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Clinical Research Unit

Description

The Clinical Research Unit (CRU) was formerly known as the Adult General Clinical Research Center (GCRC). Located on the 4th and 5th floors of Barnard Hospital, the CRU operates as an in-patient and out-patient clinical research unit for studies that require more “intense” nursing services than the studies performed in the Clinical Trials Unit or that require an inpatient stay.

Clinical Research Unit Hours of Operation:
24 hours starting at 6:00 PM Sunday through Thursday, closing at 7:00 PM on Fridays.
Weekends 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM bi-monthly (2 weekends a month)
Please see the Sunday night and weekend schedule.
If you need additional hours, please contact Nurse Manager Lois Davis davis_l@wustl.edu.

Services Available to ICTS Members

Facilities, Equipment and Staffing

• Six-room, 12-bed semi-private extended visit area that is staffed 24-hours a day (as research necessitates)
• Outpatient area that includes two full beds, four chair beds, a waiting room, outpatient office as well as the bionutritionists' offices. The outpatient office is staffed Monday-Friday from 7 am - 3 pm.
• Routine research nursing services and specialized protocol-required procedures, subject monitoring and phlebotomy
• Specimen processing and short-term storage area
• Bionutrition services and a full metabolic research kitchen for meal preparation
• Body composition analysis by using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry

Procedures Performed:

A skilled research nursing staff experienced in implementing sophisticated clinical studies is available to assist in or perform the following services:

Transportation and monitoring Central-line blood draws IV Line insertion Blood glucose monitoring IVGTT, OGTT, CLAMP Resting Metabolic Rate Exercise study Spirometry Administer blood, blood products Bronchoscopy Pre-/ Post- care Pre- / Post-operative care Continuous/intermittent IV drug infusion Central line care Pulse oximetry monitoring

Medication administration Aerosolized treatments Routine phlebotomy Pharmacokinetics Biopsy: fat, muscle, liver Continuous Cardiac Monitoring ECG Vital sign monitoring Urinary catheterization Enteral tube placement Pain assessment Questionnaires Other services as necessary

Specimen Processing Services:

• +4°C Storage
• -20°C Storage
• -70°C Storage
• 1 Week Storage
• 1 Month Storage
• Specimen shipping

Bionutrition Services:

This core provides specialized nutritional services, coodinating with the principal investigator to facilitate a comprehensive experience for their research subjects. Bionutrition services may be obtained separately or as a part of outpatient or extended visits.

In addition to our staff of master's level dietitians (registered and licensed), registered dietetic technicians and research dietetic assistants, volunteers and trainees (student and intern) assist in providing the services listed below.

A CRU application is not necessary if only bionutrition core services are requested. Contact us during grant writing or prior to completing the final draft of your protocol application to facilitate utilization of services and determine charges that may be accrued.

Protocol Development:

• Assistance in protocol development including:
  • Recommendations for the most appropriate tools to implement protocols
  • Assistance in tool acquisition
  • Protocol collaboration
  • Determining appropriate methods to assess intake of specialty nutrients that are not currently in existing databases

Nutrient Assessment/Analysis:

• Assess nutritional status to provide nutritional recommendations or determine inclusion or exclusion of participants
• Assistance in selecting appropriate data collection tools including:
  • 24 Hour Food Recall
  • Food Record instruction and analysis
  • Materials for nutrition education
  • Evaluation of nutritional intake of meals prepared in the metabolic kitchen and weighted back after consumption
  • Selection and coordination of food questionnaires/screeners

Nutritional Counseling:

• Assistance in identifying and developing the most appropriate educational tools for protocols:
  • Diet instruction to assist in the control or prevention of chronic diseases
  • Nutrition education for normal nutrition

Research Meals:

• Design diets, recipes and menus and provide the following types of meals using the metabolic research kitchen:
  • Calculated research meals: includes specific amounts of nutrients to be provided as part of the study intervention or control a nutrient that may be variable in a study
  • Calculated pre-test diets: prepared evening before the procedure
  • Unrestricted meals from the Barnes-Jeweish hospital kitchen: usually given at the conclusion of testing visits
  • Specialized formulae: most stringent method of controlling specific nutrient components
  • Packed out meals: prepared meals for eating at home

Body Composition Services:

Measurement of body composition and bone density by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) are available through the CARS CRU. Assessment of body composition in adolescents can also be performed in the CRU.

Core Laboratory:

The CARS Core Laboratory is located in suite 5514 of the Wohl Hospital and offers the following tests and procedures:

• Radioimmunoassays: Insulin, free Insulin, C-peptide, glucagon, pancreatic polypeptide, growth hormone, IGF-1, cortisol, leptin, estradiol.
• Spectrophotometric Assays: Non-esterified fatty acids, glucose, lactate and beta hydroxybutyrate
• Chemiluminescence: Insulin, c-peptide, cortisol, IGF-1, and growth hormone
• Enzyme Immunoassays: As required per approved protocol