Active clinical trials for "Shock, Septic"

The aim of this study is to assess the causes of death in patients with septic shock in French intensive care units. It is an epidemiologic and descriptive study .

BACKGROUND: Echocardiography can provide evaluation of right or left ventricular dysfunction and volume status during resuscitation of patients with sepsis and septic shock and guide intravenous vasopressor and fluid therapy. While there are numerous echocardiographic studies regarding cardiac function and volume status in patients with established shock, there are none that describe these during the early resuscitation of septic shock. The study objective is to correlate echocardiographic findings with clinical parameters and net fluid balance measured during the early resuscitation of critically ill patients with sepsis and septic shock. Aim 1) correlate echocardiographic findings of cardiac function with physiologic markers in the early hours of resuscitation Aim 2) correlate cardiac function and fluid status with clinical outcomes Aim 3) evaluate the change in cardiac function over time in patients with sepsis and septic shock Aim 4) evaluate long term clinical outcomes for patients with sepsis and septic shock.

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cardiac neurohormone which rapidly released by the ventricle in response to myocardial stretch. BNP has been used as a biomarker of sepsis related cardiac dysfunction and volume overload in critical ill patients. It is also a marker associated with prognosis in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. However, the clinical utility of BNP level in management of early severe sepsis and septic shock over the first 48 hours is not clear. Besides, Lactate represents as a maker of tissue hypoperfusion, which has been used as a guide therapy for sepsis patients and high serum lactate level is independently associated with mortality in severe sepsis. Today, in management of early severe sepsis and septic shock, current guideline emphasize the early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) with achieving the central venous pressure (CVP) level 8-12 mmHg by fluid support first, then targeting the next goal to maintain mean airway pressure (MAP) at least 65 mmHg by vasopressor agent (ie, Norepinephrine) and finally keeping central venous oxyhemoglobin saturation (ScvO2) > 70% via optimal Hct > 30% and dobutamine usage within first 6 hours of emergency department admission. However, the role of BNP and lactate in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock with or without myocardial dysfunction under EGDT management are not clear. The investigators will conduct a prospective observational study to investigate the change of BNP and Lactate within 48 hours in early severe sepsis and septic shock under EGDT management, their association of cardiac dysfunction and their role in predicting various clinical outcome. The investigators also want to see if BNP and lactate could be useful tools to guide the adjustment of optimal fluid supply and the timing of inotropic agent intervention.

Septic shock is a major cause of death in intensive care. Septic shock is often dominated by profound changes in organ functions, of which cardiac failure is one of the most severe. In septic shock, biological markers of cardiac stress are often elevated. It is not known to what extent this indicates structural damage to the heart, or in what way they correlate to echocardiographic signs of heart failure. Here, cardiac failure in ICU patients with septic shock is studied, using biological markers of cardiac stress, inflammatory parameters and echocardiography. Investigators hypothesize that biomarkers of cardiac stress correlate with echocardiographic signs of heart failure, and that they can predict an increased risk of death.

Septic syndromes (systemic inflammatory response associated with infection) remain a major although largely under-recognized health care problem and represent the first cause of mortality in intensive care units. While it has long been known that sepsis deeply perturbs immune homeostasis by inducing a tremendous systemic inflammatory response, novel findings indicate that sepsis indeed initiates a more complex immunologic response that varies over time, with the concomitant occurrence of both pro- and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. As a resultant, after a short pro-inflammatory phase, septic patients enter a stage of protracted immunosuppression. This is illustrated in those patients by reactivation of dormant viruses (CMV or HSV) or infections due to pathogens, including fungi, which are normally pathogenic solely in immunocompromised hosts. These alterations might be directly responsible for worsening outcome in patients who survived initial resuscitation as nearly all immune functions are deeply compromised. Both arms of immunity (innate and adaptive) are indeed markedly suppressed (including enhanced leukocyte apoptosis, lymphocyte anergy and deactivated monocyte functions). New promising therapeutic avenues are currently emerging from those recent findings such as adjunctive immunostimulation for the most immunosuppressed patients. The prerequisite for immunostimulation administration (IFNg, GM-CSF, IL-7) however relies on the investigators capacity in identifying the patients who could benefit from it, as there is no clinical sign of immune dysfunctions. The main objectives are: to identify the best biomarkers for sepsis-induced immunosuppression and to evaluate ex vivo whether drugs could rejuvenate immune functions.