The Pediatric Clinical and Translational Research Center (PCTRC) is available to provide specialized nursing care, testing and equipment for your research. The PCTRC has facilities capable of accommodating both inpatient and outpatient studies. The PCTRC cares for both Pediatric and Adult patients.
Learn more below about how you can utilize these facilities and our resources.
Facilities
Inpatient Facilities
Current PCTRC resources include a 4-bed inpatient facility which is located on a combined unit housing metabolic/PCTRC and adolescent pediatric ward. The PCTRC is given priority for scheduling up to 4 research beds for inpatient protocols on this unit. The PCTRC Nurse Manager oversees the Research Admissions; she will manage Protocol education, Cerner order sets, and orientation.
Outpatient Facilities
The PCTRC outpatient unit consists of a 2,268 square foot patient care unit located at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Lawrenceville, in the AOB, 3rd floor, Rabbit Suite 3400. The unit includes everything needed to undertake and support the research studies being conducted on the unit.
The hours of the PCTRC are Monday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The unit has a patient waiting room, four outpatient exam rooms and a private patient restroom. The PCTRC has iPads available to the patients for use during their visit.
The PCTRC unit has a dedicated phlebotomy space, a utility room for medication preparation and dispensing; including a medication refrigerator. There is an equipment storage room, administrative offices, and PCTRC nursing offices. All are adjacent to each other markedly enhancing efficiency and smooth functioning of the PCTRC unit.
Specialized Resources and Nursing Care Services
Some of the Specialized Resources and Nursing Care Services that are provided are listed below:
- Accurate protocol implementation
- Anthropometric measurements
- Cerner research order set development
- Chemotherapy certification: PCTRC nurses are chemo certified.
- Cryacom interpretation cart
- EKGs
- Glucometer, Hemocue, Urine Pregnancy, and Sedimentation Rate
- Indirect Calorimetry measurements
- Inpatient protocols: The PCTRC supports inpatient research studies in hospitalized children. The PCTRC Nurse Manager oversees all admissions and provides detailed education and instruction on the process.
- Intradermal skin testing
- IV placement and Mediport access
- Medication Administration
- Observational studies
- Patient and Family education
- Serial Blood Pressure monitoring
- Serial PK-Pharmacokinetic & PD-Pharmacodynamic Sampling
- Specimen collection, processing and shipping: All of the PCTRC nurses are IATA certified.
- Tolerance testing including Glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) and Mixed Meal tolerance tests (MMTT)
Collection and Processing Laboratory
The PCTRC houses a specimen processing laboratory equipped with:
- (-80) Specimen Freezer and (-80) Specimen Freezer
- Ambient centrifuge
- Central temperature monitoring for all freezers and refrigerators is 24 hours per day, 7 days per week
- MyTemp Mini incubator for applications where temperature uniformity and control are critical, such as enzymes and serology, and preparing QuantiFERON Gold for processing
- Precision Circulating Water Bath-ideal for applications where temperature uniformity and control are critical, such as enzymes and serology, and preparing QuantiFERON Gold for processing
- Refrigerated Centrifuge and Microfuge
- Sample storage refrigerator
- YSI 2500 STAT PLUS Glucose & L-Lactate Analyzer
The PCTRC unit also has a utility room for medication dispensing; including a medication refrigerator. There is an equipment storage room, administrative offices, and PCTRC nursing offices. All are adjacent to each other markedly enhancing efficiency and smooth functioning of the PCTRC unit.
How to Utilize the Resources of the PCTRC
Who Can Use the PCTRC?
- All funded studies, both pediatric and other departments are encouraged to utilize the resources of the PCTRC. Studies funded by Federal, state, and local agencies as well as by the private sector are welcome.
- A physician must be associated with the study — either as principal investigator or co-investigator and is considered ultimately responsible for all patient care relating to the research protocol.
Approval Process and Funding
To get additional information and to begin the process, the study team should contact the PCTRC to set up a budget meeting to discuss the resources needed to conduct your study
You will meet with the Nurse Manager and PCTRC staff; you will be provided with information on our unit, a tour of the PCTRC and a budget to use in your study submission or contract negotiations.
You should send an email to:
During the budget meeting you will be provided with guidance on the remaining steps of the process. Some of the Information covered will be:
- Approval Process, Costs, and What Happens Next
- Master Orders and Visit Orders
- Implementation Meeting
- Scheduling your Patient Visits
- Invoicing for your Study Costs
