Ondansetron for the Prevention of Patient Self-Inflicted Lung Injury in Patients With ARDS - Pilot RCT

Summary

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a serious condition where the lungs become inflamed, leading to severe breathing difficulties. Despite advances in medical care, ARDS remains a life-threatening illness with a high risk of death and long-term complications. One way doctors help ARDS patients is by using special ventilation techniques to protect the lungs from further damage. However, this often requires heavy sedation or even paralyzing medications, which can lead to other problems like delirium, muscle weakness, and longer hospital stays. Allowing patients to breathe on their own might offer benefits, but it also comes with risks. Many ARDS patients have a very strong urge to breathe, which can cause them to overexert their lungs, potentially leading to additional lung damage, known as patient selfinflicted lung injury (P-SILI). Our early research suggests that a medication called ondansetron, commonly used to prevent nausea, might help reduce this strong breathing drive in ARDS patients, possibly preventing further lung injury. The OSIRIS research program is designed to explore whether ondansetron can protect ARDS patients from P-SILI, ultimately improving their chances of survival and reducing long-term complications. The first part of this program, OSIRIS-1, is a small pilot study where we will test the feasibility of running a larger, more definitive trial. We will randomly assign ARDS patients to receive either ondansetron or a placebo, given intravenously four times a day, and monitor their heart rhythms closely to ensure safety. We will also track how well patients stick to the study plan and whether ondansetron helps reduce their breathing drive and lung strain. If successful, this research could lead to new ways of treating ARDS that rely less on heavy sedation, potentially improving outcomes for these critically ill patients and setting the stage for larger, more comprehensive studies in the future.

Conditions

• ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome)
• Invasive Mechanical Ventilation
• Patient-Self Inflicted Lung Injury

Interventions

DRUG

Ondansetron hydrochloride 8 mg IV Q8H

Participants randomized to the ondansetron arm will receive ondansetron hydrochloride dihydrate 8 mg IV every 8 hours, administered in 10 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride in prepared syringes over 15 minutes.

DRUG

0.9 % Normal Saline 10 ml

Participants randomized to the placebo arm will receive 10 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride in prepared syringes administered over 15 minutes every 8 hours, matching the appearance, volume, and administration modalities of ondansetron to maintain blinding.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Centre Integre Universitaire de Sante et Services Sociaux du Nord de l'ile de Montreal

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Yiorgos Alexandros Cavayas, MD MSc · Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et Services Sociaux du Nord-de-l'Ile-de-Montréal - Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal

• David Williamson, BPharm, PhD · Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et Services Sociaux du Nord-de-l'Ile-de-Montréal - Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

QUADRUPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

75 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-10-01

Primary Completion

2028-10-01

Completion

2029-10-01

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations