search
Back to results

The Danish Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Study (DANOHCA)

Primary Purpose

Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest, Post-Cardiac Arrest Syndrome

Status
Recruiting
Phase
Phase 3
Locations
Denmark
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
Dexamethasone
Backrest elevation
Early wakeup call
Olanzapine
Sponsored by
Christian Hassager
About
Eligibility
Locations
Arms
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an interventional treatment trial for Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest focused on measuring Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest, Post-Cardiac Arrest Syndrome, Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, Inflammation, Cerebral perfusion, Sedation, Delirium

Eligibility Criteria

18 Years - undefined (Adult, Older Adult)All SexesDoes not accept healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria: Age ≥18 years OHCA of presumed cardiac cause Sustained ROSC, defined as persistent signs of circulation and no need for chest compressions or mechanical circulatory support for 20 minutes Unconsciousness (GCS <9) (patients not able to obey verbal commands) after sustained ROSC at the time of randomization Exclusion Criteria: Females of childbearing potential if pregnancy is suspected (unless a negative HCG test can rule out pregnancy within the inclusion window) Known bleeding diathesis (medically induced coagulopathy (e.g. warfarin, NOAC, clopidogrel) does not exclude the patient) Suspected or confirmed acute intracranial bleeding Suspected or confirmed acute stroke Unwitnessed asystole Known limitations in therapy and Do Not Resuscitate-order Known disease making 180 days survival unlikely Known pre-arrest CPC 3 or 4 functional status >3 hours (180 minutes) from ROSC to screening Systolic blood pressure <80 mm Hg despite fluid loading/vasopressor and/or inotropic medication (If the systolic blood pressure is recovering during the inclusion window of 180 minutes the patient may be included) Use of intra-aortic balloon pump/axial flow device/ECMO (If the patient is weaned and the device is removed during the inclusion window of 180 minutes the patient may be included) Temperature on admission <30°C Known allergy for dexamethasone or olanzapine Ongoing (within 48 h) treatment with olanzapine or dexamethasone Known back or hip condition that precluded the patients from being positioned with backrest from 0 to 45-degree angle Known or suspected Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) Known active fungal disease. Localized skin lesions do not exclude patients from inclusion Estimated body weight <45kg

Sites / Locations

  • Dept. of Cardiology, The Heart Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital RigshospitaletRecruiting
  • The Department of Intensive Care, Aalborg University Hospital, AalborgRecruiting
  • The Department of Intensive Care, Aarhus University Hospital, AarhusRecruiting
  • The Department of Intensive Care, Gentofte University Hospital, Gentofte
  • The Department of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology, Odense University Hospital, OdenseRecruiting

Arms of the Study

Arm 1

Arm 2

Arm 3

Arm 4

Arm 5

Arm 6

Arm 7

Arm 8

Arm Type

Experimental

Placebo Comparator

Experimental

Active Comparator

Experimental

Active Comparator

Experimental

Placebo Comparator

Arm Label

Dexamethasone intervention, active

Dexamethasone intervention, placebo

Backrest elevation intervention, elevation to 35 degrees

Backrest elevation intervention, elevation to 5 degrees

Early wake-up intervention, wake-up ≤6 hours after ICU admission

Early wake-up intervention, wake-up 28-36 hours after ICU admission

Olanzapine intervention, active

Olanzapine intervention, placebo

Arm Description

As soon as possible after hospital admittance 20 mg of dexamethasonephosphate (Dexavit, Vital Pharma Nordic ApS, Denmark) will be given intravenously (i.v.) over 15 minutes - followed by 20 mg dexamethasonephosphate (or placebo) i.v. administered daily at 0600 (or at least 8 hours after initial dose) for two days, for a total of 3 doses. For this arm the dexamethasonephosphate solution is provided in the "DANOHCA trial kit" in the form of Dexavit at a concentration of 4mg/mL stored in glass vials of 5mL; three vials are provided in total.

As soon as possible after hospital admittance placebo (isotonic saline) will be given intravenously (i.v.) over 15 minutes - followed by placebo solution administered i.v. daily at 0600 (or at least 8 hours after initial dose) for two days, for a total of 3 doses. For this arm the placebo solution is provided in the "DANOHCA trial kit" in the form of isotonic sodium chloride stored in glass vials of 5mL; three vials are provided in total.

As soon as possible after hospital admittance the patients will have their headrest positioned at 35 degrees straight elevation of backrest in Semi-Fowler's position (elevated lower limp position). This position will be maintained during the initial 72 hours or until extubated. Adherence to assigned stratum will be checked every 8 hours and cuff pressure will be assessed and corrected if needed at the same time during the intervention period. The backrest position intervention may be temporarily canceled by the treating physician if needed for procedures or mobilization but will return to the assigned position if invasive ventilator treatment with orotracheal intubation is continued. The intervention will be terminated if the patient is extubated, or a tracheostomy is performed, during the intervention period of 72 hours.

