A Procalcitonin-based Algorithm in Adhesion-related Small Bowel Obstruction (ALPROC)

June 5, 2025 updated by: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Amiens

Impact of a Procalcitonin-based Algorithm on Quality of Management in Patients With Uncomplicated Adhesion-related Small Bowel Obstruction Assessed by Textbook Outcome: a Multicenter Cluster-randomized Open-label Controlled Trial. (ALPROC)

Adhesion-related small bowel obstruction is a common digestive emergency that can be managed either conservatively or surgically. However, the choice between these two approaches can be difficult due to the absence of specific signs. The objective of this study is to evaluate the clinical impact of a procalcitonin-based algorithm.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Acute adhesion-related small bowel obstruction (ASBO) is a common digestive emergency accounting for 1% to 3% of all digestive emergencies. It is associated with a mortality rate of between 2% and 8%, although this figure may be as high as 25% when surgical treatment is delayed. In 2013, the World Society of Emergency Surgery's working group on ASBO suggested two distinct approaches for the management of acute ASBO. Conservative management includes the use of a nasogastric tube (NGT), intravenous administration of fluids, and clinical and biochemical monitoring for 24 to 72 hours or surgical management. However, the efficacy of conservative management in this setting is a subject of debate, as it might delay the decision to perform surgery and increase the frequency of bowel resection (e.g. in the presence of bowel necrosis) or, in contrast, prompt an excessive number of unnecessary laparotomies. The efficacy of water-soluble contrast medium in this setting is also subject to debate, as data from a recent randomized clinical trial including 242 patients (ABOD study) combined with a meta-analysis in 2015 including 990 patients failed to demonstrate any value of gastrografin to reduce the surgery rate and length of stay. Three years ago, our team proposed the use of a marker of bacterial infection and bowel ischemia, procalcitonin (PCT), to help distinguish patients in whom conservative management is likely to be successful from those in whom surgical management was mandatory. Cutoffs of 0.2 µg/L (for failure of conservative management ) and 0.6 µg/L (for need for surgery) accurately identified more than 80% of patients. These cutoffs and data were confirmed in a second independent cohort, and were then used to propose an algorithm for the management of patients with ASBO. In this single-center, retrospective , case-control study, the investigators showed that introduction of this algorithm into patient management reduced i/ the time to surgery with no increase of the surgical management rate; ii/ the length of stay (with a 2-day difference). The investigators propose the hypothesis that introduction of the PCT-based algorithm improves the quality of management of patients with ASBO.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
488

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

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

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Uncomplicated acute adhesion-related small bowel obstruction (ASBO)
  • Adults
  • Patients able to express consent
  • Signed written informed consent form
  • Covered by national health insurance

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Disease-related criteria:
  • Large bowel obstruction
  • No previous abdominal surgery
  • Signs of peritonitis or strangulation requiring emergency surgery)
  • Obstruction within 4 weeks following previous surgery
  • Ongoing or history of bowel cancer
  • Ongoing or in history of inflammatory bowel disease
  • History of abdominal radiotherapy
  • Active infection
  • Contraindication to contrast-enhanced CT scan
  • Minors
  • Patient deprived of liberty by administrative or judicial decision or placed under judicial protection (guardianship or supervision)
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding

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: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: algorithm arm
Patient management is based on clinical examination and procalcitonin assessment. From 48 hours after initiation of conservative management in the case of absence of bowel function, operative management (adhesiolysis or bowel resection) will be performed. In the event of discordance between procalcitonin values and clinical examination, management will always be based on clinical examination.
Diagnostic test: algorithm
clinical examination and procalcitonin assessment
No Intervention: no algorithm arm
Patient management is based on clinical examination. Conservative management will be continued for 48 hours in the absence of signs of bowel ischemia (clinical and laboratory assessment other than procalcitonin, as procalcitonin will not be assayed in this arm). Gastrografin will not be used in this arm. Operative management (adhesiolysis or bowel resection) will be performed 48 hours after initiation of conservative management or in the case of absence of bowel function.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
proportion of patients achieving textbook outcome
Time Frame: within 90 days after randomization.
textbook outcome is defined as patients either correctly operated (ischemia confirmed at operation ± resection) or correctly managed conservatively (no need for unplanned surgery) with no major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo≥3) and a medical length of stay<5 days (defined as the time at which the patient is medically eligible for discharge), with no postoperative consultation, rehospitalisation and reoperation within 90 days after randomization.
within 90 days after randomization.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
1-, 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-month recurrence rates
Time Frame: within 12 postoperative months
a new episode of adhesion-related small bowel obstruction.
within 12 postoperative months
QSH45 (questionnaire for satisfaction of hospitalized patients) score evaluating patient satisfaction at postoperative month 1
Time Frame: postoperative month 1
Evaluation of patient satisfaction at postoperative month 1. Values of scores are between 0 and 100. 0 is the minimum score. 100 is the maximum score. In QSH45 : 45 questions are asked to the patient. Each question has a score from 1 (worst) to 5 (best score). The QSH45 score is divided in 8 subscales. The 45 questions are placed equally in the 8 subscales. the total score (QSH45) is the average of the score of the 8 subscales.
postoperative month 1
Clavien score postoperative month 1
Time Frame: postoperative month 1
The therapy used to correct a specific complication in the basis of this classification on order to rank a complication in an objective and reproducible manner. It consists of 7 grades (I, II, IIIa, IIIb, IVa, IVb and V). Grade I is the minimum value of the score. Grade V is the maximum value of the score corresponding to the death of a patient.
postoperative month 1
CCI score
Time Frame: postoperative month 1
The CCI calculator is an online tool to support the assessment of patients' overall morbidity. The comprehensive complication index (CCI) is based on the complication grading by Clavien-Dindo Classification and implements every occured complication after an intervention. The overall morbidity is reflected on a scale from 0 (no complication) to 100 (death).
postoperative month 1
Hospital length of stay
Time Frame: postoperative month 12
the interval between admission to the emergency department and discharge from the ward.
postoperative month 12
Cumulative length of stay
Time Frame: postoperative month 12
total number of days of hospitalization related to ASBO
postoperative month 12

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Amiens

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
University Hospital, Rouen
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon
Centre Hospitalier de Beauvais
Central Hospital Saint Quentin
University Hospital, Clermont-Ferrand
University Hospital, Caen
Saint Antoine University Hospital
University Hospital, Limoges
Hôpital Cochin
University Hospital, Toulouse
University Hospital, Lille
Groupe Hospitalier Pitie-Salpetriere
Centre Hospitalier de PAU
Hopital Lariboisière
Tourcoing Hospital

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Jean-Marc Regimbeau, Pr, CHU Amiens

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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 (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 1, 2019

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 1, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 21, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 4, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 5, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 8, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 5, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • PI2018_843_0029

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

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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