Clinical trials

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a preoperative genicular nerve block (GNB) can reduce pain after knee replacement surgery in adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA) undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). It will also assess whether this treatment can reduce opioid use and improve recovery. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does a preoperative GNB reduce pain during movement 24 hours after surgery compared with placebo? * Does it reduce opioid consumption and improve physical activity and functional outcomes after surgery? Researchers will compare patients receiving a GNB to patients receiving a placebo injection to see if the nerve block improves postoperative pain and recovery. Participants will: * Be randomly assigned to receive either a GNB or a placebo injection before surgery * Undergo standard knee replacement surgery and postoperative care * Report pain levels at regular intervals after surgery * Complete questionnaires on function, quality of life, and recovery * Wear an activity monitor to measure physical activity after surgery * Attend follow-up assessments at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months

The Surgical Outpatient Clinic at Molde Hospital has since 2015 offered specialized treatment for patients with diabetic foot ulcers. This treatment is given by an interdisciplinary diabetic foot ulcer team. The standard treatment for diabetic foot ulcers is relief, a method with good results. Although the treatment as usual gives good results, the team wants to optimize this treatment. By using custom felt relief for each patient, the treatment period might be reduced considerably. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate whether custom felt relief gives shorter processing time compared to standard relief treatment.

Patients operated for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) at Ålesund Hospital (200 patients) will have a biopsy to diagnose ATTR amyloidosis. Patients with positive biopsy will be examined to decide wether they have cardiac amyloidosis. All patients with positive biopsy will be followed closely for 10 years wit echocardiography an clinically.

Robotic knee surgery makes it possible to adopt different alignment philosophies in total knee arthroplasty. The classical operation where the knee is placed in a neutral manner, the so called mechanical alignment, has been used for decades. The kinematical alignment has recently won popularity. With this technique the focus is to render the natural knee anatomy even if this means to end up with a varus or valgus position. In this study, the investigators will compare the mechanical alignment and kinematical alignment and test the patients clinically and with a special CT scan to see if this technique gives equal or better longevity of the implants.

The main objective of the study is to provide new knowledge about the implementation of DBT-informed environmental therapy in short-term substance use disorder (SUD) inpatient treatment. The study will examine which organizational and clinical conditions promote or inhibit implementation in clinical practice by elucidating how the implementation is experienced by staff (including experiences with structure, skill focus and environmental therapeutic principles) related to DBT-informed environmental therapy, DBT-SUD skill groups and patients' perceived satisfaction and utility. A secondary and exploratory aim is to examine preliminary trends in clinical measures in patients over time, including changes in symptom burden and reported use of DBT skills throughout the course of treatment. The study further seeks, at a descriptive and hypothesis-generating level, to explore patterns in patient-reported conditions related to substance abuse, emotion regulation, and other clinical burden. The sample will consist of up to 70 adult patients and 12 staff. One half of the patients will receive ordinary short-term inpatient treatment, while the other half will receive DBT informs milieu therapy after the approach has been established in clinical practice without being implemented. All patients will complete questionnaires upon admission (baseline), week 6 and upon discharge (week 12).

One in 44 has autism, 70% of them have additional mental health challenges. Currently, this patient population does not have access to effective treatment within specialist healthcare services and has struggled to benefit from standard treatments. The goal of this project is to increase access to treatment tailored to their challenges. We will investigate whether a treatment program with an adapted version of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is feasible, accepted, and perceived as useful for people with autism. The purpose of the treatment is to improve emotion regulation, function better in relationships, and avoid crises, thereby enhancing their ability to achieve personal goals, reduce suffering, and increase quality of life. Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder, presenting with great variation and more widespread than previously thought. Difficulties with emotion regulation are a central challenge for many with autism. These difficulties often manifest as an inability to recognize, understand, and manage emotional responses, leading to destructive strategies, behaviors, and suffering. DBT is developed with a focus on emotion regulation and has shown good effects in other patient populations. The project can increase access to treatment for a patient population that currently stands without.

