New blood test could spot hidden belly infections faster
NCT ID NCT07579312
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study is testing a new blood test that looks at RNA (genetic material) to quickly tell if a person with belly pain has an infection inside the abdomen, like appendicitis or diverticulitis. About 1,000 adults and children over age 7 with abdominal pain will give a blood sample, and the test results will be compared to standard methods like CT scans. The goal is to see if this simple blood test can accurately diagnose infections and reduce the need for more invasive or costly imaging.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 1,000 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2026
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Patients presenting to a physician at an Emergency Department or Gastroenterology Clinic with a primary complaint of abdominal pain that the physician believes could have an infectious etiology.
- Ages
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7 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: Age \> 7 yr old Abdominal pain of likely non-traumatic origin Risk of intra-abdominal infection (see IAI signs) Ability to provide informed consent/assent Potential to order abdominal CT, ultrasound, endoscopy, or surgery for possible IAI Exclusion Criteria: Any situation where delay could be detrimental Hemodynamically unstable (see age-adjusted criteria) Prisoner or other involuntary detainee Inability to provide informed consent/assent
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Children's National Hospital
RECRUITINGWashington D.C., District of Columbia, 20010, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Optimizing low-dose contrast media protocol for Low-kVp abdominopelvic CT in suspected acute appendicitis
- A sharper eye on a common mimic: can imaging and symptoms separate two look-alike gut conditions?
- A new lens on children's surgery: can video grading predict recovery?
- To cut or not to cut: a trial questions routine appendectomy for normal appendices
- Blood markers may reveal who is at risk from severe abdominal infections
- Simple pressure check may spare kids from post-surgery sore throat