ROTEM and Dietary Supplements

May 3, 2018 updated by: Jayde Wyngaard, University of Pretoria

Viscoelastic Point-of-Care Coagulation Monitoring and Dietary Supplements: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial

Dietary Supplements can affect platelet activation and aggregation, which could result in bleeding tendencies. This study wishes to evaluate the influence that these supplements has on platelet function using Rotational thromboelastometry.

Study Overview

Status

Withdrawn

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The WHO informs us that more than 80% of patients in Africa use traditional/herbal medicines as their primary source of health care. The Mayo Clinic stated that nearly 40% of adults reported using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Many of these herbal medicines as well as dietary supplements have effects on the coagulation cascade and have been identified as such using laboratory tests including aPTT, PT, INR, light transmission aggregometry and impedence aggregometry to mention but a few.

This study wishes to evaluate coagulation abnormalities using viscoelastic point-of-care coagulation monitoring in this population. This test is readily available in large hospitals and academic settings and is increasingly being used in perioperative medicine. It provides information on coagulation and thrombolysis with minimal delay when compared to other laboratory-based coagulation tests.

The dietary supplements which will be evaluated in this study are ginger, garlic, gingko biloba and ginseng. These four herbal supplements were identified as the most commonly used substances known to modulate the coagulation system. These herbal supplements will be investigated within their maximum daily allowance dosages.

A five-armed placebo-controlled study will be undertaken and study subjects will be recruited on a volunteer basis. Subjects will be divided into five groups and each group will receive one of the four dietary supplements and the fifth group placebo, for a two week period. Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) studies will be performed on blood samples obtained from each participant at baseline and at the end of the treatment period to identify coagulation abnormalities. Most of these herbal medicines have been identified to affect platelet function and this study will specifically look at platelet function determined by maximum clot firmness (MCF) in the ROTEM analysis.

Viscoelastic point-of-care coagulation monitoring in patients using herbal medicines and dietary supplements will aid decision making regarding cause of perioperative haemorrhage and need for specific blood products. It will therefore assist with goal-directed management of perioperative haemorrhage. It will also aid the anaesthetist wishing to employ a regional anaesthetic technique in this patient group.

Study Type

Interventional

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 60 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age 18-60 years
  2. Both males and females
  3. Healthy volunteers
  4. Smokers and Non-smokers
  5. Staff frequenting the theatre complex at Steve Biko Academic Hospital

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Use of any medication, excluding oral contraceptive pills, in the two week period prior to commencement of the study. Medicines excluded, include aspirin, dietary supplements, herbal teas, anticoagulants and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. . Oral contraceptive pills were omitted as an exclusion criteria, taking into account that the majority of woman use these. The results of the study will be a better reflection of the effect of these dietary supplements in the modern day woman. Its coagulant properties will be taken into account during data analysis.
  2. History of any chronic medical or psychiatric illness.
  3. Current excessive alcohol intake - more than 14 units a week in woman and more than 21 units a week in men.
  4. Pregnant or lactating mothers.
  5. Possible planned surgery during the study period

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Ginger
Ginger ( Zingiber officinale) 4 grams po dly for 14 days
Ginger dosage at daily recommended allowance
Active Comparator: Garlic
Garlic (Allium sativum) 4-12 mg alliin po dly for 14 days
Garlic dosage at daily recommended allowance
Active Comparator: Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo Biloba 40mg po tds for 14 days
Ginkgo Biloba dosage at daily recommended allowance
Active Comparator: Ginseng
Ginseng 400mg po dly for 14 days
Ginseng dosage at daily recommended allowance
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Placebo po dly for 14 days
Daily dosage strategy

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Platelet dysfunction determined by ROTEM when consuming ginger, garlic, ginkgo biloba and ginseng.
Time Frame: 2-4 weeks
To determine if viscoelastic point-of-care coagulation monitoring (ROTEM) detects abnormalities in platelet function when subjects consume ginger, garlic, ginkgo biloba and ginseng within their recommended daily allowances. ExTEM and FibTEM analysis will be performed and difference in MCF values will determine if there is platelet dysfunction or not.
2-4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Jayde V Wyngaard, MBCHB, University of Pretoria

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Anticipated)

June 1, 2017

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

July 1, 2017

Study Completion (Anticipated)

August 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 27, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 19, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

April 24, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 9, 2018

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 3, 2018

Last Verified

May 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • MMed Anaesthesiology -15402364

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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