ADjunctive coRticosteroid trEatment iN criticAlly ilL Patients With Septic Shock

Summary

The purpose of this study is to find out whether adult patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit with septic shock who are given hydrocortisone compared to placebo (a dummy solution), will have an improved rate of survival 90 days later.

Septic shock is the result of an infection, which triggers a complex response by the body (the inflammatory response) that causes a decrease in blood pressure and subsequently one or more organ systems to fail when blood supply to these organs is reduced. This may result in poor recovery and death. About a quarter of the people who suffer septic shock that is not rapidly reversed, will die.

When patients are admitted to Intensive Care with sepsis and/or septic shock they receive a number of therapies. These include fluids given through a drip, antibiotics, drugs to boost your blood pressure and other organ systems.

In addition to these therapies, steroids (hydrocortisone) are sometimes administered. Whether steroids are useful or not in the treatment of severe infections has been studied for more than 50 years. Previous research has suggested that the use of low dose steroid may have shortterm benefits in improving the circulation. However, there is no agreement amongst doctors around the world about whether treatment with or without low dose steroids improves the overall recovery and survival in patients with septic shock. This study would allow doctors to make informed decisions about whether the addition of low dose steroid therapy is better for patients with septic shock in intensive care.

The study will include 3800 intensive care patients who have septic shock. Each enrolled patient will be randomised to receive either Hydrocortisone 200mg or placebo daily for 7 days as a continuous intravenous infusion while in intensive care. The patient will be followed for 90 days. If the patient is discharged prior to 90 days a telephone call will be made for the followup information. At six months the patient will be contacted again for completion of a quality of life questionnaire.

Conditions

• Septic Shock

Interventions

DRUG

Hydrocortisone

Hydrocortisone 100mg vial (blinded) is reconstituted with 2ml of water for Injection, agitated for 20 seconds, rested for 3 minutes, contents of vial aspirated and added to 100ml bag of normal saline or 5% dextrose and given intravenously as a continuous infusion at rate of 200mg/per day for 7 days.

DRUG

Sterile air filled vial

the "sterile air filled vial" (blinded) is reconstituted with 2ml of water for Injection, agitated for 20 seconds, rested for 3 minutes, contents of vial aspirated and added to 100ml bag of normal saline or 5% dextrose and given intravenously as a continuous infusion. 2 sterile air filled vials per day for 7 days

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia

  collaborator OTHER

• Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Clinical Trials Group

  collaborator NETWORK

• The George Institute

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Balasubramanian Venkatesh · The George Institute

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

QUADRUPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2012-06-13

Primary Completion

2017-10-22

Completion

2017-11-20

Countries

• Australia
• Denmark
• New Zealand
• Saudi Arabia
• United Kingdom

Study Locations