As soon as possible after hospital admittance the patients will have their headrest positioned at 5 degrees straight elevation of backrest in Semi-Fowler's position. This position will be maintained during the initial 72 hours or until extubated. Adherence to assigned stratum will be checked every 8 hours and cuff pressure will be assessed and corrected if needed at the same time during the intervention period. The backrest position intervention may be temporarily canceled by the treating physician if needed for procedures or mobilization but will return to the assigned position if invasive ventilator treatment with orotracheal intubation is continued. The intervention will be terminated if the patient is extubated, or a tracheostomy is performed, during the intervention period of 72 hours.

Patients will be subjected to a wakeup call and potential extubation after ≤6 hours after admission to the ICU. Definition for "ready for extubation" will be: GCS≥12, RASS 0- -1, able to raise arm or voluntary hand shake on command, spontaneous breathing trial and low ventilator settings (pressure support≤14, PEEP≤8 (10 if obese), and FiO2≤40%). A wakeup call may be aborted for the following reasons: seizures, respiratory distress, shock, or "other cause" with specification. Sedation prior to the scheduled wakeup calls is permitted in this early wakeup call group as needed for clinical care, while it is mandatory for the late wakeup call group. For both groups sedation as needed for clinical care will be permitted after the scheduled wakeup calls. For this arm, information on the assigned time for wakeup call is provided in the "DANOHCA trial kit". The assigned time for wakeup will be noted in the electronic patient file.

Patients will be subjected to a wakeup call and potential extubation after 28-36 hours after admission to the ICU. Definition for "ready for extubation" will be: GCS≥12, RASS 0- -1, able to raise arm or voluntary hand shake on command, spontaneous breathing trial and low ventilator settings (pressure support≤14, PEEP≤8 (10 if obese), and FiO2≤40%). A wakeup call may be aborted for the following reasons: seizures, respiratory distress, shock, or "other cause" with specification. Sedation prior to the scheduled wakeup calls is mandatory for this late wakeup call group. For both groups sedation as needed for clinical care will be permitted after the scheduled wakeup calls. For this arm, information on the assigned time for wakeup call is provided in the "DANOHCA trial kit". The assigned time for wakeup will be noted in the electronic patient file.

As soon as possible after arriving at the ICU olanzapine 10mg (dissolved tablet) is administered by feeding tube. Thereafter 10 mg olanzapine is administered by feeding tube (or orally in awake patients) the following two evenings at 1800 (with a minimum of 12 hours between the initial doses) for a total of 3 doses. Due to the potential QT-prolonging effect, and concern for arrythmia, patients will be excluded prior to randomization if Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is suspected, and telemetry of heart rhythm is mandatory for 96 hours or until life sustaining therapies are withdrawn. In case of delirium patients are treated according to standard care most often including dexmedetomidine, haloperidol or midazolam. For this arm the olanzapine tablets are provided in the "DANOHCA trial kit" in the form of olanzapin 10mg tablets (Accord Healthcare B.V., The Netherlands); three tablets are provided in total. Prior to administration by feeding tube the tablets are dissolved in water.

As soon as possible after arriving at the ICU a placebo tablet (dissolved) is administered by feeding tube. Thereafter placebo will be administered by feeding tube (or orally in awake patients) the following two evenings at 1800 (with a minimum of 12 hours between the initial doses) for a total of 3 doses. Due to the potential QT-prolonging effect of olanzapine, and accompanying concern for arrythmia, patients will be excluded prior to randomization if LQTS is suspected, and telemetry of heart rhythm is mandatory for 96 hours or until life sustaining therapies are withdrawn. In case of delirium patients are treated according to standard care most often including dexmedetomidine, haloperidol or midazolam. For this arm the placebo tablets are provided in the "DANOHCA trial kit" in the form of placebo tablets manufactured by the Pharmacy of the Capital Region; three tablets are provided in total. Prior to administration by feeding tube the tablets are dissolved in water.

