Active clinical trials for "Sepsis"

Rational: Severe sepsis is one of the leading cause of mortality in intensive care unit patients. Early initiation of an appropriate empirical antimicrobial therapy is associated with improved outcomes. In order to avoid an increase of selection pressure and the emergence of multidrug resistant pathogens, guidelines recommend to streamline the antimicrobial therapy after the identification of the pathogen responsible for infection. This strategy has been evaluated in several observational studies. However, at the bedside, few randomized clinical trials tested this strategy prospectively. Method: the investigators conduct a randomized clinical trial comparing a strategy based on de-escalation (streamlining of the empirical antimicrobial therapy) and a conservative strategy (continuation of the empirical antimicrobial therapy). The investigators first aim was to show that a strategy based on de-escalation is not inferior to a conservative strategy in terms of intensive care unit length of stay. Secondary aims are to compare the rate of mortality rate, the emergence of multidrug resistant pathogens, and the feasibility of de-escalation. The study is performed in nine intensive care units from four institutions, and 120 patients are required to validate the investigators hypothesis. New technologies for the rapid diagnosis of severe infections are investigated in an ancillary study.

Sepsis is the leading cause of death in critically ill patients in the United States. It develops in approximately 750,000 Americans annually, and more than 210,000 of them die. Despite improvements in supportive treatment, mortality has changed very little, and until recently, no sepsis-specific treatments were available. Protease inhibitors have seemed to have an immune benefit that extends beyond their ability to prevent HIV replication. T cells in those patients treated with protease inhibitors have reduced rates of death than in those patients not receiving therapy.

The purpose of this study is to determine if there is equivalence between two different methods of treating patients with severe bloodstream infection called sepsis. We will randomly assign patients to one of two treatment methods. One of the treatment methods is the current standard of care and uses an infrared sensor on the end of a catheter to determine the adequacy of treatment. The second treatment method is identical to the first but instead of the infrared sensor a blood test that is performed as a part of standard care (with blood drawn from the catheter) will be used to determine the adequacy of treatment. This study will attempt to determine an easier method of guiding treatment.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether immunoadsorption of LPS, Il-6 and C5a reduces systemic hyperinflammation, improves immune function and improves organ function in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock

The goal of this study is to verify whether extensive flushing of the port catheter in patients with catheter related blood stream infection will lead to correct vancomycin trough levels, taken via the port catheter and compared with simultaneously taken peripheral samples.

This phase II trial studies how well early metabolic resuscitation therapy works in reducing multi-organ dysfunction in patients with septic shock. Early metabolic resuscitation is made of large doses of glucose, protein, and essential metabolic molecules that may help lower the effects of septic shock on the body. Giving patients early metabolic resuscitation in combination with standard of care may work better in reducing multi-organ dysfunction syndrome in patients with septic shock compared to standard of care alone.

Sepsis is the body's response to a life-threatening infection. This study will determine if zinc supplementation is safe to use in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. This study will also gather preliminary information to evaluate the impact that zinc has on the immune system (the body's defense system against infection) and whether zinc can help monocytes and macrophages (specific types of cells that remove infections from the body) work more effectively.

Despite early goal-directed maintenance of normal macrocirculation, the reduction of 60-day mortality of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock remained unsatisfied (56.9% to 44.3%). One of the major causes of high mortality is microcirculatory dysfunction. Delayed diagnosis and treatment of microcirculatory dysfunction may cause tissue hypoperfusion and resulted in multiple organ dysfunction and death. Dexmedetomidine is a highly selective α2-adrenoreceptor agonist which exhibits sedative and analgesic effects. Recent studies suggest that dexmedetomidine also has anti-coagulation and anti-inflammatory effects, and it can reduce the mortality of endotoxemic rats and patients with severe sepsis. The investigators will conduct two animal studies and one clinical trial to investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine on microcirculatory dysfunction and organ injury in rat with endotoxemia and patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. Sixty patients with severe sepsis and septic shock will be enrolled and randomized to control group or dexmedetomidine group. In the control group, the patients will be treated according to the clinical practice guideline. If sedation is required, non-dexmedetomidine sedative agents will be used. In the dexmedetomidine group, the patients will be treated according to the clinical practice guideline, and they will also receive continuous infusion of dexmedetomidine (infusion rate ranged from 0.1 to 0.7 mcg/kg/h) for 24 hours as needed. The sublingual microcirculation, serum level of Endocan, NGAL(Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin), and BNP(B-type natriuretic peptide) will be examined at preset time points up to 24 hours. The vital signs, hemodynamic parameters, and survival of 28-day and 90-day will be recorded and analyzed.

Randomised trial comparing the efficacy and feasibility of using a sterile closing pack to reduce postpartum sepsis

The purpose of this study is determine safety and effectiveness of Neutrolin, a catheter lock solution, for prevention of central venous catheter associated bloodstream infection in hemodialysis patients.