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Prevention of Nosocomial Infections in Critically Ill Patients With Lactoferrin: The PREVAIL Study

NCT01996579 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE2 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 214

Last updated 2017-02-20

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Lactoferrin is a protein that is a component of the immune system. It has many properties that could make it the ideal agent for the prevention of hospital-acquired infections. Lactoferrin has antibacterial properties (is able to kill or stop the growth of disease causing bacteria and fungal organisms), it improves immune function, and can increase the growth of beneficial bacteria in the bowel. Lactoferrin has been approved by Health Canada as a Natural Health product and is sold in health food stores as a supplement. However, given the potential beneficial effects of Lactoferrin, it requires further study as to its effects in acutely and seriously ill patients. One potential use which has not been studied is for the prevention of infections in critically adult ill patients. The aim of this study is to determine the utility of Lactoferrin in this patient population.

The Lactoferrin that the investigators will be using in this study is extracted from cow's milk, where it naturally occurs. Cow lactoferrin has similar properties as that normally produced in the human body. This study is being conducted to determine how well a solution of Lactoferrin given orally and through a feeding tube helps to prevent infections and inflammation in critically ill patients in addition to usual care and other measures that are known to be partially effective for the prevention of infections.

Conditions

  • Critically Ill

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Lactoferrin

Lactoferrin is an 80 kilodalton (kD) naturally occurring multifunctional glycoprotein of the transferrin family which is an important component of the human innate immune system. Lactoferrin is distributed widely in humans with the main sources of production being exocrine glands and specific granules of neutrophils. It is present in virtually all human secretions. The highest concentrations are found in milk and colostrum. Lactoferrin has multiple biological functions which make it of interest as a therapeutic agent in the critically ill. These include the ability to bind iron, antimicrobial activity including antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral properties, the ability to bind endotoxin, promotion of beneficial bacteria in the gastro-intestinal tract and immunomodulatory activity.

OTHER

Placebo

Sterile water will be utilized as the placebo control in this double blind randomized-controlled trial.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Queen's University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • John G Muscedere, MD · Queen's University, Kingston General Hosptial

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
100 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2013-11-30
Primary Completion
2016-09-12
Completion
2016-09-12

Countries

  • Canada

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT01996579 on ClinicalTrials.gov