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Updated June 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov

RECRUITINGPhase 2INTERVENTIONAL

Low Dose Whole Lung Radiation Therapy for Patients With COVID-19 and Respiratory Compromise

Vented COVID: A Phase II Study Of The Use Of Ultra Low-Dose Bilateral Whole Lung Radiation Therapy in the Treatment Of Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19 Respiratory Compromise

Low Dose Whole Lung Radiation Therapy for Patients With COVID-19 and Respiratory Compromise (NCT04427566) is a Phase 2 interventional studying COVID-19, sponsored by Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

Important: This information is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

About This Trial

Low doses of radiation in the form of chest X-rays have been used to treat people with pneumonia. This treatment was found to be effective by reducing inflammation and with minimal side effects. However, it was an expensive treatment and was eventually replaced with less costly treatments such as antibiotics. Radiation has also been shown in some animal experiments to reduce some types of inflammation. Some patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia will experience worsening disease, which can become very serious, requiring the use of a ventilator. This is caused by inflammation in the lung from the virus and the immune system. For this study, the x-ray given is called radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-ray beams from a large machine to target the lungs and reduce inflammation. Usually, it is given at much higher doses to treat cancers. The purpose of this study is to find out if adding a single treatment of low-dose x-rays to the lungs might reduce the amount of inflammation in the lungs from a COVID-19 infection, which could help a patient to breathe without use of a ventilator.

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 2 trials evaluate whether a treatment actually works against COVID-19 and continue monitoring side effects. Phase 2 enrolls larger groups (typically 100–300 patients) and produces the first real efficacy signal. A successful Phase 2 readout is what unlocks the much larger Phase 3 confirmatory trials needed for FDA approval.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

With a target enrollment of 24 participants, this is a small study — typical of early-phase research, rare-disease trials, or pilot studies designed to generate preliminary signal before a larger study is launched.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: - Laboratory Diagnosis of COVID-19 based within 14 days of enrollment. - CT or radiographic findings typical of COVID-19 pneumonia within 5 days of enrollment - Receiving ICU-based mechanical ventilation - Life expectancy ≥ 24 hours, as judged by investigator - Hypoxemia defined as a Pa/FIO2 ratio \< 300 or SpO2/FiO2 \< 315 - Signed willing to sign a consent form by patient or his or her legal/authorized representative Who Should NOT Join This Trial: - Moribund with survival expected \< 24 hours, as judged by investigator and treating team - Expected survival \< 30 days, as judged by investigator and treating team, due to chronic illness present prior to COVID infection - Patient or legal representative not committed to full disease specific therapy, i.e. comfort care (DNRCCA is allowed) - Treatment with immune suppressing medications in the last 30 days (steroids for acute respiratory distress syndrome or septic shock allowed) - Presumed COVID-associated illness greater than 14-days - Inpatient admission greater than 14-days - Patient deemed unsafe for travel for radiation therapy - Chronic hypoxemia requiring supplemental oxygen at baseline - Documented active connective tissue disease (scleroderma) or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis - History of prior radiation therapy resulting in ≥grade 2 radiation pneumonitis within 365 days of enrollment - Active or history of prior radiation to the thorax completed within 180 days of enrollment (skin or surface only skin treatments are acceptable) - Known active uncontrolled bacterial or fungal infections of the lung. - Active cytotoxic chemotherapy - Females who are pregnant or have a positive pregnancy test - Breast feeding - Note: concurrent administration of convalescent immune plasma therapy either on clinical trial or as a standard therapy not an exclusion criterion, but will be noted Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language
Inclusion Criteria: * Laboratory Diagnosis of COVID-19 based within 14 days of enrollment. * CT or radiographic findings typical of COVID-19 pneumonia within 5 days of enrollment * Receiving ICU-based mechanical ventilation * Life expectancy ≥ 24 hours, as judged by investigator * Hypoxemia defined as a Pa/FIO2 ratio \< 300 or SpO2/FiO2 \< 315 * Signed informed consent by patient or his or her legal/authorized representative Exclusion Criteria: * Moribund with survival expected \< 24 hours, as judged by investigator and treating team * Expected survival \< 30 days, as judged by investigator and treating team, due to chronic illness present prior to COVID infection * Patient or legal representative not committed to full disease specific therapy, i.e. comfort care (DNRCCA is allowed) * Treatment with immune suppressing medications in the last 30 days (steroids for acute respiratory distress syndrome or septic shock allowed) * Presumed COVID-associated illness greater than 14-days * Inpatient admission greater than 14-days * Patient deemed unsafe for travel for radiation therapy * Chronic hypoxemia requiring supplemental oxygen at baseline * Documented active connective tissue disease (scleroderma) or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis * History of prior radiation therapy resulting in ≥grade 2 radiation pneumonitis within 365 days of enrollment * Active or history of prior radiation to the thorax completed within 180 days of enrollment (skin or surface only skin treatments are acceptable) * Known active uncontrolled bacterial or fungal infections of the lung. * Active cytotoxic chemotherapy * Females who are pregnant or have a positive pregnancy test * Breast feeding * Note: concurrent administration of convalescent immune plasma therapy either on clinical trial or as a standard therapy not an exclusion criterion, but will be noted

Treatments Being Tested

RADIATION

Radiation therapy

Patients will be treated with a single dose of 80 cGy to the bilateral lungs in a manner that is simplified such that it can be designed and delivered quickly in one session. No specific normal tissue constraints are employed in this protocol.

Locations (1)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute at Ohio State University Medical Center
Columbus, Ohio, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT04427566), the sponsor (Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT04427566 clinical trial studying?

Low doses of radiation in the form of chest X-rays have been used to treat people with pneumonia. This treatment was found to be effective by reducing inflammation and with minimal side effects. However, it was an expensive treatment and was eventually replaced with less costly treatments such as antibiotics. Radiation has also been shown in some animal experiments to reduce some types of inflammation. Some patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia will experience worsening disease, which can become very serious, requiring the use of a ventilator. This is caused by inflammation in the lung f… The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT04427566?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT04427566?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT04427566. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT04427566. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-06-07 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.