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

Steroid intervention primary endpoint: All-cause mortality
Number of patients dying from all causes
Back rest position intervention primary endpoint: All-cause mortality
Number of patients dying from all causes
Early wakeup and extubation intervention primary endpoint: Days alive outside hospital
Counted as days alive outside of hospital after discharge
Olanzapine intervention primary endpoint: Days alive outside hospital
Counted as days alive outside of hospital after discharge

Secondary Outcome Measures

Number of patients dying from all causes
Applies to the Early wakeup and extubation intervention, as well as Olanzapine intervention
Neuron Specific Enolase and Neurofilament Light Chain levels
Serum markers for brain injury; Differences in levels between intervention groups assessed at 48 hours; Applies to all interventions
Troponin I, Troponin T, and Creatine Kinase Myocardial Band
Plasma markers of myocardial injury; Differences in levels between intervention groups assessed during initial 72 hours; Applies to all interventions
Plasma Creatinine and use of dialysis
Markers of kidney injury; Creatinine will be assessed during initial 72 hours, and use of dialysis will be assessed during initial 30 days
Vasopressors and inotropic drugs
Use of vasopressors and inotropic drugs in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), characterised as cumulative doses and total doses
Mixed blood venous saturation
Oxygen saturation assessed by blood gas analyses of blood drawn from a pulmonary artery catheter
Duration of intubation
Assessed as the duration of intubation from randomization till extubation during initial ICU stay (oral and tracheostomy combined)
Unconsciousness
Assessed as the number of unconscious patients at 96 hours
CAM-ICU positive status
Assessed as the number of CAM-ICU positive patients 24 hours after extubation
CAM-ICU negative days
Assessed as the number of CAM-ICU negative days during initial ICU stay
Pharmacological treatment for delirium
Assessed as the number of days without pharmacological treatment for delirium (other than study drug during the intervention period)
Length of hospital stay
Assessed as the hospital length of stay (including in-patient rehabilitation and transfer to referral hospital)
Cerebral Performance Category (CPC)
CPC score at at ICU discharge, at hospital discharge, and at ambulatory follow-up (scheduled visit at 3 to 6 months after the cardiac arrest). The CPC score ranges from 1 to 5 with higher scores indicating worse outcomes.
modified Rankin Scale (mRS)
mRS score at at ICU discharge, at hospital discharge, and at ambulatory follow-up (scheduled visit at 3 to 6 months after the cardiac arrest). The mRS score ranges from 0 to 6 with higher scores indicating worse outcomes.

Full Information

First Posted
May 10, 2023
Last Updated
September 20, 2023
Sponsor
Christian Hassager
search

1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT05895838
Brief Title
The Danish Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Study
Acronym
DANOHCA
Official Title
The Danish Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Study - a Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind, Multi Center Trial
Study Type
Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date
September 2023
Overall Recruitment Status
Recruiting
Study Start Date
June 16, 2023 (Actual)
Primary Completion Date
September 2027 (Anticipated)
Study Completion Date
December 2027 (Anticipated)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Responsible Party, by Official Title
Sponsor-Investigator
Name of the Sponsor
Christian Hassager

4. Oversight

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product
No
Data Monitoring Committee
Yes

