North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust is appealing to patients being treated for pneumonia who are aged over 50 to agree to take part in a national research project which could have a far-reaching impact in the future.
Pneumonia can cause inflammation of the lungs leading to older sufferers being at an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
ASPECT
ASPECT (Aspirin after hospitalisation with Pneumonia to prevent cardiovascular Events randomised Controlled Trial) is a national research project, seeking patients aged over 50 who have been hospitalised with pneumonia.
Volunteers who fit the criteria will be assigned into a controlled trial which will see half of the patients (selected at random) being asked to take an aspirin every day to assess the common drug’s effects on reducing heart attack or stroke. Patients on the trial will begin with 150mg of aspirin per day for the first week before the dose is lowered for a period of three months.
Dr. Elizabeth Clark has been involved in screening suitable patients from the elderly care wards at the University Hospital of North Tees.
Elizabeth said: “Pneumonia is no joke. It’s not a ‘bad cold’, it can be really serious.
“The research leaders believe that if the project shows that aspirin, just an everyday aspirin, is effective it could prevent some 3,000 heart attacks and strokes every year.
“All the patients on the trial need to do is take a low dose of aspirin every day for three months. We keep in touch with them, take notes and feed it back to the national research team.“
Volunteer
As well as elderly patients, the research team is seeking volunteers from the emergency assessment unit and respiratory wards. Patients who are identified as meeting the criteria will be approached by Elizabeth or her colleagues and asked to join the trial.
Elizabeth commented: “The trial is looking for 22,600 volunteers nationwide. They need a large pool so the research teams can make sure the results are representative.
“We’re aiming for seven patients a month from our Trust although I’ll admit we were all really happy to sign up 15 in December, which was the second best in the country.
“I’d like to thank all of our patients who have taken part in the trial so far. I really hope the project is successful and we can save lots of lives.”
ASPECT is run by the University of Bristol, sponsored by North Bristol NHS Trust, supported by the Bristol Trials Centre. It has been awarded more than £2.3 million by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
The trial involves 60 Trusts around the country, including North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.