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Early Versus Delayed Intubation of Patients With COVID-19

Not Applicable
Terminated
Conditions
Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure
COVID-19
Interventions
Other: Endotracheal intubation
Registration Number
NCT04632043
Lead Sponsor
Evangelismos Hospital
Brief Summary

Although management of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) often includes mechanical ventilation, the optimal timing of initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation remains unknown.

We hypothesise that a randomized controlled trial comparing early intubation as opposed to delayed intubation among patients with COVID-19 suffering from severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure is feasible.

Detailed Description

A common manifestation of COVID-19 is severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Management of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure associated with COVID-19 often includes mechanical ventilation. The optimal timing of initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation remains unknown.

On the one hand, early initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation (i.e. early endotracheal intubation) has been advocated as a means to reduce subsequent possible aerosolization of the virus, as would happen by alternate means of oxygenation/ventilation allowing air leaks. Also, early intubation may prevent the induction of self-inflicted lung injury in patients who breath spontaneously and have high respiratory drive and, therefore, large transpulmonary pressure swings. On the other hand, delaying intubation, by trying alternate means of oxygenation/ventilation, may mean that some of the patients may not be intubated at all and therefore will be protected from the adverse events of invasive mechanical ventilation (such as ventilator-induced lung injury, ventilator-associated pneumonia and ventilator-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction). The latter strategy may also address the unavailability of enough ventilators to meet the increased demand of treating patients with COVID-19.

Given that no randomized controlled trials are currently available to guide clinical practice regarding optimal timing of intubation, we propose a single-center randomized controlled feasibility trial to compare early intubation versus delayed intubation among patients with COVID-19 suffering from severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. The aim is that we gain experience and produce pilot data, which could inform the design of a subsequent large multi-center clinical trial.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
TERMINATED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
2
Inclusion Criteria

Adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 and severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure

Exclusion Criteria
  • Postoperative acute respiratory failure (within one week from surgery)
  • After cardiac arrest
  • Chronic hypoxemic respiratory failure
  • Hypercapnic respiratory failure
  • No full code
  • Lack of equipoise of the clinical team
  • Lack of informed consent

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Early intubationEndotracheal intubationPatients with COVID-19 suffering from severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (defined as the need for non-rebreather mask or high flow nasal oxygen with setting FiO2 of at least 90% or non-invasive mechanical ventilation to maintain a SpO2 \>92%) for at least 48 hours will undergo intubation.
Delayed intubationEndotracheal intubationPatients with COVID-19 suffering from severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (defined as the need for non-rebreather mask or high flow nasal oxygen with setting FiO2 of at least 90% or non-invasive mechanical ventilation to maintain a SpO2 \>92%) for at least 48 hours will continue to receive non-rebreather mask, high-flow nasal oxygen or non-invasive mechanical ventilation in an attempt to avoid intubation.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Time from onset of severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure to intubation28 days

Difference in time from onset of severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure to intubation between the two groups will be the primary (feasibility) outcome

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Need for continuous renal replacement therapy28 days
Ventilator-free days28 days
Organ failure-free days28 days

Number of days without the need for invasive mechanical ventilation, vasopressors and continuous renal replacement therapy with days after death not to be considered as organ failure-free days

Number of severe post-intubation adverse eventsWithin 30 minutes from intubation

Cardiac arrest and severe arterial desaturation (defined as SpO2 \<80% for \>5 minutes)

ICU-free days28 days

Intensive care unit-free days

Mortality28 days

All-cause ICU-mortality

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Evangelismos Hospital

馃嚞馃嚪

Athens, Attiki, Greece

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