Healthcare provider to participate in international clinical trial to study COVID-19

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    ATLANTA, GA (WGCL) — A healthcare provider based out of Atlanta is participating in a large international clinical trial to study COVID-19.

Piedmont Healthcare is partnering with other agencies to look into the effects of ventilation and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, or ECMO, in the critical care setting on patients suffering from the combination of COVID-19 and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).

Officials noted ECMO is a medical device that is used to support patients whose heart and lungs require additional assistance to function, similar to putting a patient on bypass during open heart surgery.

The study, which began out of Australia, is now being researched in more than 50 countries.

Piedmont Healthcare officials reported more than 200 participants will be enrolled in the study in the U.S., which began in March, and the study is expected to be completed by December 31.

To be eligible for the study, patients must have a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection with ARDS and require ECMO.

“The pulmonary/critical care and cardiovascular groups at Piedmont have been on the forefront of providing innovative treatments for COVID-19 patients throughout the pandemic,” Dr. Barrett said. “We are hopeful that the data we are collecting as part of this study will help to improve protocols for COVID-19 patients across the country and will help to improve their clinical outcomes.”

The primary outcome measure of the study is in-hospital mortality.

Secondary measures include:

• Death on ECMO

• Stroke

• Blood stream infection

• Lung complications requiring surgical treatment

• Blood transfusion

• Acute kidney injury

• Length of ICU stay

• Death after hospital discharge

Piedmont has found high survival rates for its COVID-19 patients on ECMO, with 18 of 22 recovering.

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