NCT lookup

Sponsor: Charite University, Berlin, Germany

Conditions: Circadian Rhythm

Interventions: Exposure to routine clinical parameters, Exposure to ICU clinical factors and treatments, Exposure to critical illness-related conditions, Exposure to molecular and hormonal circadian markers, Exposure to metabolic changes related to critical illness

Countries: Germany

The goal of this retrospective exploratory study is to examine how the body's natural day-and-night rhythms and oscillatory patterns behave in people who were treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The study uses routine clinical data that were already collected during and after the ICU stay, including post-discharge follow-up measurements (where available), such as heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, blood sugar, and insulin. The researchers want to learn whether these measurements show daily patterns and whether patients can be grouped based on their oscillatory profiles. The study also examines whether certain clinical factors such as illness severity scores, sedation levels, organ support treatments, or medications are associated with changes in these oscillatory rhythms. The team will explore whether conditions that can develop during or after critical illness, such as delirium, muscle weakness, or Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS), are linked to disturbed physiological rhythms. Another goal is to test whether it is technically possible to show a patient's rhythm profile in real time using routine data from the ICU information system, evaluated retrospectively. Digital tools called "Chrono-Apps" will be developed to display rhythmic information and may help clinicians adjust lighting to patient needs.