5. Study Description

Brief Summary
After resuscitation from Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) patients experience Post Cardiac Arrest Syndrome due to ischemia and reperfusion injury. It consists of systemic inflammation, cerebral and myocardial dysfunction, and the condition that led to the arrest. Most OHCA patients will receive critical care intubated in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Despite this ~50% die; mainly due to brain injury. Several targets can be considered for improving outcomes. To dampen systemic inflammation and optimize cerebral perfusion seem important. Deep sedation has been required for targeted temperature management (TTM) but may also be brain protective. After end of sedation, many patients have some cerebral dysfunction that may facilitate delirium. The aim of this trial is therefore to improve treatment of comatose OHCA patients by evaluating 4 interventions in a factorial design addressing each of these targets in a randomized clinical trial: Systemic inflammation: Anti-inflammatory treatment with high dose steroids (dexamethasone) or placebo. Cerebral perfusion: Backrest elevation during sedation at 5 or 35 degrees. Duration of sedation: Early wakeup call and potential extubation at ≤6 hours after admission or later as current standard practice at 28-36 hours. Delirium: Prophylactic treatment with anti-psychotic medication (olanzapine) or placebo. The trial is designed as a phase III trial, randomizing 1000 patients at Danish cardiac arrest centers. The primary endpoint is 90 days all-cause mortality for the interventions targeting systemic inflammation and cerebral perfusion, while it is days alive outside of hospital within 30 days for the interventions concerning duration of sedation and delirium. The trial has potential to improve outcomes for comatose OHCA patients - a group with a grave prognosis with currently only limited evidence-based treatments.
Detailed Description
BACKGROUND Initially resuscitated Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) patients admitted to a hospital are often in an unstable condition necessitating both circulatory and respiratory support. Most of these patients experiences the Post Cardiac Arrest Syndrome (PCAS) immediately after resuscitation due to a whole-body ischemia and reperfusion injury. It consists of four elements: 1) a universal systemic inflammatory response, 2) cerebral dysfunction, 3) myocardial dysfunction, and 4) the precipitation condition that led to the cardiac arrest - often a coronary occlusion. The majority of OHCA patients have a presumed cardiac cause for their cardiac arrest. These patients are all evaluated for immediate coronary revascularization, stabilized with vasopressors, inotropes or mechanical circulatory support, and if comatose further sedated, connected to a ventilator and given targeted temperature management (TTM) for at least 24 hours. Half of the admitted resuscitated OHCA patients still die during the hospitalization despite all these interventions. The main cause of death is withdrawal of life sustaining therapy due to irreversible brain injury. Several targets can be approached in order to potentially improve the outcome of OHCA patients. During the initial phase early after hospital admittance, interventions to dampen the systemic inflammatory response and efforts to secure optimum cerebral perfusion pressure seem intuitive important. Deep sedation has been required for TTM but may also have brain protective effects. After discontinuation of the sedation when the TTM is over, most patients have some degree of cerebral dysfunction. This may make them more prone to develop delirium in the days after awakening which is an independent risk factor in critical ill patients. The DANOHCA trial will therefore evaluate new potential interventions to each of these different targets: systemic inflammation, cerebral perfusion, duration of sedation, and delirium. INTERVENTIONS High-dose steroids to dampen systemic inflammation in resuscitated OHCA patients: By randomization, the patients will be allocated 1:1 to either dexamethasone (administered as dexamethasonephosphate) or placebo for three days. As soon as possible after admittance 20 mg of dexamethasonephosphate (Dexavit, Vital Pharma Nordic ApS, Denmark) or placebo will be given intravenously (i.v.) over 15 minutes - followed by 20 mg dexamethasonephosphate (or placebo) i.v. administered daily at 0600 (or at least 8 hours after initial dose) for two days, for a total of 3 doses. Backrest elevation in post cardiac arrest care and outcome for OHCA patients: By randomization, the patients will be allocated to have their headrest positioned at 5 degrees backrest vs 35 degrees straight elevation of backrest in Semi-Fowler's position (elevated lower limp position) during the initial 72 hours or until extubated. The adherence to the assigned stratum will be checked every 8 hours and cuff pressure will be assessed and corrected if needed at the same time during the intervention period. The backrest position intervention may be temporarily canceled by the treating physician if needed for procedures or mobilization but will return to the assigned position if invasive ventilator treatment with orotracheal intubation is continued. The intervention will be terminated if the patient is extubated, or a tracheostomy is performed, during the intervention period of 72 hours. Early wake up and extubation in OHCA patients: By randomization, the patients will be allocated 1:1 to early wakeup call and potential extubation after ≤6 hours or late wakeup call and extubation between 28-36 hours after admission to the ICU. Definition for "ready for extubation" will be: GCS≥12, RASS 0 to -1, able to raise arm or voluntary hand shake on command, spontaneous breathing trial and low ventilator settings (pressure support≤14, PEEP≤8 (10 if obese), and FiO2≤40%). A wakeup call may for both groups be aborted for the following reasons: seizures, respiratory