RecruitingNot Applicable

Continuous Jugular Venous Oxygen Saturation (SjO2) Measurement After Cardiac Arrest

United States25 participantsStarted 2025-09-20

Plain-language summary

Patients successfully resuscitated from sudden cardiac arrest are often comatose, having suffered a period of low blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain. They are also at risk of suffering further brain injury during the immediate period after resuscitation, in which the brain's normal regulatory functions are impaired. To diagnose and treat secondary brain injury in comatose patients after cardiac arrest, doctors use a variety of neurological monitoring techniques. One of these methods involves measuring the oxygen saturation of blood going into and out of the brain to determine whether the brain is receiving and utilizing oxygen in an optimal manner. The oxygen saturation of blood exiting the brain is called the jugular venous oxygen saturation (SjO2). It is measured by inserting a catheter into the jugular vein in the neck and sampling blood as it exits the skull. The blood sample is sent to the hospital laboratory and the oxygen saturation is measured on a blood gas machine. This method of SjO2 measurement has limitations, particularly that blood must be taken out of the patient and sent to the lab for analysis, which can only be done feasibly every few hours. Special catheters exist that can measure the oxygen saturation of blood passing by the tip of the catheter inside the patient on a second-by-second basis, without needing to withdraw blood and send it to the laboratory. With such rapidly available data, doctors may be able to better diagnose and treat brain oxygen abnormalities in post cardiac arrest patients. In this study, the investigators plan to determine the accuracy of an existing, Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared catheter capable of continuous, indwelling measurement of venous blood oxygen saturation for SjO2 monitoring in comatose patients early after cardiac arrest. The SjO2 measurements from the study catheter will be compared with standard SjO2 measurements made by withdrawing blood and analyzing it in the laboratory to determine if the new catheter is accurate. The investigators will also collect blood samples using the study catheter to measure levels of specific proteins that indicate damage to brain tissue. The study will enroll 25 participants admitted to the intensive care unit at one hospital cared for by a group of doctors that specialize in the neurological care of patients after cardiac arrest. The investigators hypothesize that the study catheter will accurately measure SjO2 compared to the standard laboratory method.

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

Inclusion Criteria: • Adults (\>=18 years old) resuscitated from out-of-hospital or in-hospital cardiac arrest who remain comatose (motor Glasgow coma scale \<=4) for at least 30 minutes when examined off sedation/neuromuscular blockade. Exclusion Criteria: * Cardiac arrest due to traumatic brain injury, intracranial bleeding, or ischemic stroke * Cervical spine fracture * Need for immediate prone positioning for severe hypoxemic respiratory failure * Marked hemodynamic instability precluding priority of any neuromonitoring (multiple recurrent cardiac arrests, norepinephrine equivalents \> 1.5 mcg/kg/min) * Moribund neurological status based upon initial clinical, radiographic and historical assessment (e.g. diffuse cerebral edema or herniation on head computed tomography) * Pregnancy * Prisoners

Questions worth asking your doctor

Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.

1This trial is measuring brain oxygen levels continuously after cardiac arrest using a special catheter in the jugular vein — can you explain what that procedure involves and what risks it might add on top of my current care?
2Since this study is described as 'Phase NA,' it sounds like it's focused on testing a monitoring method rather than a new treatment — does participating actually change how I or my loved one would be treated, or is it purely observational?
3The trial is comparing continuous readings from the PediaSat catheter against intermittent blood samples — if the continuous monitor gives an unexpected reading during the study, would the care team act on that information or is it only being recorded for research purposes?
4Are there standard monitoring approaches already in place for brain oxygen after cardiac arrest, and how does joining this study compare to just receiving that standard care?
5What would participation actually look like day-to-day in the ICU — how many additional procedures or blood draws would be involved, and could any of them affect recovery or cause complications?

Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.

Questions for the trial coordinator

The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.

1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?

A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.

What they're measuring

Bias and percent error of continuous SjO2 measurements compared to intermittent SjO2 measurements, both obtained with the PediaSat Oximetry Catheter

Timeframe: From hospital presentation to 72 hours after admission

Trial details

NCT IDNCT06511999

SponsorByron Drumheller

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeOBSERVATIONAL

Primary completion2027-12-31

Contact for this trial

Byron Drumheller, MD

1-301-461-9301 drumhellerbc@upmc.edu

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Cardiac Arrest trials