MedPath

Mineralocorticoid Use in COVID-19 Patients

Phase 3
Completed
Conditions
COVID-19
ARDS
Interventions
Registration Number
NCT05453214
Lead Sponsor
Ain Shams University
Brief Summary

There is a considerable variability in aldosterone levels between individuals, and this may explain the wide variability in disease severity among those infected so we designed a pilot study to test for the safety and efficacy of fludrocortisone addition to standard of care in hospitalised COVID-19 patients.

Detailed Description

Many studies have shown involvement of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in pathophysiology of COVID-19. There is a considerable variability between people infected with SARS-COV-2 virus in terms of severity. At pathophysiological level there are variable degrees of increased capillary permeability with resultant fluid leak. We hypothesize that the physiological response to overcome this fluid leak mainly involves stimulation of mineralocorticoid (aldosterone) pathway. Hence; those with defective mineralocorticoid response are at high risk for disease complications.

Aldosterone secretion capacity is affected by many factors whether physiological (age, sex, ethnicity and pregnancy) or pathological (e.g. smoking); this is reflected in wide differences (regarding aldosterone levels) between groups of people depending on these factors.

These variations in mineralocorticoid capacity between groups of people may explain why some certain groups are at high risk for severe disease while others are at a lower risk.

So we designed this pilot study to assess safety and efficacy of mineralocorticoid, in the form of fludrocortisone, as a potential treatment for COVID-19 by its addition to dexamethasone in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
10
Inclusion Criteria
  • Male and non-pregnant female patients 18 years of age or older
  • Diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia as per local guidelines
  • Oxygen saturation (SaO2) of 93 % or less while they were breathing ambient air.
Read More
Exclusion Criteria
  • A physician decision that involvement in the trial will not be in the patient's best interest, presence of any condition that would not allow the protocol to be followed safely.
  • known allergy or hypersensitivity to fludrocortisone.
  • known severe liver or kidney disease, uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes mellitus and peptic ulcer disease.
  • Hypokalemia (serum potassium of less than 3.5 mEq/L)
  • Use of medications that are contraindicated with fludrocortisone and that could not be replaced or stopped during the trial period.
Read More

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Fludrocortisone armFludrocortisone Acetate 0.1 MG10 hospitalised COVID-19 patients meeting inclusion criteria will receive fludrocortisone 0.1 mg tablets in addition to dexamethasone 6 mg / 24 hours and standard care
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Time to recovery28 days

The first day, during the 28 days after enrollment, on which a patient met the criteria for category 1 or 2 on the eight-category ordinal scale

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Mortality Rate28 days

All-cause mortality rate over 28 days post enrollment.

Length of hospital stay28 days

Number of days since enrollment till hospital discharge.

Rate of ICU admission28 days

Number of patients who experienced worsening of clinical status necessitating ICU admission.

Mechanical ventilation need28 days

Number of patients who needed invasive mechanical ventilation during hospitalisation.

Improvement of lymphopenia7 days

Reversal of lymphopenia - measured at days 3 and 7 after initiation of treatment.

Duration of Increased Supplemental Oxygen28 days

Number of days counted from enrollment over which the participant requires supplemental oxygen in excess over his/her baseline.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Ain Shams University

🇪🇬

Cairo, Abbasia, Egypt

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath