashville, Tennessee, United States Recruiting -
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, Tennessee, United States Recruiting -
Intermountain Medical Center
Murray, Utah, United States Recruiting -
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Wesley H. Self, MD, MPH — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Wesley H. Self, MD, MPH
- Email: wesley.self@vumc.org
- Phone: 1-615-936-8047
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Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.