Active clinical trials for "Toxemia"

The purpose of this study is to test the safety of an experimental vaccine against sepsis (infection of the blood) alone and with an experimental adjuvant (a substance that may improve vaccine effectiveness). This study will also find out how well antibodies are made after receiving vaccine alone or vaccine combined with adjuvant. Participants will include up to 34 healthy volunteers between the ages 18-50 years. Participants will be randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups to receive vaccine alone, vaccine with adjuvant (2 different dosages) or placebo (inactive substance). Participants will receive 3 vaccinations at different times during the study (Day 0, Day 29 and Day 59). Study procedures will include blood samples, urine samples, electrocardiogram (measures heart activity) and a completion of a memory aid to document side effects. Participation will involve 16 clinic visits and 3 follow-up telephone calls over 12 months.

By tradition hydroxyethyl starch (HES) is used to obtain fast circulatory stabilisation in critically ill. High molecular weight HES may, however, cause acute kidney failure in patients with severe sepsis. Now the low molecular weight HES 130/0.4 is the preferred colloid in Scandinavian intensive care units (ICU) and 1st choice fluid for patients with severe sepsis. HES 130/0.4 is largely unstudied in ICU patients. This investigator-initiated Scandinavian multicentre trial will be conducted to assess the effects of HES 130/0.4 on mortality and endstage kidney failure in patients with severe sepsis. The trial will provide important data to all clinicians who resuscitate septic patients.

Severe sepsis and septic shock are diseases of infectious origin with a high risk of death. Antibiotic therapy is mandatory but it is unknown whether one antibiotic alone is sufficient for initial therapy. The purpose of this study is to compare a therapy with meropenem alone or the combination of meropenem plus moxifloxacin in the treatment of severe sepsis/ septic shock. Patients randomly receive one of the two treatments for at least 7 days but not longer than 14 days.

Adult Patients with Severe Sepsis

The purposes of this study are to determine: Whether drotrecogin alfa (activated) helps children with severe sepsis survive their condition more often or recover faster than children who do not receive drotrecogin alfa (activated). Whether drotrecogin alfa (activated) minimizes long term disabilities associated with severe sepsis. The side effects that might be associated with drotrecogin alfa (activated) administration to children with severe sepsis.

The scope of this clinical study is to evaluate the possible role of an enteral formulation enriched with EPA, GLA and Antioxidants in patients diagnosed in the early stages of sepsis despite mechanical ventilation requirements, as well as the impact of this diet upon glycemic control and its capacity to prevent the development of sepsis into severe sepsis and septic shock.

