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low inclusion rate
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The main goal of the study is to investigate the clinical relevance, efficacy and safety of treating hypotensive cirrhotic patients with suspicion of sepsis and on vasopressors with low-dose hydrocortisone in order to reverse hemodynamic instability and organ failure and to decrease mortality.
Ample evidence suggests that a significant number of patients (52-77%) with chronic liver disease develop adrenal insufficiency in case of concomitant sepsis. This condition impairs hemodynamic integrity and probably worsens often encountered multiorgan failure. Different groups suggested that treating those patients with corticosteroids gives a faster reversal of hemodynamic instability and even lowers mortality compared to historical controls. However, most of the published data are retrospective and comprise small groups of patients. These data raise the possibility that corticosteroids at stress doses may be beneficial in hypotensive cirrhotics admitted to the ICU but as yet this has not been subjected to a large-scale multicentre randomized controlled clinical trial.
The study will be a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial, involving tertiary intensive care units with expertise in management of patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Patients who satisfy inclusion criteria and do not present any of the exclusion criteria at ICU admission will be randomized into two groups:
If, after adequate fluid resuscitation, patients are still on norepinephrine at a dose of at least 0,1 mcg/kg/min for at least 4 hours, the patient can be randomized. Study drug can be started immediately after randomization but no later than 24 h after initiation of norepinephrine. Patients will receive an intravenous bolus of 50 ml of normal saline (placebo) or an intravenous bolus of 50 ml of normal saline containing 100 mg of hydrocortisone (double-blind) that will be followed by a continuous intravenous infusion of the study drug (hydrocortisone) or placebo. Treatment with study drug (hydrocortisone or placebo) at initial rate will be maintained until the start of day 4 and gradually discontinued (reduction of infusion rate with 0.5 ml/h/d) when 1) patients do not require vasoactive drugs anymore to maintain MAP(mean arterial pressure) > 60 mmHg or > 65 mmHg if associated with signs of hypoperfusion in spite of ongoing adequate fluid resuscitation or 2) in any case after a 7-day treatment period.
Investigators, treating physicians, nurses and patients will be blinded to the intervention.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| group A | Active Comparator | Group A: treated with intravenous hydrocortisone in addition to standard therapy (= treatment group) |
|
| group B | Placebo Comparator | Group B: IV treatment with NaCL 0.9% in addition to standard therapy (= placebo group) |
|
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrocortisone | Drug | IV bolus of 100 mg hydrocortisone in 50ml NaCl 0.9% (sodium chloride); followed by continuous IV infusion of 200 mg hydrocortisone in 50 ml NaCl 0.9% at a rate of 2 ml/h until the start of day 4.Reduction of infusion rate with 0.5 ml/h/day. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Patient survival at 28 days analysed from the day of randomisation | survival status | 28days |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| patient survival at 90 days analysed from the day of randomization | survival status | 90 days |
| ICU and hospital mortality | mortality | from the date of randomisation until ICU discharge or hospital mortality, whichever came first, up to day 90 |
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Inclusion Criteria:
All patients with known or recently diagnosed cirrhosis who
secondary to proven or suspected infection, in both cases despite adequate fluid resuscitation and with persistent need for low-dose norepinephrine to maintain a mean arterial blood pressure > 60 mmHg or > 65 mmHg if accompanied by signs of hypoperfusion, are eligible for study entry. The diagnosis of cirrhosis is preferably made by histology or based on imaging and laboratory findings.