distress, shock, or "other cause" with specification. Sedation prior to the scheduled wakeup calls is permitted in the early wakeup call group as needed for clinical care, while it is mandatory for the late wakeup call group. For both groups, sedation as needed for clinical care will be permitted after the scheduled wakeup call. Prophylactic use of olanzapine to prevent delirium in patients resuscitated from OHCA: By randomization, the patients will be allocated 1:1 to olanzapine 10 mg (Olanzapin, Accord Healthcare B.V., The Netherlands) administered by feeding tube (or orally in awake patients) or matching placebo at admission and again the following two evenings until discharge from ICU or a maximum of 3 doses. As soon as possible after arriving at the ICU: olanzapine/placebo is given by feeding tube. Thereafter 10 mg olanzapine or matching placebo will be given by feeding tube (or orally in awake patients) the following two evenings at 1800 (with a minimum of 12 hours between the initial doses) for a total of 3 doses. Due to the potential QT-prolonging effect, and accompanying concern for arrythmia, patients will be excluded prior to randomization if Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) has been confirmed or suspected, and all patients will be monitored by mandatory telemetry of heart rhythm for 96 hours or until life sustaining therapies are withdrawn. In case of delirium, patients are treated according to standard care most often including dexmedetomidine, haloperidol or midazolam. STUDY DESIGN The study is an investigator-initiated, randomized, controlled, multicenter clinical trial with co-enrollment into 4 different interventions. The pharmacological interventions are placebo-controlled, double-blind interventions and physiological interventions of early wakeup and extubation, as well as the back-rest position interventions are open label. Following successful completion of screening procedures, patients will be randomized in a 1:1 fashion to receive either the active intervention or placebo/control intervention for each intervention. The randomization will be revealed by opening a sealed box (referred to as the "DANOHCA trial kit" below) containing the study drug vials/tablets, instructions for wakeup and extubation and backrest positioning. The trial aims to include 1000 patients from 5 sites. Approximately 350 patients are eligible for inclusion at the five hospitals combined each year, and therefore inclusion is expected to be concluded after 3-4 years. Sub-studies further investigating the effect of the interventions will be performed. A research biobank will be established. Further co-enrollment into additional trials must be permitted by the steering group after careful assessment of risk of interaction with the four per-protocol interventions. STATISTICAL ANALYSES The data will be analyzed and reported as 4 individual trials, hence no adjustment for multiple comparison is planned. Should more than one of the interventions be non-neutral a post hoc evaluation of interaction will be performed and highlighted in the reporting of the results. Also, as an investigation of potential safety aspects related to possible interactions between the four interventions, interactions related to mortality and occurrence of other SAE' will be reported. All analyses will be conducted in the modified intention-to-treat (ITT) population with a set two-level significance level of 0.05. Modified ITT in this regard means that patients included without fulfilling the inclusion criteria will be excluded from the analyses. Throughout, categorical variables will be presented as numbers (frequencies), whereas continuous variables will be presented as mean ±SD if normally distributed, and as median (25th percentile-75th percentile) if non-normally distributed. The primary analysis of primary endpoint will include the modified ITT population. Further the investigators plan a sensitivity analysis in the per protocol population to assess the effect. The per protocol cohort will be defined as only those trial participants who have received ALL scheduled doses of the pharmacologic interventions, have adhered to the assigned back-rest position for ≥80% of the time, and have had a wake-up call attempted within the assigned time frames. Continuous endpoints being assessed at multiple time points will be analyzed by application of linear mixed models of covariance. The main result of these analyses will be the treatment-by-time interaction as a marker of whether the individual endpoint changes differently over time in the active intervention vs. the placebo arm, and group differences will be reported as relative differences in %. Logarithmic transformation will be applied to approximate normal distribution as appropriate. Categorical endpoints by treatment allocation will be analyzed by the Chi-Squared or the Fisher's exact test, as appropriate. For analysis of survival data, Kaplan-Meier curves for each allocation group will be estimated, graphically displayed, and compared by the log-rank test. Further Cox proportional hazard models will be applied to assess differences in time to death between treatment groups. These models will sequentially be adjusted for the interaction between treatment allocation, and each of the following variables: sex, age, time to ROSC, lactate level upon admission, shockable primary rhythm, witnessed cardiac arrest, bystander performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, presence of STEMI in the admission ECG. Further, models stratified by cause of death (cardiovascular, neurological, multi-organ failure) will be applied as hypothesis generating. Any changes from the pre-specified analysis plan will be reported.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest, Post-Cardiac Arrest Syndrome
Keywords
Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest, Post-Cardiac Arrest Syndrome, Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, Inflammation, Cerebral perfusion, Sedation, Delirium

