GENERAL
CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTER
Facilities
and Services
Overview
The VCU General
Clinical Research Center (GCRC) at VCUHS was established in 1962
and operates as a research unit within a larger medical facility.
The VCU GCRC serves as an interface between basic research and
clinical practice by facilitating translation of basic research
on disease mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment to the clinical
arena. The unit is supported by a grant from the National Center
for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health.
Research, nursing
and dietetic services and 24-hour house staff cover all VCU GCRC
patients. For acute medical emergencies, all nurses have been
trained in emergency resuscitation and life sustaining techniques.
A cardiac arrest
and resuscitation team is also available around the clock within
the hospital and can respond immediately to any emergency. This
team provides all of the vital, life-sustaining maneuvers for
a patient who has sustained cardiac or respiratory arrest. A cardiac
arrest cart is available at the nursing station for immediate
use in the case of such emergency.
In nearby Sanger
Hall, the staff at the VCU GCRC Core Laboratory can perform a
wide variety of specialized assays for clinical investigators.
These include hormone and cytokine immunoassays, stable isotope
enrichment; and determinations of intermediary metabolites.
The Program
Director, Nurse Manager, Administrative Manager, Research Dietitian,
and Computer Systems Manager will assist investigators with the
design, submission, and review of protocols as well as administrative
and budgetary requirements.
A limited amount
of ancillary funds are available for inpatient studies to provide
a modicum of hospital laboratory costs.
Accommodations
|
Ten inpatient beds |
Physician dictation room |
|
Patient lounge |
Teaching and interview room |
|
Exercise / specialized testing
room |
Library and conference room |
|
Four examination rooms |
Computer technology room (see details) |
|
Phlebotomy room |
Report Room |
|
Nutrition / kitchen area |
Core laboratory |
|
Administrative and staff offices
on unit |
|
Patient
Care Equipment
|
ATL HDI 5000 ultrasound system |
GE Marquette Case Stress System |
|
Sensormedics Vmax 29 indirect
calorimetry cart |
GE Marquette T-2000 treadmill |
|
Glucose analyzer |
Colin blood pressure monitor |
|
Tilt table |
Electrocardiograph |
|
Exercise bicycle |
Microcentrifuge |
|
Infusion pumps |
Refrigerated centrifuge |
Nursing
Support
|
24-hour RN staff for varied medical
/ surgical populations |
|
Ambulatory to acute |
|
Inpatient and outpatient |
|
Newborn through geriatrics |
|
Maternal |
Dietetic
Support
|
Registered dietitian and staff |
|
Metabolic kitchen |
|
Formulate and prepare experimental
diets |
|
NDS dietary analysis |
|
Anthropometric measurements |
|
Patient consultation |
Computer
and Biotechnology Support
|
Services /
Support |
Equipment /
Software |
|
General computer consultation
and support |
Server and PC workstations |
|
Networked data storage |
Label Printing - Barcode and Non-barcode |
|
OCR / paper-to-electronic document
processing |
High-speed (40 ppm) duplex scanner |
|
Database design, development and
implementation |
Networked Printers - gray scale
and color |
|
Ultrasound Imaging Analysis Programming
support |
Data cart (ultrasound capture/analysis) |
|
Automated data capture / High-speed
scan forms |
Verity TELEform - data
acquisition |
Biostatistical Support
|
Experimental design and power
calculations (sample size) |
|
Biostatistician reviews all protocols
submitted to the GCRC to ensure scientific
quality |
Core
Laboratory Tests
Hormone
Immunoassays:
|
Insulin |
|
DHEA |
|
Growth hormone |
|
DHEA SO4 |
|
C-Peptide |
|
IGF-1 |
|
Prolactin |
|
Glucagon |
|
ACTH |
|
Amylin |
Serum Metabolites:
|
FFA |
|
Glucose |
|
Glycerol |
|
Acetoacelate |
|
Lactate |
|
Citrate |
|
Alanine |
|
Pyruvate |
|
B-OH butyrate |
|
|
Plasma Catecholamines:
|
Epinephrine |
|
Norepinephrine |
Indirect
Calorimetry:
|
Resting energy expenditure |
|
Respiratory quotient |
Bone Markers:
|
Bone specific alkaline phosphatase |
|
N-telopeptide |
|
Osteocalcin |
|
|
Other Tests:
|
Indocyanin green |
|
Serum and urine osmolalities |
|
Urinary nitrogen determinations |
|
% body fat (bioimpedance) |
Other GCRC
Services and Equipment:
|
HP gas chromatography / mass spectrometry |
|
|
|
Fluorometers: Microplate and Tube
formats |
|
|
|
Bioplex Multiplex Array System |
|
|
|
Gamma Counters and ELISA plate
reader |
|
|
|
Spectrophotometers: Microplate
and Tube formats |
|
|
