Acute Respiratory Failure and COVID-19 in Real Life

April 28, 2026 updated by: Pierachille Santus, MD, PhD, University of Milan

Acute Respiratory Failure and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy in Patients With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection: a Real Life Evaluation

In December 2019 a new kind of virus was identified in China as the responsible of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and interstitial pneumonia. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) quickly spread around the world and in February 2020 became a pandemia in Europe.

No pharmacological treatment is actually licensed for the SARS-CoV2 infection and at the current state of art there is a lack of data about the clinical management of the coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19).

The aim of this observational study is to collect the data and the outcomes of COVID-19 patients admitted in the H. Sacco Respiratory Unit treated according to the Standard Operating Procedures and the Good Clinical Practice.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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

All consecutive adult COVID-19 patients admitted to our Respiratory Unit will be enrolled. All demographic, anthropometric, laboratory, radiological, clinical and microbiological data will be collected and analyzed according to the primary and secondary outcomes (see the dedicated section).

During the hospitalization, patients will be treated according to the standard operating procedure of our Respiratory Unit, such as arterial gas analysis, Rx, pharmacological treatment, ventilation. This study is purely observational and no randomization will be performed.

After discharge, patients a 7 days, 30 days and 6 months follow up will be assessed.

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.
Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

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.
250

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 Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Italy
    • Lombardy
      • Milan, Lombardy, Italy, 20157
        • Luigi Sacco University Hospital

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

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

All patients with SARS-CoV2 pulmonary disease admitted to the H. Sacco respiratory unit will be enrolled in the observational study (see exclusion criteria).

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients that can give written or oral informed consent
  • patients with microbiological diagnosis (i.e. rhinopharyngeal swab) of SARS-CoV2 infection

Exclusion Criteria:

  • severe cognitive impairment
  • absolute contraindication to non invasive ventilation or cpap therapy
  • rhinopharyngeal swab negative for SARS-CoV2

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

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
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.
Coronavirus Infection
All patients admitted to the Respiratory Unit with SARS-CoV-2 infection and respiratory failure
Other: standard operating procedures
standard operating procedures represented by continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy or non invasive ventilation, pharmacological treatment as antiviral and antibiotic drugs, bronchodilators, xanthines, enteral nutrition, hydration.

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
Real life data of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection
Time Frame: 1-6 months
Data collection about the real life management of patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection with acute respiratory distress syndrome
1-6 months

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
in-hospital mortality
Time Frame: 1 month
How many patients died during the hospitalization
1 month
30 days mortality
Time Frame: 1 month
How many patients died 30 days after the discharge
1 month
6 months mortality
Time Frame: 6 months
How many patients died 6 months after the discharge
6 months
Intubation rate
Time Frame: 7 days
How many patients were intubated during the hospitalization
7 days
Time to Intubation
Time Frame: 7 days
How many days/hours from admittance to intubation
7 days
Time to ventilation
Time Frame: 7 days
How many days/hours from admittance to the start of non invasive ventilation or CPAP therapy
7 days
Non invasive to Invasive time
Time Frame: 7 days
How many days/hours from the start of non invasive ventilation or CPAP therapy to the intubation
7 days
Recovery rate
Time Frame: 1 month
How many patients were healed from the infection and discharged
1 month
Recurrence rate
Time Frame: 1 month
How many patients underwent re-infection after previous recovery from COVID19
1 month
Risk factor for COVID19
Time Frame: retrospective
Assessment of the risk factors for the infection and the admission to the hospital
retrospective
Blood tests and outcome
Time Frame: 1 month
What serological parameter could be used as predictor of good or negative prognosis.
1 month
Antiviral therapy
Time Frame: 1 month
Impact of antiviral therapy on the clinical course of the disease
1 month
Coinfections
Time Frame: 1 month
Assessment of bacterial, fungal or other coinfections rate
1 month
Radiological findings
Time Frame: 1 month
Impact of radiological findings on the clinical course and the outcome
1 month
Ultrasound findings
Time Frame: 1 month
Impact of ultrasound findings on the clinical course and the outcome
1 month
Myocardial injury
Time Frame: 1 month
Assessment of the evidence of myocardial injury in covid19+ patients
1 month
Medical management
Time Frame: 1 month
impact of standard therapeutic operating procedures (eg enteral nutrition, hydration, drugs) on the clinical course.
1 month

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.
University of Milan

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.
March 19, 2020

Primary Completion (Actual)

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.
September 1, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

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.
December 31, 2023

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).
March 10, 2020

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.
March 10, 2020

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.
March 13, 2020

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.
April 29, 2026

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.
April 28, 2026

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.
April 1, 2026

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.
  • 17263/2020

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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