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Phase 3
Interventional Study Model
Factorial Assignment
Model Description
Patients will be randomized in a 1:1 fashion to receive either the experimental intervention or placebo/control intervention for each of the four interventions with an assumption of no interaction.
Masking
ParticipantCare ProviderInvestigatorOutcomes Assessor
Masking Description
The pharmacological interventions will be placebo controlled, and participants, care providers, investigators, and outcome assessors are blinded. The physiological interventions of early wakeup and extubation as well as the back-rest position are open label.
Allocation
Randomized
Enrollment
1000 (Anticipated)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Arm Title
Dexamethasone intervention, active
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
As soon as possible after hospital admittance 20 mg of dexamethasonephosphate (Dexavit, Vital Pharma Nordic ApS, Denmark) will be given intravenously (i.v.) over 15 minutes - followed by 20 mg dexamethasonephosphate (or placebo) i.v. administered daily at 0600 (or at least 8 hours after initial dose) for two days, for a total of 3 doses. For this arm the dexamethasonephosphate solution is provided in the "DANOHCA trial kit" in the form of Dexavit at a concentration of 4mg/mL stored in glass vials of 5mL; three vials are provided in total.
Arm Title
Dexamethasone intervention, placebo
Arm Type
Placebo Comparator
Arm Description
As soon as possible after hospital admittance placebo (isotonic saline) will be given intravenously (i.v.) over 15 minutes - followed by placebo solution administered i.v. daily at 0600 (or at least 8 hours after initial dose) for two days, for a total of 3 doses. For this arm the placebo solution is provided in the "DANOHCA trial kit" in the form of isotonic sodium chloride stored in glass vials of 5mL; three vials are provided in total.
Arm Title
Backrest elevation intervention, elevation to 35 degrees
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
As soon as possible after hospital admittance the patients will have their headrest positioned at 35 degrees straight elevation of backrest in Semi-Fowler's position (elevated lower limp position). This position will be maintained during the initial 72 hours or until extubated. Adherence to assigned stratum will be checked every 8 hours and cuff pressure will be assessed and corrected if needed at the same time during the intervention period. The backrest position intervention may be temporarily canceled by the treating physician if needed for procedures or mobilization but will return to the assigned position if invasive ventilator treatment with orotracheal intubation is continued. The intervention will be terminated if the patient is extubated, or a tracheostomy is performed, during the intervention period of 72 hours.
Arm Title
Backrest elevation intervention, elevation to 5 degrees
Arm Type
Active Comparator
Arm Description
As soon as possible after hospital admittance the patients will have their headrest positioned at 5 degrees straight elevation of backrest in Semi-Fowler's position. This position will be maintained during the initial 72 hours or until extubated. Adherence to assigned stratum will be checked every 8 hours and cuff pressure will be assessed and corrected if needed at the same time during the intervention period. The backrest position intervention may be temporarily canceled by the treating physician if needed for procedures or mobilization but will return to the assigned position if invasive ventilator treatment with orotracheal intubation is continued. The intervention will be terminated if the patient is extubated, or a tracheostomy is performed, during the intervention period of 72 hours.
Arm Title
Early wake-up intervention, wake-up ≤6 hours after ICU admission
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
Patients will be subjected to a wakeup call and potential extubation after ≤6 hours after admission to the ICU. Definition for "ready for extubation" will be: GCS≥12, RASS 0- -1, able to raise arm or voluntary hand shake on command, spontaneous breathing trial and low ventilator settings (pressure support≤14, PEEP≤8 (10 if obese), and FiO2≤40%). A wakeup call may be aborted for the following reasons: seizures, respiratory distress, shock, or "other cause" with specification. Sedation prior to the scheduled wakeup calls is permitted in this early wakeup call group as needed for clinical care, while it is mandatory for the late wakeup call group. For both groups sedation as needed for clinical care will be permitted after the scheduled wakeup calls. For this arm, information on the assigned time for wakeup call is provided in the "DANOHCA trial kit". The assigned time for wakeup will be noted in the electronic patient file.
Arm Title
Early wake-up intervention, wake-up 28-36 hours after ICU admission
Arm Type
Active Comparator
Arm Description
Patients will be subjected to a wakeup call and potential extubation after 28-36 hours after admission to the ICU. Definition for "ready for extubation" will be: GCS≥12, RASS 0- -1, able to raise arm or voluntary hand shake on command, spontaneous breathing trial and low ventilator settings (pressure support≤14, PEEP≤8 (10 if obese), and FiO2≤40%). A wakeup call may be aborted for the following reasons: seizures, respiratory distress, shock, or "other cause" with specification. Sedation prior to the scheduled wakeup calls is mandatory for this late wakeup call group. For both groups sedation as needed for clinical care will be permitted after the scheduled wakeup calls. For this arm, information on the assigned time for wakeup call is provided in the "DANOHCA trial kit". The assigned time for wakeup will be noted in the electronic patient file.
Arm Title
Olanzapine intervention, active
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
As soon as possible after arriving at the ICU olanzapine 10mg (dissolved tablet) is administered by feeding tube. Thereafter 10 mg olanzapine is administered by feeding tube (or orally in awake patients) the following two evenings at 1800 (with a minimum of 12 hours between the initial doses) for a total of 3 doses. Due to the potential QT-prolonging effect, and concern for arrythmia, patients will be excluded prior to randomization if Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is suspected, and telemetry of heart rhythm is mandatory for 96 hours or until life sustaining therapies are withdrawn. In case of delirium patients are treated according to standard care most often including dexmedetomidine, haloperidol or midazolam. For this arm the olanzapine tablets are provided in the "DANOHCA trial kit" in the form of olanzapin 10mg tablets (Accord Healthcare B.V., The Netherlands); three tablets are provided in total. Prior to administration by feeding tube the tablets are dissolved in water.
