By Julie Carrico, MBA, CCRC
The Corvallis Clinic’s Clinical Research Center is conducting a study to evaluate a potential new vaccine to prevent certain types of exacerbations in patients who have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
COPD is a progressive lung disease that over time makes it hard to breathe. COPD is sometimes referred to as chronic bronchitis or emphysema or both. The majority of patients with COPD have a significant history of smoking cigarettes. The primary complaint of most patients with COPD is feeling short of breath, especially when they are active. Even light activity, such as vacuuming and short walks, can be difficult.
A COPD exacerbation is a worsening of such symptoms as shortness of breath, excessive mucus, coughing, wheezing and fever to the point that treatment with antibiotics or steroids or both may be required. Exacerbations are often linked to a lung infections caused by a virus or bacteria, such as a cold or other illness. Smoggy or dirty air can also make symptoms get worse in a hurry.
COPD exacerbations can very serious, sometimes resulting in pneumonia or hospitalization or both. Patients with COPD are actually more vulnerable to pneumonia because of airway damage caused by smoking. Immunization with a pneumonia vaccine, such as Prevnar®, is a good step in warding off pneumonia caused by streptococcus pneumoniae organisms. The trouble for COPD patients is there are two other pneumonia-causing bacteria, closely associated with COPD exacerbations, which are not covered by the streptococcal based vaccine.
The Clinical Research Center and Drs. Vincent Gimino, Michael Chen and Griff Liang invite current or ex-smokers between 40 and 80 years of age who have COPD and have experienced a COPD exacerbation in the last year to consider volunteering for this study.
The Clinical Research Center is currently seeking volunteer patients in studies for Alzheimer’s disease, Type 2 diabetes and a vaccine to prevent exacerbation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
If you are interested in learning more about clinical trials, contact the Clinical Research Center at 541-766-2163, or send an email to research@corvallisclinic.com or fill out our Research Study Information Request form. And, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/corvallisclinicresearch.
– Julie Carrico is Associate Coordinator of The Corvallis Clinic Clinical Research Center and a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator
