Can safer lung scans replace CT in infants? a study puts three methods to the test
NCT ID NCT04989439
First seen Jul 24, 2026 · Last updated Jul 24, 2026
Summary
This study compares three ways to image the lungs of infants: CT scans, electrical impedance tomography (EIT), and lung ultrasound. The goal is to see how well the non-invasive methods (EIT and ultrasound) match up with CT in detecting collapsed or overinflated lung areas. Ten infants who already need a chest CT will also receive EIT and ultrasound, allowing researchers to compare the results. The findings may help develop safer bedside imaging options for babies.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help doctors use safer, radiation-free imaging methods like EIT and ultrasound at the bedside for infants.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small observational study with only 10 infants, so findings may not apply broadly. It is designed to generate hypotheses, not prove a new standard of care.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
-
About 10 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Jul 2021
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Infants receiving a CT scan of the thorax.
- Ages
-
Up to 12 months
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * Patients hospitalized at the Department of Pediatrics of the Medical University of Vienna who will get a CT scan of the thorax. * Patients aged up to 12 months Exclusion Criteria: * Unstable cardiovascular, respiratory and/or neurological conditions. * Sternotomy during the previous 15 days. * Thoracic skin lesions or wounds (including burns) on the thorax, where the EIT-electrode-belt would be placed.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Computed tomography are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
-
Medical University of Vienna
RECRUITINGVienna, 1090, Austria
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Ultrasound of calf muscles could reveal who is at risk of falling after stroke
- Can ultrasound spot early joint wear in diabetic nerve damage?
- AI reads heart ultrasound at the bedside: a test for faster detection of weak heart pumping
- Could a Drug-Coated balloon beat stents for a common heart attack cause?
- Breathing rhythm may reveal hidden risks after lung surgery
- Remote coaching via head-mounted device may boost ultrasound training