Arm Title
Olanzapine intervention, placebo
Arm Type
Placebo Comparator
Arm Description
As soon as possible after arriving at the ICU a placebo tablet (dissolved) is administered by feeding tube. Thereafter placebo will be administered by feeding tube (or orally in awake patients) the following two evenings at 1800 (with a minimum of 12 hours between the initial doses) for a total of 3 doses. Due to the potential QT-prolonging effect of olanzapine, and accompanying concern for arrythmia, patients will be excluded prior to randomization if LQTS is suspected, and telemetry of heart rhythm is mandatory for 96 hours or until life sustaining therapies are withdrawn. In case of delirium patients are treated according to standard care most often including dexmedetomidine, haloperidol or midazolam. For this arm the placebo tablets are provided in the "DANOHCA trial kit" in the form of placebo tablets manufactured by the Pharmacy of the Capital Region; three tablets are provided in total. Prior to administration by feeding tube the tablets are dissolved in water.
Intervention Type
Drug
Intervention Name(s)
Dexamethasone
Other Intervention Name(s)
Dexavit
Intervention Description
Patients will be allocated to intravenous administration of dexamethasonephosphate 20mg (Dexavit, Vital Pharma Nordic ApS, Denmark) or placebo at admission and again the following two mornings until discharge from ICU or a maximum of 3 doses.
Intervention Type
Procedure
Intervention Name(s)
Backrest elevation
Intervention Description
Patients will be allocated to have their headrest positioned at 35 degrees backrest vs 5 degrees straight elevation of backrest for 72 hours (or until extubation if occuring prior to 72 hours).
Intervention Type
Procedure
Intervention Name(s)
Early wakeup call
Intervention Description
Patients will be allocated to early wakeup call and potential extubation after ≤6 hours or late wakeup call and extubation between 28-36 hours after admission to the ICU.
Intervention Type
Drug
Intervention Name(s)
Olanzapine
Intervention Description
Patients will be allocated to olanzapine 10 mg (Olanzapin, Accord Healthcare B.V., The Netherlands) administered by feeding tube (or orally in awake patients) or matching placebo at admission and again the following two evenings until discharge from ICU or a maximum of 3 doses.
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Steroid intervention primary endpoint: All-cause mortality
Description
Number of patients dying from all causes
Time Frame
90 days
Title
Back rest position intervention primary endpoint: All-cause mortality
Description
Number of patients dying from all causes
Time Frame
90 days
Title
Early wakeup and extubation intervention primary endpoint: Days alive outside hospital
Description
Counted as days alive outside of hospital after discharge
Time Frame
30 days
Title
Olanzapine intervention primary endpoint: Days alive outside hospital
Description
Counted as days alive outside of hospital after discharge
Time Frame
30 days
Secondary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Number of patients dying from all causes
Description
Applies to the Early wakeup and extubation intervention, as well as Olanzapine intervention
Time Frame
90 days
Title
Neuron Specific Enolase and Neurofilament Light Chain levels
Description
Serum markers for brain injury; Differences in levels between intervention groups assessed at 48 hours; Applies to all interventions
Time Frame
48 hours
Title
Troponin I, Troponin T, and Creatine Kinase Myocardial Band
Description
Plasma markers of myocardial injury; Differences in levels between intervention groups assessed during initial 72 hours; Applies to all interventions
Time Frame
0-72 hours
Title
Plasma Creatinine and use of dialysis
Description
Markers of kidney injury; Creatinine will be assessed during initial 72 hours, and use of dialysis will be assessed during initial 30 days
Time Frame
Creatinine: initial 72 hours; Dialysis: initial 30 days
Title
Vasopressors and inotropic drugs
Description
Use of vasopressors and inotropic drugs in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), characterised as cumulative doses and total doses
Time Frame
Initial ICU stay, during the first 36 hours
Title
Mixed blood venous saturation
Description
Oxygen saturation assessed by blood gas analyses of blood drawn from a pulmonary artery catheter
Time Frame
Assessed at 12, 24 and 36 hours and after this, once daily during initial ICU stay, up to 90 days
Title
Duration of intubation
Description
Assessed as the duration of intubation from randomization till extubation during initial ICU stay (oral and tracheostomy combined)
Time Frame
Up to 90 days
Title
Unconsciousness
Description
Assessed as the number of unconscious patients at 96 hours
Time Frame
96 hours
Title
CAM-ICU positive status
Description
Assessed as the number of CAM-ICU positive patients 24 hours after extubation
Time Frame
24 hours after extubation
Title
CAM-ICU negative days
Description
Assessed as the number of CAM-ICU negative days during initial ICU stay
Time Frame
Up to 90 days
Title
Pharmacological treatment for delirium
Description
Assessed as the number of days without pharmacological treatment for delirium (other than study drug during the intervention period)
Time Frame
From randomization till discharge from initial ICU stay, up to 90 days
Title
Length of hospital stay
Description
Assessed as the hospital length of stay (including in-patient rehabilitation and transfer to referral hospital)
Time Frame
From randomization till discharge from hospital or in-patient rehabilitation, up to 90 days
Title
Cerebral Performance Category (CPC)
Description
CPC score at at ICU discharge, at hospital discharge, and at ambulatory follow-up (scheduled visit at 3 to 6 months after the cardiac arrest). The CPC score ranges from 1 to 5 with higher scores indicating worse outcomes.
Time Frame
Up to 6 months
Title
modified Rankin Scale (mRS)
Description
mRS score at at ICU discharge, at hospital discharge, and at ambulatory follow-up (scheduled visit at 3 to 6 months after the cardiac arrest). The mRS score ranges from 0 to 6 with higher scores indicating worse outcomes.
Time Frame
Up to 6 months