Patients within the intensive care unit who have severe infections causing shock and kidney failure have almost a 60% risk of dying despite antibiotic therapy, surgical drainage of the site of infection and intensive care support with fluids, nutrition, mechanical ventilation and continuous artificial kidney support. This persistently high death rate continues to stimulate the development of new approaches to the treatment of septic shock. Much clinical and molecular biology research suggests that these patients die because of an uncontrolled immune system's response to infection. This response involves the production of several substances (so called "humoral mediators"), which enter the blood stream and affect the patient's organs ability to function and the patient's ability to kill germs. These substances may potentially be removed by new artificial filters similar to those currently used during continuous hemofiltration (the type of artificial kidney support used in intensive care). Recent investigations by ourselves and others, however, have made the following findings: Standard filters currently used in intensive care are ineffective in removing large amounts of these "humoral mediators" because the holes in the filter are too small to allow all of them to pass through The standard filters currently used in intensive care are also ineffective in removing large amounts of these "humoral mediators" because the standard filtration flow through the membrane is less than 100 ml/min When the filtration flow through the membrane is increased to above 100ml/min, patients require a lesser dose of drugs to support their blood pressure which is an indirect sign that the filters are clearing some of the "humoral mediators" Even when the blood flow through standard filters is increased to above 100ml/min, there is still not optimal clearing of "humoral mediators" It is possible, however, that, using a different filter membrane with bigger holes in it, would make it easier to clear the blood of these "humoral mediators". It is thought that this would be noticeable clinically in the amount of drugs required to support blood pressure. A filter that has these bigger holes is now available. It is made of the same material as the standard filters that are currently used in the intensive care unit, only the holes have been made bigger to allow these "humoral mediators" to be removed from the blood. This polyamide filter is made of synthetic semipermeable material. This material is highly compatible with human blood. This modified polyamide filter is made of exactly the same compatible material but the holes in the material are slightly larger through a minor modification of the manufacturing process. This larger hole filter has now been used in preliminary studies in humans and has been found to reduce the blood levels of some "humoral mediators". Laboratory studies conducted by ourselves showed that this new filter can achieve the highest reported clearance of some of the "humoral mediators" with minimal effect on useful proteins in blood such as albumin during hemodialysis. This loss is very small and unlikely to contribute to any detectable clinical changes. We, therefore, now propose to study the effect of using new large hole filters with hemodialysis in patients with severe infections and acute kidney failure. We wish to compare the effect of this new therapy to that of standard filters. The new therapy will be considered to be effective if it lowers the amount of drugs used to support blood pressure and if it lowers the blood levels of some "humoral mediators" more than standard therapy. We will also monitor blood levels of important components of blood such as albumin and electrolytes in each group. This is a pilot study involving only 10 patients who will each receive 4 hours of the standard therapy and 4 hours of the new therapy. Which treatment the patient receives first will be random (like the tossing of a coin). Blood samples will be taken at the start and after 4 hours of each treatment. The waste product of dialysis called spent dialysate will also be collected for the measurement of humoral mediators at the start and after 4 hours of each treatment. The changes in blood pressure and drugs used to support it will be recorded hourly. As patients involved in the study would normally receive hemofiltration because of their kidney failure, all the risks and benefits associated with the procedure would be unchanged. The only risk to patients would come from exposure to a modified membrane and from having two additional spoonfuls of blood taken. If this new membrane were found to have a major effect on the blood level of "humoral mediators" and on the patients' blood pressure, further studies would then be justified to assess its clinical effects (time in ICU, time in hospital, time on ventilator, duration of organ failure, etc).

The purpose of this study is to determine the optimal dose of Resatorvid for reducing 28-day all-cause mortality in subjects with severe sepsis.

Severe infection in the intensive care unit is common accounting for about 10% of admissions and has a death rate of approximately 40-50%. It is almost always associated with significant reductions in blood pressure. Administration of fluid often in large volumes is essential to normalize blood pressure and prevent failure of organs and death. Two common classes of fluid solutions are crystalloid fluids (salt based, normal saline) and colloid fluids (protein based, albumin). Due to its properties, the albumin fluid may remain in the vascular space better than the normal saline solution. Hence, there may be faster attainment of normal blood pressure as well as a reduction in failed organs and death. Preliminary clinical trial data suggests a potential for benefit with albumin in this setting but these findings require confirmation in a large clinical trial. There are few data to explain how albumin may exert its protective effects and lead to better outcomes for patients with severe infections. We will conduct a clinical study that will examine potential biological mechanisms for albumin's protective effects in 50 patients across 6 Canadian academic hospitals. We will also examine our ability to successfully recruit patients into this trial. This study will provide information that will help to understand the biological mechanisms of albumin in severe infection. The information gained will guide the investigative team for future fluid related mechanistic questions. The study will also provide essential information that will aid in the design and conduct of the future large clinical trial that will examine death as its primary outcome.

A common group of viruses that infect humans are enteroviruses. Enteroviruses produce illnesses in children which may range from very mild (summer colds) to severe (infections of the brain, liver, and heart). The purpose of this study is to determine if a new drug called pleconaril helps treat babies with enteroviral sepsis. In addition, researchers are attempting to determine a safe and effective dose of pleconaril to help babies with this disease. Infants who are 15 days or younger when diagnosed with enteroviral disease are eligible for this study. Two out of 3 babies will be randomly assigned to receive Pleconaril and the other one out of three will receive a placebo (inactive substitute). Participants will be hospitalized while receiving study medication. Babies will receive standard treatment care for their symptoms and will be observed for their medical progress. Participants may be in the study for up to 2 years.