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are a significant cause of childhood morbidity and mortality globally, particularly in low-income countries. In Norway, LRTIs is a leading cause of hospitalization among infants, representing a great socioeconomic burden. Bronchiolitis, a viral infection, is the main representation of LRTIs in infants. It affects the small airways, causing breathing- and feeding difficulties. Today, treatment relies on subjective evaluations, lacking objective measures for assessment. This increases the risk of both under- and over treating patients. In the long term, bronchiolitis increases risk of asthma, but it is unknown who the high-risk patients for chronic lung disease are. Lung ultrasonography (LUS) has emerged as a promising tool for assessing bronchiolitis severity and progression of the disease. The investigators will explore its use to improve diagnostic accuracy and treatment decisions, and develop AI-driven scoring tools for novel technology. Additionally, tidal breathing flow volume loops (TBFVL) offer a non-invasive method for evaluating airway obstruction in infants, with the potential to assess severity of bronchiolitis, treatment efficacy and post-infection lung function. In this project the investigators will combine the use of these modern technologies to improve treatment and follow-up of infants with LRTIs. The main aim for this observational study is to assess the utility of lung ultrasonography (LUS) and tidal flow volume loops (TBFVL) in infant lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) for individual risk stratification in acute and chronic settings. This aims to refine the management of bronchiolitis, identifying high-risk patients for chronic lung disease to tailor treatment and follow-up protocols. The project has three secondary objectives. 1. To assess correlation between LUS and TBFVL findings with clinical score at admission, length of stay, need of respiratory support and ICU admissions. 2. To assess duration of symptoms following acute bronchiolitis and evaluate the use of LUS and TBFVL in objectively examine post-infectious sequela. 3. To evaluate the long-term impact of bronchiolitis on lung function through clinical follow-up after a 12 month period. Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) stand as the leading cause of hospitalization, while asthma is the leading cause of chronic lung disease among children in Nordic countries. The project seeks to improve risk stratification and treatment protocols in both acute and chronic settings. In the acute setting, the project endeavors to prognosticate individual patient outcomes, thereby individualize treatment and mitigating unnecessary hospital admissions, use of respiratory support and antibiotic administration. Additionally there is potential of more aggressive treatment to selected patients. The study aims to improve the understanding of pathophysiological processes of LRTIs in infants, providing objective metrics to evaluate disease severity and individualize treatment. The investigators aim to validate the utility, validity, and simplicity of handheld ultrasound devices as bedside diagnostic tools for this common disease, alongside affirming the value of tidal flow volume loops (TBFVL) in acute and chronic settings to assess airway obstruction in infants. Combining these modern technologies, evaluating affliction of both the parenchyme and the airways will probide a new perspective in treatment of LRTIs. In addition the project will strive to develop novel technology with AI-driven scoring tools of LUS. Furthermore, the project aims to examine the trajectory of symptoms post-LRTI and facilitate the early identification of patients with high-risk of chronic lung disease. Early detection of asthma and other chronic lung diseases holds the potential to improve outcomes and mitigate the need for hospitalization, thus easing both economic and emotional burdens associated with the disease. For caregivers, the lack of information concerning symptom duration and risk of future disease represents a significant knowledge gap. The project aims to address this, by examining post-infection symptom duration and identifying high-risk cohorts predisposed to chronic lung disease. This has the potential to both improve information, personalize follow-up and reduce hospital readmissions.

The purpose of the study is to develop and evaluate a new model for across services interaction with the use of welfare technology and telemedicine. The model includes innovative and new routines for the exchange of patient information, quality systems and procedures between the municipality and the hospital. This model will first be tested for use in intravenous antibiotic therapy. The results of the study will be used to further develop the service. In the larger context, it is desirable to provide knowledge that is transferable to other diagnostic groups, treatment methods and geographical areas.