10. Eligibility

Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
18 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Age ≥18 years OHCA of presumed cardiac cause Sustained ROSC, defined as persistent signs of circulation and no need for chest compressions or mechanical circulatory support for 20 minutes Unconsciousness (GCS <9) (patients not able to obey verbal commands) after sustained ROSC at the time of randomization Exclusion Criteria: Females of childbearing potential if pregnancy is suspected (unless a negative HCG test can rule out pregnancy within the inclusion window) Known bleeding diathesis (medically induced coagulopathy (e.g. warfarin, NOAC, clopidogrel) does not exclude the patient) Suspected or confirmed acute intracranial bleeding Suspected or confirmed acute stroke Unwitnessed asystole Known limitations in therapy and Do Not Resuscitate-order Known disease making 180 days survival unlikely Known pre-arrest CPC 3 or 4 functional status >3 hours (180 minutes) from ROSC to screening Systolic blood pressure <80 mm Hg despite fluid loading/vasopressor and/or inotropic medication (If the systolic blood pressure is recovering during the inclusion window of 180 minutes the patient may be included) Use of intra-aortic balloon pump/axial flow device/ECMO (If the patient is weaned and the device is removed during the inclusion window of 180 minutes the patient may be included) Temperature on admission <30°C Known allergy for dexamethasone or olanzapine Ongoing (within 48 h) treatment with olanzapine or dexamethasone Known back or hip condition that precluded the patients from being positioned with backrest from 0 to 45-degree angle Known or suspected Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) Known active fungal disease. Localized skin lesions do not exclude patients from inclusion Estimated body weight <45kg
Central Contact Person:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Christian Hassager, MD DMSc
Phone
+4535450572
Email
christian.hassager@regionh.dk
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Jesper Kjaergaard, MD PhD DMSc
Phone
+4535450969
Email
jesper.kjaergaard.05@regionh.dk
Overall Study Officials:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Christian Hassager, MD DMSc
Organizational Affiliation
Dept. of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet
Official's Role
Study Chair
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Jesper Kjaergaard, MD PhD DMSc
Organizational Affiliation
Dept. of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet
Official's Role
Principal Investigator
Facility Information:
Facility Name
Dept. of Cardiology, The Heart Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet
City
Copenhagen
State/Province
Capital Region Of Denmark
ZIP/Postal Code
2100
Country
Denmark
Individual Site Status
Recruiting
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Jesper Kjaergaard, MD PhD DMSc
Phone
+4535450969
Email
jesper.kjaergaard.05@regionh.dk
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Christian Hassager, MD DMSc
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Jesper Kjaergaard, MD PhD DMSc
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Martin Meyer, MD PhD
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Laust Obling, MD
Facility Name
The Department of Intensive Care, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg
City
Aalborg
Country
Denmark
Individual Site Status
Recruiting
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Jo B Andreasen, MD PhD
Email
jo.a@rn.dk
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Jo B Andreasen, MD PhD
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Bodil S Rasmussen, MD PhD
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Jacob Moesgaard, MD PhD
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Kristian Kragholm, MD PhD
Facility Name
The Department of Intensive Care, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus
City
Aarhus
Country
Denmark
Individual Site Status
Recruiting
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Anders M Grejs, MD, PhD
Email
andegrej@rm.dk
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Anders M Grejs, MD PhD
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Steffen Christensen, MD PhD
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Christian J Terkelsen, MD PhD DMSc
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
John Bro-Jeppesen, MD PhD DMSc
Facility Name
The Department of Intensive Care, Gentofte University Hospital, Gentofte
City
Gentofte
Country
Denmark
Individual Site Status
Not yet recruiting
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Thomas Mohr, MD
Email
thomas.mohr@regionh.dk
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Thomas Mohr, MD
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Fredrik Folke, MD PhD
Facility Name
The Department of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology, Odense University Hospital, Odense
City
Odense
Country
Denmark
Individual Site Status
Recruiting
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Henrik Schmidt, MD, DMSc
Email
henrik.schmidt@rsyd.dk
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Henrik Schmidt, MD DMSc
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Jacob E Moeller, MD PhD DMSc
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Simon Moelstroem, MD

12. IPD Sharing Statement

Plan to Share IPD
No

Learn more about this trial

The Danish Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Study

We'll reach out to this number within 24 hrs