Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteraemia is a common and severe infection. With mortality rates ranging from 20–30% and long-term impairments in over a third of survivors, better treatments are urgently needed. Linezolid, a well-established treatment for pneumonia and complicated skin infections, has been shown in preclinical studies to strongly suppress S. aureus virulence factors critical to bacterial persistence and tissue damage. Hence, we aim to investigate whether the addition of linezolid to standard therapy in patients with S. aureus bacteraemia leads to an overall improvement in patient-relevant outcomes.

We will conduct a two-arm, parallel-group, multicentre, randomised controlled trial (Linezolid Plus Standard of Care) in 12 hospitals in Switzerland with blinded treating physicians, patients and outcome assessors. Hospitalised patients aged ≥18 years with S. aureus bacteraemia will be eligible. Patients will receive standard antibiotic treatment as prescribed by the treating physician. Within 72 hours of collection of the blood sample yielding the first positive blood culture, patients will be enrolled and randomised 1:1 to receive either adjunctive linezolid (600 mg orally two times per day for 5 days) or placebo. To determine patient-relevant outcomes, we implemented a comprehensive patient-representative consultation process. Consequently, we will use the desirability of outcome ranking (DOOR) established for S. aureus bacteraemia as the primary outcome at 90 days. The hierarchical composite DOOR outcome includes the following four components, ranked from most to least important: (1) survival, (2) return to level of function before S. aureus infection, (3) complications leading to treatment changes and serious adverse reactions; and (4) hospital length of stay. This approach will allow us to analyse the win ratio, that is, whether patients receiving linezolid have a better DOOR rank compared to patients in the placebo group. We calculated a target sample size of 606 patients providing 90% power at a two-sided significance level of 0.05.

Ethical approval was received from the Ethics committee for Northern and Central Switzerland (BASEC number 2025-00655). Eligible patients will be informed about the study by the local study team and asked for written consent if they wish to participate. For patients unable to provide informed consent, an appropriate substitute (ie, a close relative or a physician not involved in the research project) may make decisions based on the presumed wishes and the best interest of the patient. The patient’s own consent will be obtained as soon as their condition permits. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and in laymen's terms through various channels (social media, Swiss national portal HumRes).

NCT06958835.

Exercise-based interventions are well-established in reducing falls and fall-related injuries, but adherence and accessibility remain key challenges, particularly in rural areas. While conventional in-person training is widely used, digital interventions may offer scalable solutions to enhance engagement and reach. However, pragmatic trials evaluating the real-world effectiveness of conventional and digitally supported fall prevention interventions are lacking, limiting the evidence base for their implementation in routine healthcare settings. The SURE-Footed into the Future Fall Intervention Trial (SURE-FIT) aims to compare the effectiveness of two structured fall prevention interventions—a conventional centre-based exercise programme and a hybrid telemedical programme combining in-person and tablet-supported training—against a wait-list control group in reducing falls and fall-related injuries among community-dwelling older adults.

This study is a pragmatic three-arm, parallel-group, randomised controlled superiority trial with a 1:1:1 allocation ratio. Participants (≥65 years, community-dwelling, planned n=2778) will be randomly assigned to (1) conventional centre-based training supplemented with printed materials for home-based continuation (conventional group), (2) a hybrid model integrating centre-based and tablet-supported training for continuation (tablet group) or (3) a wait-list control group. The intervention includes a 9-week supervised phase followed by 43 weeks of independent home-based training. The primary outcomes are the incidence rate of falls and fall-related injuries over 12 months. Secondary outcomes include physical functioning, physical activity, concerns about falling, loneliness and the risk of low protein intake. A process evaluation will assess intervention feasibility and implementation. Additionally, qualitative interviews will be conducted with participants, course instructors and municipal stakeholders to explore experiences, facilitators and challenges related to programme participation and implementation. A health-economic evaluation will be conducted to assess the cost-effectiveness of the structured fall prevention interventions. Data collection will take place at baseline and every 3 months via standardised questionnaires, with a subgroup undergoing physical performance testing and sensor-based activity monitoring. Analyses will follow an intention-to-treat approach.

Ethical approval has been granted by the Ethics Committee of Ulm University (271/23). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants before enrolment. Study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, scientific conferences and national fall prevention initiatives. Additionally, results will be shared with key municipal representatives, and the German National Association of Senior Citizens’ Organisations (BAGSO). A publicly accessible website will provide ongoing access to study information and findings in plain language.

DRKS00032878, German Clinical Trials Register