MedPath

Better Evidence for Selecting Transplant Fluids

Phase 3
Completed
Conditions
Delayed Graft Function
End Stage Kidney Disease
Kidney Transplant; Complications
Interventions
Drug: 0.9% SODIUM CHLORIDE 9g/L injection BP
Registration Number
NCT03829488
Lead Sponsor
The University of Queensland
Brief Summary

End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is a significant, expensive health problem. Kidney transplantation improves survival, quality of life, and is much cheaper than dialysis treatment for ESKD. However sometimes kidney transplants from a deceased donor function poorly after surgery, and a period of continued dialysis is needed, a condition known as delayed graft function (DGF). In addition to complicating recovery, DGF can adversely affect long-term kidney function and the health of the recipient.

Intravenous fluids given during and after transplantation (usually 0.9% sodium chloride or saline) are critical to preserve kidney transplant function, but there is evidence that 0.9% saline may not be the safest fluid to use due to its high chloride content.

BEST Fluids is a randomised controlled trial that aims to find out whether using a balanced low-chloride solution - Plasma-Lyte 148® - as an alternative to normal saline in deceased donor kidney transplantation, will improve kidney transplant function, reduce the impact of DGF, and improve long-term outcomes for patients.

Detailed Description

End-stage kidney disease is a significant public health problem worldwide, and its treatment imposes a high healthcare burden and cost. Kidney transplantation is considered the best treatment for ESKD, offering improved survival and quality of life at significantly lower cost that dialysis. However, many kidney transplants fail prematurely due in part due to injury sustained at the time of transplantation. Delayed graft function (DGF), i.e. the requirement for dialysis early after transplantation, affects approximately 30% of deceased donor kidney transplants, and increases the risk of graft failure and mortality.

Intravenous fluids are a critical, albeit inexpensive, aspect of care that impacts early transplant function with normal (0.9%) saline the current standard care at most centres. However, normal saline may in fact be harmful in the setting of kidney transplantation due to its high chloride content relative to plasma, causing metabolic acidosis, acute kidney injury and thus potentially increasing the risk of DGF. Utilising a balanced low-chloride crystalloid solution such as Plasma-Lyte 148® (Plasmalyte) as an alternative to 0.9% saline may therefore improve outcomes after kidney transplantation.

The BEST-Fluids study is an investigator-initiated, pragmatic, registry-based, multi-centre, double -blind randomised, controlled trial. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the effect in deceased donor kidney transplant recipients of intravenous therapy with Plasmalyte versus 0.9% saline, commencing pre-operatively and continuing until intravenous fluids are no longer required or 48 hours post-transplant (whichever is earliest), on DGF, defined as the requirement for dialysis in the first seven days post-transplant.

Patients admitted for a deceased donor kidney transplant at participating centres will be invited to participate in the study prior to transplant surgery. Following informed consent, participants will be randomised to receive either blinded Plasmalyte or blinded 0.9% saline for all intravenous fluid therapy purposes until 48 hours post-transplant. The volume and rate of fluid therapy will be determined by treating clinicians; all other treatments will be as per local standard of care. Participants will be enrolled, randomised and followed up using ANZDATA, the Australia \& New Zealand Dialysis \& Transplant Registry.

The trial was prospectively registered with Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) on 08/03/2017 (ACTRN12617000358347).

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
808
Inclusion Criteria
  1. Adult or child with End-Stage Kidney Disease, of any cause, on maintenance dialysis, or who has pre-dialysis stage 5 chronic kidney disease with an estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate of <15 mL/min/1.73m2, AND
  2. Planned deceased donor kidney transplant from a brain-death (DBD) or circulatory-death (DCD) organ donor within 24 hours, AND
  3. Written informed consent, or consent given by their parent or guardian (if age <18), or other authorised person
Exclusion Criteria
  1. Planned live donor kidney transplant (except where this is cancelled in favour or transplantation from a deceased donor)
  2. Planned multi-organ transplant (dual or en-bloc kidney transplants are not excluded)
  3. Children of weight <20 kg, or a child that the treating physician believes should not be included in a study of blinded fluids due to their small body size
  4. Known hypersensitivity to the trial fluid preparations or packaging

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
0.9% SODIUM CHLORIDE 9g/L injection BP0.9% SODIUM CHLORIDE 9g/L injection BP0.9% saline intravenous fluid therapy will be used for all maintenance, replacement and resuscitation purposes from randomization onwards until 48 hours post-transplant, or until fluid therapy is no longer required, if earlier.
Plasma-Lyte 148 (approx. pH 7.4) IV InfusionPlasma-Lyte 148 (approx. pH 7.4) IV InfusionPlasma-Lyte 148 (approx. pH 7.4) IV Infusion intravenous fluid therapy will be used for all maintenance, replacement and resuscitation purposes from randomization onwards until 48 hours post-transplant, or until fluid therapy is no longer required, if earlier.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
The proportion of participants with Delayed Graft Function7 Days

