A nationwide clinical trial involving patients with severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is coming to the University of Colorado Hospital (UCH), which is one of 45 sites around the country selected to participate in the study.
The Brain Oxygen Optimization in Severe TBI, Phase 3 (BOOST-3) clinical trial will be enrolling patients with a severe TBI, a life-threatening condition often caused by falls, collisions, or motor vehicle accidents. The National Institutes of Health is funding and overseeing the BOOST-3 trial. The BOOST-3 study aims to find whether early monitoring and treatment of brain tissue oxygenation will lead to improved neurologic outcome and survival, in patients with severe TBI. “Physicians and healthcare providers have always known that brain oxygenation is paramount in improving outcomes for patients with a traumatic brain injury. We just haven’t had the tools to accurately monitor brain tissue oxygenation, until now,” states Dr. Robert Neumann, medical director of The Neuro Intensive Care Unit at UCH.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year brings nearly 3 million Emergency Department visits and 300,000 hospitalizations related to TBIs with over 55,000 deaths. Among the survivors, over 40% suffer from a long-term disability. Dr. Robert McIntyre, chief of trauma at UCH, states, “In trauma, research has allowed us to identify the best possible ways to treat patients that are acutely injured in order to save their lives. Involvement in this study means we will help the brain injured patient in their immediate need as well as discover ways to further improve survival and outcomes.”
Patients who arrive at UCH within twelve hours of their injury will be eligible for the study, however, will be unable to consent due to their condition. In cases where family or medical proxy decision makers are available, consent will be requested from them on the patient’s behalf. The research team will follow patients for six months following their injury.
Dr. Adit Ginde, who leads emergency department research at UCH, added “We are excited to provide access to this national study for our local community. In gathering data and implementing evidence-based practice, we bring advanced and cutting-edge trauma care to our patients and improve the way trauma care is delivered in our local community and around the world.
For more information or to decline participation in this study, please visit boost3trial.org
Contact Us
Phone: 303-724-2549
Email: boost3@ucdenver.edu
Primary Investigator: Dr. Robert Neumann, MD
Study Coordinator: Jennifer Peers, RN