Hylenex-Assisted Resuscitation in Kenya (HARK) Trial for the Management of Dehydration

Subcutaneous (SC) infusion has been established in high-income countries as a safe and effective alternative to expedite and simplify IV access. , A study from 2003 demonstrated the efficacy of SC hydration in elderly patients, for example. Fluid absorption via the SC method was almost identical to that via the IV method. A recent retrospective study compared SC fluid infusion with IV fluid infusion in children and showed that the SC method makes possible a more timely delivery of parenteral fluid with fewer needlesticks.

Additionally, SC hydration has been shown to be even more effective with the addition of recombinant human hyaluronidase, an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid that makes up the extracellular matrix. , (Note: Hyaluronidase, or Hylenex, is not an investigational drug; it is FDA-approved, regularly used in the U.S., and will be procured for this study through the pharmacy of the Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, USA).) When hyaluronidase is injected subcutaneously, an area forms where fluids do not have a dense matrix to cross. Flow rates with hyaluronidase-assisted SC (hSC) infusion are nearly five times faster than SC fluid administration alone.8 U.S.-based studies comparing hSC rehydration with standard IV rehydration in children with mild-to-moderate dehydration have demonstrated several benefits of hSC, including time and success of line placement, ease of use, satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness.9, These studies concluded that hSC hydration is a reasonable alternative to IV hydration in resource-rich settings, especially for children with difficult IV access.

While hSC infusion has been shown to be safe, successful, and cost-effective in high-income countries like the United States, there have been no randomized control trials in low-resource settings. The benefits of hSC that have been demonstrated in high-income countries, namely the ease of use and cost-effectiveness, may be particularly advantageous in low- and middle-income countries. It may even be found to be safer in these settings than current standards of care in light of recent findings of higher mortality with IV bolus rehydration among febrile children with infection in Africa. We, therefore, propose a feasibility study to evaluate whether hSC infusion can be effective and safe among moderate-to-severely dehydrated patients in rural community hospitals in western Kenya.

Rationale

hSC infusion can improve clinical management of patients presenting with moderate-to-severe dehydration. It can serve as a definitive alternative rehydration method or as a bridge to IV access when IV access is unobtainable.