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Philippe Meersseman, MD | Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven | Principal Investigator |
| Alexander Wilmer, MD, PhD | Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven | Principal Investigator |
| Javier Fernandez, MD,PhD | Hosp Clinic, Barcelona, Spain | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universitaire Ziekenhuizen Leuven | Leuven | Vlaams Brabant | 3000 | Belgium | ||
| Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine |
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40757786 | Derived | Meersseman P, Hernandez-Tejero M, Diaz JM, Wauters J, Hermans G, Aziz F, Ceunen H, Prado V, Langouche L, Arteaga M, Acevedo J, Lleixa M, Zapatero J, Toapanta D, Arroyo V, Wilmer A, Fernandez J. Low-Dose Hydrocortisone in Cirrhotic Patients With Septic Shock: A Double-Blind Randomised Placebo-Controlled Trial. Liver Int. 2025 Sep;45(9):e70257. doi: 10.1111/liv.70257. |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D008103 | Liver Cirrhosis |
| D005355 | Fibrosis |
| D007022 | Hypotension |
| D018805 | Sepsis |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D008107 | Liver Diseases |
| D004066 | Digestive System Diseases |
| D010335 | Pathologic Processes |
| D013568 | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D006854 | Hydrocortisone |
| D012965 | Sodium Chloride |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D011282 | Pregnenediones |
| D011283 | Pregnenes |
| D011278 | Pregnanes |
| D013256 | Steroids |
| D000072473 |
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|
| NaCL 0.9% | Drug | IV bolus of 50 ml NaCL 0.9%; followed by continuous IV infusion of NaCL 0.9% |
|
|
| reversal of shock | time in days from start of placebo or active medication to resolution of shock as defined as cessation of continuous vasopressor medication (for > 24 hours) | up to day 90 |
| reversal of organ failures | measured with SOFA-score and CLIF (Chronic Liver Failure Consortium)-SOFA score | up to 90 days |
| vasopressor doses | administration of vasopressor | up to 90 days |
| vasopressor-free days | days without vasopression | up to 90 days |
| mechanical ventilation-free days | days without mechanical ventilation | up to 90 days |
| need for and duration of renal replacement therapy | days of renal replacement therapy | up to 90 days |
| ICU and hospital length-of-stay | days of ICU stay , days of hospital stay | up to 90 days |
| acquirement of new infections | bacterial and/or fungal: defined according to CDC (Centers for Diseases Control) criteria (pneumonia, bacteremia, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, catheter-related bloodstream infections, skin infections and others) | up to 90 days |
| shock relapse | defined as hypotension recurrence during the tapering period or within 3 days of total discontinuation of study drug | during tapering period until 3 days after end of study drug |
| clinically important bleeding | defined as new melena, new haematemesis or unexplained fall in haemoglobin > 2g/dl (not related to volume expansion). The presence of 'coffee ground' aspirate from nasogastric aspirate will not be considered active GI bleeding. | up to 90 days |
| glycemic control | measured as units of insulin required to attain glycemic levels between 80 - 140 mg/dl | during ICU stay, up to 10 days |
| episode of hyper- (> 180 mg/dl) or hypoglycemia (< 60 mg/dl) | number of episodes of hypo- hyperglycemia | during study treatment period, up to 10 days |
| new shock episode | hypotension recurrence with need for vasopressor therapy after 3 days of total discontinuation of study drug | during study treatment period, up to 13 days |
| impact of coagulopathy | assessed by disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC)-score | during ICU stay up to 10 days |
| incidence of ICU-acquired weakness | occurrence of IC acquired weakness | during ICU stay, up to 90 days |
| Prague |
| Czechia |
| Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen | Copenhagen | Denmark |
| University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf | Hamburg | Germany |
| San Giovanni Battista Hospital | Turin | Italy |
| Hospital Clinic Barcelona | Barcelona | Spain |
| Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Maranon | Madrid | Spain |
| Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal | Madrid | Spain |
| King's College Hospital | London | United Kingdom |
| Derriford Hospital | Plymouth | United Kingdom |
| D014652 | Vascular Diseases |
| D002318 | Cardiovascular Diseases |
| D007239 | Infections |
| D018746 | Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome |
| D007249 | Inflammation |
| Fused-Ring Compounds |
| D011083 | Polycyclic Compounds |
| D015062 | 11-Hydroxycorticosteroids |
| D006889 | Hydroxycorticosteroids |
| D000305 | Adrenal Cortex Hormones |
| D006728 | Hormones |
| D006730 | Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists |
| D015065 | 17-Hydroxycorticosteroids |
| D002712 | Chlorides |
| D006851 | Hydrochloric Acid |
| D017606 | Chlorine Compounds |
| D007287 | Inorganic Chemicals |
| D017670 | Sodium Compounds |