Fatty acids in blood may signal sepsis danger early
NCT ID NCT01530854
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looked at whether levels of free fatty acids in the blood can help predict how sick a sepsis patient will become. Researchers measured these fats in 74 adults arriving at the emergency department with signs of infection. They then tracked whether patients were admitted to the hospital, how long they stayed, and if they survived. The goal is to find a quick way to identify high-risk patients early.
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 lead to a simple blood test that helps doctors quickly identify which sepsis patients are at highest risk for complications.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 74 participants, so results may not apply to all sepsis patients. It is designed to gather information, not to test a treatment.
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
-
74 people
The number who actually took part.
- Start date
-
Feb 2008
- Finished
-
Jan 2012
- 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
This is a prospective, specimen-procurement pilot study that will enroll adult patients (aged 18 years or older) who present to the Cleveland Clinic Emergency Department with suspected infection.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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: * 18 years of age or older * Able to provide informed consent (or has surrogate present that can do so) * Presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) for evaluation * Clinical suspicion of infection, as indicated by the ED physician's ordering a blood culture or a current temperature of ≥38C. Exclusion Criteria: * Liver disease * Hepatitis * Alcohol consumption \>2 drinks/day for longer than 6 months * Pregnant women * Prisoners or other institutionalized individuals * Unable to speak the English language * Unwilling or unlikely to be reachable by telephone for the 30-day follow-up status assessment call
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Sepsis 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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can warming the body help sepsis patients who cannot make a fever?
- Can a simple ultrasound measurement reveal heart strain in sepsis?
- Clotting clues: simple blood test eyed to catch sepsis before it turns deadly
- Can two blood markers catch sepsis before it turns deadly?
- Two cheap blood ratios put to the test as sepsis death predictors
- Can a computer model speed up sepsis blood tests?