Active clinical trials for "Shock, Septic"

In septic shock there is growing evidence of a state of hemodynamic "disconnection" with seemingly adequate macrocirculatory values despite actual microcirculation failing to meet cellular demand. Norepinephrine (NE) is recommended as first choice vasoactive agent for the treatment of septic shock. However, the dynamic effects of NE on macro- and microcirculation and perfusion parameters has not been described in detail in the context of septic shock, precluding rational individualized titration of NE and fluids, as recommended recently. In the present prospective observational multicenter study in adult septic shock patients, we intend to explore the effects of NE on preload dependency and tissue perfusion by evaluating the correlation and potential discrepancies between macro- and microcirculation both during titration of NE and after fluid resuscitation. The conclusions drawn from our study will contribute to the physiological knowledge necessary for establishing individualized evidence-based bedside management of hemodynamics in the setting of septic shock.

Septic shock is associated with substantial burden in terms of both mortality and morbidity for survivors of this illness. Pre-clinical sepsis studies suggest that mesenchymal stem (stromal) cells (MSCs) modulate inflammation, enhance pathogen clearance and tissue repair and reduce death. Our team has completed a Phase I dose escalation and safety clinical trial that evaluated MSCs in patients with septic shock. The Cellular Immunotherapy for Septic Shock Phase I (CISS) trial established that MSCs appear safe and that a randomized controlled trial (RCT) is feasible. Based on these data, the investigators have planned a phase II RCT (UC-CISS II) at several Canadian academic centres which will evaluate intermediate measures of clinical efficacy (primary outcome), as well as biomarkers, safety, clinical outcome measures, and a health economic analysis (secondary outcomes).

Recent in vivo studies from others as well as the investigators group demonstrated that volatile anesthetics immunomodulate sepsis and improve outcome. Also, several clinical trials have convincingly shown that application of a volatile anesthetic provides protection in patients undergoing major surgery. Patients with sepsis are intubated and ventilated and therefore need sedation. So far, most ICU centers use intravenously applied sedatives in these patients. In the proposed study, we will switch sedation from an intravenous to a volatile anesthetic for a short period of time to explore if sepsis markers improve within the following 120 hours upon sevoflurane conditioning.

Burden: The global burden of sepsis is difficult to ascertain, although a recent scientific publication estimated that in 2017 there were 48.9 million cases and 11 million sepsis-related deaths worldwide, which accounted for almost 20% of all global deaths. Recent chart analysis from Dhaka Hospital, icddrb recorded 350 adults with severe sepsis admitted over four years. Among them, 69% of patients progressed to septic shock. Knowledge gap: Clinical features of shock due to sepsis and shock due to severe dehydration are very intertwining and often predicament for critical care physicians. If not recognized early and managed promptly, it can lead to septic shock, multiple organ failure, and eventually death. Serum lactate may play a role as the point of care test in differentiating shock due to severe sepsis from shock due to severe dehydration. Relevance: Being the largest diarrhoeal disease hospital, the Dhaka Hospital of icddr,b is ideal for researching shock with diarrheal diseases. Even though the onset of sepsis can be acute and poses a short-term mortality burden, it can also cause significant long-term morbidity, requiring treatment and support. Thus, addressing sepsis and severe sepsis by early detection and prompt management should be a comprehensive way to reduce the burden in our community.

This study is being conducted to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of VBI-S in elevating the blood pressure of septic shock patients with absolute or relative hypovolemia.

The investigators selected patients diagnosed with sepsis who were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Huai'an First People's Hospital between June 2022 and December 2023, as well as healthy individuals with normal kidney function during the same period, for the research. The investigators collected blood samples from patients with septic shock or sepsis at 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, 3 days, 5 days, and 7 days after diagnosis， and also collected blood samples from the healthy individuals. The blood samples were stored in gel separation vacuum tubes containing heparin as an anticoagulant. The supernatant was removed and stored at -80°C, and the levels of plasma ELA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) were measured using a standardized ELA kit. Additionally, serum NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin) and creatinine levels were measured simultaneously. The subjects were divided into three groups based on the KDIGO diagnostic criteria: sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (S-AKI) group, sepsis non-AKI group, and normal control group. Finally, the data were analyzed to determine the early diagnostic value of ELA for S-AKI. Approximately 70 specimens were collected in total.

Critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency (CIRCI), a term coined since 2008 by Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), and is characterized by inflammation resulting from inadequate intracellular glucocorticoid-mediated anti-inflammatory activity leading to increased morbidity and mortality in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients.1 Severe Sepsis with shock is a common reason for admission to ICU/hospital and may require ionotropic support.2 The current guidelines from SCCM in 2017 suggest using either random cortisol of < 10 ug/dL (<276 nmol/L) or change in cortisol at 60 min after cosyntropin (250 µg) administration from baseline cortisol of <9 µg/dl (<248 nmol/L) to assess of presence of CRCI and recommend use of hydrocortisone in these patients.3 There have been studies done to look at baseline cortisol in patient with severe pneumonia requiring ICU and they have found cortisol level of < 15 ug/dl (<414 nmol/L) can predict CIRCI.4 However, there is no study on assessment of baseline random cortisol levels in patients with septic shock in our local population. The current guidance from Surviving Sepsis campaign suggests a more clinical approach of adding IV corticosteroids only if there is ongoing requirement for vasopressors, which is a new change in contrast to 2016 guidelines.5 This study aims to look the available mean baseline cortisol in these patients to create a reference data for local population.

Septic syndromes are a major although largely under-recognized health care problem and represent the first cause of mortality in intensive care units (ICU). 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 immune 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 (cytomegalovirus (CMV) or Herpes Simplex Virus (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. New promising therapeutic strategies are currently emerging from those recent findings such as adjunctive immunostimulation for the most immunosuppressed patients. The prerequisite for immunostimulation administration (Interferon gama (IFNg), Granulocyte Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF), interleukin 7 (IL-7)) however relies on clinicians' capacity to identify patients who could benefit the most from these immunoadjuvant therapies, as there is no clinical sign of immune dysfunctions. In this context, the main objectives of IMMUNOSEPSIS 4 study are: to identify the best biomarkers for sepsis-induced immunosuppression to evaluate ex vivo candidate treatments which could rejuvenate immune functions after septic shock

Fluid management in septic shock patients remain a great challenge. Insufficient fluid filling lead to hypovolemia, organ failure and increased death, whereas fluid overload was associated to an increased morbidity and mortality in several studies. Several invasive and non invasive strategies have been developed during the past years to monitor the hemodynamic state of septic shock patients, but no method has been validated to objectively quantify fluid overload in septic shock patients. The Body Composition Monitor (BCM) allow for measurement of total body water (TBW), extracellular water (ECW) and intracellular water (ICW) volumes using bioimpedancemetry. The BCW is daily used in patients who undergo renal dialysis to assess the effectiveness of fluid removal. The BCM has never been validated in septic shock patients. The aim of the study is to investigate the accuracy of the BCM to measure the variation of the TBW during a fluid challenge of 500 ml of saline during the early phase of septic shock.

This study evaluates if improvement of renal resistive index when mean arterial pressure increase (at 65 mmHg to 85 mmHg) in early phase of septic shock is predictive of better renal survival.