MedPath

Fever Control Using External Cooling in Mechanically Ventilated Patients With Septic Shock

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Septic Shock
Interventions
Other: External Cooling
Registration Number
NCT04494074
Lead Sponsor
Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal Creteil
Brief Summary

The best strategy for managing fever in patients with septic shock remains unknown. In a pilot study, the investigators showed that fever control at normothermia allowed a better control of shock and evolution of organ failures. In this second trial the investigators will conduct a multicentre, open-label, randomized controlled, superiority trial in which two strategies will be compared:

1. Respect of fever

2. Fever control at normothermia using external cooling The primary end point will be d-60 mortality.

Detailed Description

Sepsis is a common syndrome responsible for multiple organ failure. Septic shock, defined as sepsis with hyperlactatemia and cardiovascular failure requiring vasopressor infusion despite adequate fluid resuscitation has an extremely high mortality rate. Fever is a frequent disease process during sepsis. Fever increases oxygen consumption and can worsen imbalance between oxygen supply and oxygen requirements. Fever increases inflammation but reduces viral and bacterial growth. The beneficial effects of active fever control on inflammation have been mainly shown in a context of lung injury. Pneumonia represents the first cause of septic shock in developed countries.

In a pilot study (SEPSISCOOL I), we showed that fever treatment using external cooling significantly increased the resolution of shock, improved organ functions and decreased d-14 mortality. Although reduced, hospital mortality was not significantly different. This study was underpowered to allow conclusion on mortality. A more pronounced beneficial effect was observed among the most severely ill patients with elevated serum lactate level.

Fever treatment is commonly applied in septic patients but its impact on survival remains undetermined.

The main objective of the study is to compare two strategies of fever management in febrile (body temperature \> 38.3°C) septic shock patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation and sedation. These patients will be randomly allocated in two arms:

1. Fever respect

2. Fever control by external cooling to obtain normothermia during 48 hours

A covariate-adaptive randomization will be used to ensure the comparability of the two groups at each stage of the study. We will use an adaptive multistage population-enrichment design with a pre-specified subgroup of patients with ARDS identified at randomization.

An independent Safety and Data Monitoring Committee will review data on serious adverse events. The decision of study stop for potential harmful effect of one strategy will be let at the entire responsibility of the committee.

One interim analysis will be performed by independent observers after enrolment of half of the population. The assumption that fever treatment is more effective in patients with ARDS will be confirmed or not. According to pre-defined rules based on the conditional power calculated in the two subgroups, the trial will be stopped for futility, continued as planned or continued by enrolling only patients with ARDS.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
820
Inclusion Criteria
  • Documented or suspected infection either communautary or hospital acquired
  • Septic shock defined by the need for vasopressor and lactate>2 mmol/l despite adequate fluid resuscitation (sepsis-3 definition)
  • Patients under invasive mechanical ventilation
  • Body core temperature>38.3°C
  • Intravenous sedation or opioids
  • Ongoing antimicrobial treatment and/or intervention for infection source control
  • Attending physician confirms clinical equipoise without substantial risk if the patient participates in the trial
  • Informed consent of next of kin/other designated person before inclusion or procedure for inclusion in emergency situation
Exclusion Criteria
  • Cardiac arrest within previous 7 days
  • Acute brain injury within previous 7 days
  • Extensive burns or epidermal necrolysis
  • <18 years old
  • Body core temperature >41°C
  • Under legal guardianship
  • No affiliation with the French health-care system
  • Pregnancy
  • Participation in another interventional study with mortality as the primary endpoint
  • An investigator's decision not to resuscitate
  • Patient already recruited in the trial

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Fever Control by external coolingExternal CoolingExternal cooling during 48 hours to obtain normothermia
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
MortalityDay 60 from randomization

All causes mortality

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Number of ventilator free daysDay 28

Number of free days will be assessed as proposed by YEHYA et al. Patients who died before d28 will be considered as having 0 free day

Number of vasopressor free daysDay 28

Number of free days will be assessed as proposed by YEHYA et al. Shock resolution will be defined by vasopressor stop during at least 24h in the absence of care withdrawing

MortalityDay 28

All causes mortality

Number of patients with shiveringDay 2

Shivering will be monitored according to a specific scale

Number of patients with at least 1 episode of cardiac arrhythmiaDay 3

Patient with new episode of supraventricular or ventricular arrhythmia

Secondary acquired nosocomial infectionsDay 28

Only the first episode will be taken into account

Number of patients with ARDS development among patients free of ARDS at inclusionUp to Day 3

Secondary acquired ARDS according to Berlin definition

Number of renal replacement therapy free daysDay 28

Number of free days will be assessed as proposed by YEHYA et al.

Evolution of SOFA ScoreUp to Day 7

Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score will be calculated at d1, d2, d3 and d7 and compared between the 2 arms.

Higer the score higher the severity of organ dysfunctions. Min 0 Max 24

Number of patients with seizureDay 3

Seizure will be clinically documented or reveal by EEG

Number of patients with hypothermiaDay 3

Number of patients with body temperature lower than 36°C

Acute kidney injury in patients free of RRT at inclusionUp to Day7

Maximal stage of AKI according to the KDIGO definition

Trial Locations

Locations (33)

CHU Amiens

🇫🇷

Amiens, France

CHU Angers

🇫🇷

Angers, France

CH Victor Dupouy

🇫🇷

Argenteuil, France

Hôpital Nord Franche Comté

🇫🇷

Belfort, France

CH Cholet

🇫🇷

Cholet, France

Centre hospitalier intercommunal de Créteil

🇫🇷

Créteil, France

Hôpital Henri Mondor

🇫🇷

Créteil, France

CHD Dijon

🇫🇷

Dijon, France

CHU Grenoble

🇫🇷

Grenoble, France

GH Est Francilien

🇫🇷

Jossigny, France

CHD Vendée

🇫🇷

La Roche sur Yon, France

CHU Kremlin Bicetre

🇫🇷

Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France

CHU Le Mans

🇫🇷

Le Mans, France

CH Lens

🇫🇷

Lens, France

CH Libourne

🇫🇷

Libourne, France

Hôpital Saint Joseph Saint Luc

🇫🇷

Lyon, France

Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse

🇫🇷

Lyon, France

Hôpital Timone

🇫🇷

Marseille, France

CHR Metz Hôpital de Mercy

🇫🇷

Metz, France

GRH Mulhouse

🇫🇷

Mulhouse, France

CHU Hotel Dieu

🇫🇷

Nantes, France

CHU Archet 1

🇫🇷

Nice, France

Hôpital Pasteur

🇫🇷

Nice, France

Hopital Lariboisière - Réanimation Médicale

🇫🇷

Paris, France

Hôpital Lariboisière -Réanimation chirurgicale

🇫🇷

Paris, France

CHU La Milétrie Poitiers

🇫🇷

Poitiers, France

CHU Reims

🇫🇷

Reims, France

CHU Charles Nicolle

🇫🇷

Rouen, France

CHU Réunion Sud

🇫🇷

Saint-Denis, France

Hôpital FOCH

🇫🇷

Suresnes, France

CH BIGORRE SITE GESPE Tarbes

🇫🇷

Tarbes, France

CHBA Vannes-Auray

🇫🇷

Vannes, France

Centre Hospitalier Mignot

🇫🇷

Versailles, France

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath