Mode of Ventilation During Critical Illness at Multiple Centers (MODEM)

August 25, 2026 updated by: Kevin P Seitz, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether the choice of ventilator mode for patients on breathing machines in the intensive care unit affects their survival and recovery. To do this, researchers will assign the entire participating intensive care unit to one of the three available ventilator modes, alternating which mode is assigned in random sequence every 2 months. The main question it aims to answer is: Does the choice between volume control, pressure control, and adaptive pressure control affect the number of days that patients are alive and free of the breathing machine?

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Enrolling by invitation

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

The MODEM trial is a cluster-randomized, cluster-crossover clinical trial comparing the effectiveness of three ventilator modes (volume control vs pressure control vs adaptive pressure control) for mechanical ventilation of critically ill adults at multiple centers. A total of 4,785 critically ill adults receiving invasive mechanical ventilation in intensive care units will be enrolled and included in the primary analysis. Each study unit will be assigned to a ventilator mode and will switch between modes every 2 months in an order determined by randomization. Enrolled patients will be assigned to receive volume control, pressure control, or adaptive pressure control according to the mode assigned to the unit at the time they were enrolled. The primary outcome will be ventilator-free days in the first 28 days, and the secondary outcome will be all-cause, 28-day in-hospital mortality.

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.
4785

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

  • United States
    • Illinois
      • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60612
        • Rush University Medical Center
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21224
        • The Johns Hopkins Hospital
    • North Carolina
      • Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States, 27109
        • Wake Forest University Health Sciences
    • Tennessee
      • Nashville, Tennessee, United States, 37232
        • Vanderbilt University Medical Center

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patient is receiving mechanical ventilation through an endotracheal tube or tracheostomy
  • Patient is physically located in a participating adult ICU

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patient is known to be less than 18 years old
  • Patient is known to be a prisoner
  • Patient is known to have been receiving invasive mechanical ventilation at place of residence prior to hospital admission
  • Patient is receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation at the time when inclusion criteria are first met

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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover 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.
Active Comparator: Adaptive Pressure Control Group
During invasive mechanical ventilation in a study location, adaptive pressure control will be used as the mode for continuous mandatory ventilation.
Other: Adaptive pressure control
Adaptive pressure control for invasive mechanical ventilation
Active Comparator: Pressure Control Group
During invasive mechanical ventilation in a study location, pressure control will be used as the mode for continuous mandatory ventilation.
Other: Pressure control
Pressure control mode for invasive mechanical ventilation
Active Comparator: Volume Control Group
During invasive mechanical ventilation in a study location, volume control will be used as the mode for continuous mandatory ventilation.
Other: Volume control
Volume control mode for invasive mechanical ventilation

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
Ventilator-free days in the first 28 days
Time Frame: From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
The number of calendar days between enrollment and 28 days after enrollment, on which the patient is alive and free of invasive mechanical ventilation. Receipt of invasive mechanical ventilation will be considered to end when patients undergo the final tracheal extubation or disconnection of the ventilator from a tracheostomy tube between enrollment and day 28.
From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment

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
All-cause, 28-day, in-hospital mortality
Time Frame: From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
All-cause, 28-day, in-hospital mortality, defined as death from any cause occurring between enrollment and 28 days after enrollment with outcome ascertainment ending at hospital discharge.
From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Severe acidemia (Safety Outcome)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
pH <7.1 on blood gas laboratory test
From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Barotrauma (Safety Outcome)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum
From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Receipt of invasive procedure for treatment of pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum (Safety Outcome)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
E.g., thoracostomy tube
From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Shock (Safety Outcome)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Receipt of continuous infusion of vasopressor or inotrope medications
From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Exhaled tidal volume (Exploratory Intermediary Outcome)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Measured in mL/kg of predicted body weight
From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Exhaled tidal volumes above target range (Exploratory Intermediary Outcome)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Proportion of recorded breaths with exhaled tidal volume values above the target range (>8 mL/kg predicted body weight)
From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Peak inspiratory pressure (Exploratory Intermediary Outcome)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Measured in cmH2O
From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Deep sedation (Exploratory Intermediary Outcome)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Proportion of assessments with RASS of -4 or -5
From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Delirium and coma-free days in the first 28 days (Exploratory Clinical Outcome)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
The number of calendar days between enrollment and 28 days after enrollment, on which the patient is alive and free of delirium or coma
From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Intensive care unit-free days in the first 28 days (Exploratory Clinical Outcome)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
The number of calendar days between enrollment and 28 days after enrollment, on which the patient is alive and free from intensive care unit admission after the final transfer out of the intensive care unit
From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Hospital free days in the first 28 days (Exploratory Clinical Outcome)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
The number of calendar days, between enrollment and 28 days after enrollment, on which the patient is alive and free from hospital admission
From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Peak inspiratory pressure above target range (Exploratory Intermediary Outcome)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Proportion of recorded breaths with peak inspiratory values above the target range (>30cmH2O)
From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) (Exploratory Intermediary Outcome)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
RASS is a 10 point scale of agitation or sedation ranging from -5 (most sedated, comatose) to +4 (most agitated, combative).
From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Receipt of neuromuscular blocking agent (Safety Outcome)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment
Receipt of a neuromuscular blocking agent for an indication other than to facilitate a procedure (e.g., intubation, tracheostomy, bronchoscopy)
From enrollment to 28 days after enrollment

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.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

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.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

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.
May 1, 2026

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.
January 1, 2030

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.
March 1, 2030

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).
December 30, 2025

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.
December 30, 2025

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.
January 2, 2026

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.
August 28, 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.
August 25, 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.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • 250596
  • K23HL175246 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP

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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