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Infectious Diseases & Sexual Health Research Team

Overview of the Research

Infectious diseases research at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was established in June 2012, and covers a wide range of systems and diseases with a large untapped research potential. Since its inception, the infection research team at BTHFT have worked tirelessly to increase the available portfolio of studies and now have a large ongoing portfolio of research trials/studies covering a range of infection interests including Hospital Acquired Infections, CNS infections, HIV and flu. We are constantly updating our portfolio to cover more infections and diseases, to ensure that high quality research can be offered to all who wish to be involved, delivered by compassionate and knowledgeable staff. Studies suggest that patients who receive care in research-active institutions have better health outcomes than patients who are treated in a non-research environment.

We currently participate in both non-commercially and commercially funded research. Providing care for patients involved in interventional and observational research.

The Research Team

Dr Nicola Fearnley

Consultant in Genitourinary Medicine

Dr Sophie Brady

Consultant in Genitourinary Medicine

Jackie Todd

Lead Clinical Research Nurse

Sue Kimachia

Clinical Research Nurse

Alison Haigh

Lead Pharmacist Antimicrobial Therapy

Our Research 

LATEST RESEARCH

MERMAID – All patients with a chest infection are invited to participate. It is hoped that this research will provide information to better prepare for outbreaks and understand the different treatments for these types of infection.

Flu003 – Inpatients with Flu are enrolled to allow us to learn more about Influenza

Dex ENCEPH – Patients with a certain form of Encephalitis are enrolled.

Positive Voices 2021 – the national survey of people living with HIV. Following the successful recruitment of participants during 2017, the survey has now been reopened. This is to gain a better understanding of patient’s lifestyle of individuals living with the HIV stigma and now that HIV is considered a chronic condition, is looking at HIV chronic diseases to ensure equitable and efficient access to appropriate health services.

ISARIC – Clinical Characterisation Protocol for Severe Emerging Infection is a hibernating study that can be opened rapidly when new emerging infections emerge. The purpose is to identify and describe pathogen and host characteristics to collect data and biological samples rapidly and to share data globally. The study was activated at the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and we have recruited over 2000 patients providing essential data to Public Health England.

ADAPT-Sepsis Trial – This trial is trying to identify if monitoring daily CRP (C-reactive protein) or PCT (Procalcitonin) blood samples can safely allow a reduction in antibiotic duration as these biomarkers are often raised in sepsis. This provides a potential opportunity to personalise antibiotic duration which could lead to reductions in population antibiotic usage, adverse effects, improved healthcare resource utilisation relating to antimicrobial resistance – an urgent priority.

HEAL-COVID Trial – HElping Alleviate the Longer-term consequences of COVID-19: There is still a lot that we do not know about Covid-19, particularly about the longer term effects. This is a clinical trial to compare different treatments that could prevent or reduce long term symptoms in COVID-19 patients.

 

Future Projects

The team plans to re-establish research in sexual health. We aim to expand our current HIV research portfolio and deliver research concerned with people who have TB and have been asked to collaborate as part of the SGUL INTERTB Consortium based at St Georges University Hospital London. This collaboratuion is working to develop UK research focussing on the treatment of TB

HISTORICAL RESEARCH

The Infection Research Team at BTHFT have completed a number of research trials and studies always meeting and exceeding expectations. These have involved patients with a range of conditions such as Clostridium difficile and, more recently, HIV and sexual health.

In 2012 to 2014 the team successfully enrolled patients at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust into an international and commercial research trail which aimed to treat and reduce reoccurrence of clostridium difficile infection. 5 patients from this trust were provided with the opportunity to receive a new pharmaceutical treatment for Clostridium Difficile.

Clostridium difficile is the major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in the elderly over the last two decades C. difficile has emerged as a major healthcare associated infection.

The team enrolled over 150 participants into a research study which aimed to test the hypothesis that patients with asymptomatic C. difficile infection contribute to transmission of C. difficile in the hospital setting. This study has been published:

Behar, L., Chadwick, D., Dunne, A., Jones, C.I., Proctor, C., Rajkumar, C., Sharratt, P., Stanley, P., Whiley, A., Wilks, M. and Llewelyn, M.J., 2017. Toxigenic Clostridium difficile colonization among hospitalised adults; risk factors and impact on survival. Journal of Infection, 75(1), pp.20-25.

We have delivered a number of observational research studies which aim to improve the care and treatment and understand HIV .

These include: –

Partners of people on ART: a New Evaluation of the Risks PARTNER study.

The People Living with HIV Stigma Index 2015.

Seroconverter- UK Register of HIV Seroconverter

Positive Voices; The national survey of people living with HIV.

In 2014 research was successfully established within the sexual health service at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This was a new research delivery area for the team. The team successfully recruited 175 clients attending for sexual health services into a research study to evaluate the performance of a new prototype rapid nucleic acid detection platform (Point of Care test) for Ct and Ng in uro-genital specimens. The accuracy of detection of Chlamydia and gonorrhoea. The following year a qualitative study was performed to obtain actual patient views.

The ID research team have always had an interest in research involving patients with brain infections such a s Encephalitis and Meningitis. The team enjoy a good working relationship with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine who sponsor these studies.

In 2015   The ID research team were involved with a trial of antibiotics to which aimed to determine whether the addition of 14 days rifampicin to initial standard antibiotic therapy reduced mortality ,bacteriological failure/death in patients with S. aureus bacteraemia. Staphylococcus aureus is a bug which can cause serious infections, including infections of the blood.

In addition to this our Lead Research Nurse has also carried out her own Qualitative research project which focuses on the provision of compassionate care for patients with infections and are nursed in isolation. This study is now complete and awaiting publishing.

We have a good working relationship with all of our sponsors and a reputation for providing high quality data and service provision.

IMPACT OF RESEARCH

The research delivered by the infection team has led to several published papers which demonstrate both impact and quality.

MSK have recently published this article in the public domain relating to the DRIVE group of trials   advising that the :FDA Accepts New Drug Applications for Merck’s Doravirine, the Company’s Investigational Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor (NNRTI), for Treatment of HIV-1

http://www.mrknewsroom.com/news-release/corporate-news/fda-accepts-new-drug-applications-mercks-doravirine-companys-investigati

The research that we have delivered which aimed to test the hypothesis that patients with asymptomatic C. difficile infection contribute to transmission of C. difficile in the hospital setting. This study has been published:

Behar, L., Chadwick, D., Dunne, A., Jones, C.I., Procter, C., Rajkumar, C., Sharratt, P., Stanley, P., Whiley, A., Wilks, M. and Llewelyn, M.J., 2017. Toxigenic Clostridium difficile colonization among hospitalised adults; risk factors and impact on survival. Journal of Infection, 75(1), pp.20-25.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163445317301135