Delayed Graft Function defined as receiving treatment with any form of dialysis in the first seven days after transplant

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Aggregate urine outputUntil day 2 post-transplant

Aggregate urine output until day 2 post-transplant

Healthcare resource use12 months

Healthcare resource use over 12 months using linked data state and country based health data

Creatinine reduction ratio from day 1 to day 2 post-transplantDay 1 to Day 2 post-transplant

Creatinine reduction ratio from day one to day two measured using serum assay, for those who do not require dialysis within the first 7 days

Incidence of serum potassium greater than or equal to 5.5 mmol/LFirst 48 hours post-transplant

Serum potassium greater than or equal to 5.5 mmol/L measured by serum assay

Treatment for hyperkalaemiaFirst 48 hours post-transplant

Treatment for hyperkalaemia with dialysis, Ca2+-gluconate, insulin, beta-agonists, sodium bicarbonate or ion exchange resins in the first 48 hours post-transplant

Incidence of significant fluid overloadBaseline to day 2

Incidence of significant fluid overload defined as \>5% weight gain

Health-related quality of lifeBaseline, day 7, day 28, week 12, week 26, and week 52

Health-related quality of life measured using EuroQol EQ-5D-5L for adults, and EQ-5D-Y in children under 18 years. EQ-5D has descriptive and visual analogue scale (VAS). Descriptive system consists of five dimensions mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. VAS records patient's self-rated health on vertical visual analogue scale with endpoints best to worst health with 0 being worst and 100 being best health.

Peak potassium levelFirst 48 hours post-transplant

Peak potassium level, measured by serum assay

Number of acute rejection episodes12 months

Number of acute rejection episodes in the first 52 weeks as reported by ANZDATA routine data capture and as assessed by treating physicians

Length of hospital stay12 months

Length of hospital stay over 12 months using linked data state and country based health data

Early Kidney Transplant Functiona. Duration of Delayed Graft Function - 12 Weeks; b. Rate of recovery of kidney transplant graft function - 2 Days

Early Kidney Transplant Function, a ranked composite of

1. Duration of Delayed Graft Function Description: Participants who require dialysis within seven days post-transplant, the time from transplant to the final dialysis treatment in days (up to 84 days/12 weeks) will be ranked from best to worst (longer times are worse).

2. Rate of recovery of kidney transplant graft function Description: for participants who do not require dialysis, graft function assessed using the creatinine reduction ratio on post-transplant day two (CRR2) will be ranked from best to worst (smaller reductions are worse).

Requirement for inotropic support (use of vasopressors or other drugs to maintain adequate blood pressure)Intra- and post-operatively to Day 2

Requirement for inotropic support both intra- and post-operatively to Day 2

Number of renal transplant biopsiesFirst 28 days post-transplant

Number of renal transplant biopsies performed in the first 28 days post-transplant

Death from all causesUp to 52 weeks

Death from all causes up to 52 weeks

Cost-effectiveness12 months

Cost-effectiveness over 12 months using linked data state and country based health data

Graft survival12 months

Graft survival and death-censored graft survival as reported by ANZDATA and assessed by treating physician

Graft function4, 12, 26 and 52 weeks

Graft function (estimated glomerular filtration rate; eGFR) at 4, 12, 26 and 52 weeks

Number of dialysis sessionsFirst 28 days post-transplant

The number of dialysis sessions

Total duration of dialysis12 Weeks

The total duration of dialysis in days

Reduction in serum creatinine of greater than or equal to 10%First 7 days post-transplant

The proportion of subjects with a reduction in serum creatinine of greater than or equal to 10% on three consecutive days in the first 7 days post-transplant

Serum creatinine trends over 52 weeks12 months

Serum creatinine trends measured over 52 weeks

Trial Locations

Locations (18)

Monash Children's Hospital

🇦🇺

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Wellington Hospital

🇳🇿

Wellington, New Zealand

Prince of Wales Hospital

🇦🇺

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The Children's Hospital at Westmead

🇦🇺

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Fiona Stanley Hospital

🇦🇺

Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia

Sydney Children's Hospital

🇦🇺

Randwick, New South Wales, Australia

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

🇦🇺

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Westmead Hospital

🇦🇺

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

St Vincent's Hospital (Melbourne) Ltd

🇦🇺

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Royal Adelaide Hospital

🇦🇺

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Queensland Children's Hospital

🇦🇺

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Princess Alexandra Hospital

🇦🇺

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Austin Health

🇦🇺

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Monash Medical Centre

🇦🇺

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital

🇦🇺

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Auckland City Hospital

🇳🇿

Auckland, New Zealand

Christchurch Hospital

🇳🇿

Christchurch, New Zealand

Starship Children's Hospital

🇳🇿

Auckland, New Zealand

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