Clinical Trial: Orthostatic Hypotension Treatment on Rehab Unit

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Effect of Treatment of Orthostatic Hypotension on a Rehabilitation Unit

Brief Summary: For patients recovering from acute illness, the ability to stand, walk, climb stairs, and participate in therapy are critical to their recovery and eventual discharge to the least restrictive environment. Orthostatic hypotension is a common finding in medically ill adult and elderly patients and is a potentially reversible contributor to functional impairment. This 4-year project will be a randomized controlled trial of a multidisciplinary-multicomponent intervention to determine whether routine identification and treatment of OH improves functional outcomes such as: balance, fall rates, therapy participation, length of stay, transfer to acute care hospital, and discharge location. Routine screening and management of OH may improve outcomes for rehabilitation and long term care patients, as well other high-risk patient populations.

Detailed Summary:

Objectives Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a condition that contributes to falls, dizziness, syncope, transient ischemic attack, and impaired functional status. OH is defined specifically as a 20mmHg drop in systolic, and/or a 10mmHg drop in diastolic BP within 3 min of standing. The objectives of this study are to: (1) Examine the effect of OH treatment on functional outcomes, and OH prevalence during a subject's inpatient stay, and (2) Evaluate whether OH treatment during a subject's inpatient stay affects fall prevalence, and functional outcomes by 12 months after discharge.

Plan This 4-year project will be a randomized controlled trial of a multidisciplinary-multicomponent intervention to improve OH in patients admitted to Nursing Home (NH) and rehabilitation settings. During the 37-month enrollment period, the investigators expect to consent 350 subjects who will be randomized into intervention and control groups (175 subjects each). During their stay, subjects in the intervention group will receive a standardized treatment for their OH, or to prevent OH, while those in the control group will receive usual care. The investigators expect that 85% will remain in the study until they are discharged from the NH/rehabilitation unit. Following discharge, the investigators will conduct weekly phone calls to monitor incidence of falls for one month. Subsequently, at 12-months post-discharge, the investigators will conduct a chart review, and the study will terminate. The investigators expect 85% of the subjects discharged from the NH/rehabilitation unit that were enrolled in the study will remain in the study at 12-months post discharge. The investigators performed a "pilot" study on up to 10 subjects while waiting for adequate staffing to conduct the study with blinded data collectors.

Methods The investigators wil
Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development

Current Primary Outcome: Orthostatic hypotension at discharge [ Time Frame: Discharge ]

Original Primary Outcome: Orthostatic hypotension at discharge, fall frequency 6 months after discharge [ Time Frame: 6 months after discharge ]

Current Secondary Outcome: Fall frequency 30 days after discharge [ Time Frame: 30 days after discharge ]

Original Secondary Outcome:

Information By: VA Office of Research and Development

Dates:
Date Received: December 10, 2009
Date Started: October 2011
Date Completion:
Last Updated: August 5, 2016
Last Verified: August 2016