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Efficiency and Safety of the Prolonged Use of Heat and Moisture Exchangers in ICU

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
VAP - Ventilator Associated Pneumonia
Interventions
Other: 72-hour HME exchange interval group
Other: 24-hour HME exchange interval group
Registration Number
NCT06410664
Lead Sponsor
Charles University, Czech Republic
Brief Summary

FILTRex is a single-centre, controlled, randomised, prospective, non-inferiority clinical trial to compare the efficiency and safety of prolonged (72-hours) versus standard (24-hours) duration of use for Heat and Moisture Exchange (HME) filters in adult mechanically ventilated critically ill patients

Detailed Description

Rationale: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most common hospital-acquired infection (HAI) in the intensive care unit (ICU), and its impact is very high in terms of morbidity, length of hospital stay and overall costs. Minimising manipulation and disconnection of the ventilator circuit by reducing the frequency of HME filter exchange may lower the risk of its secondary contamination, hence the incidence of VAP, while maintaining its efficacy in terms of sufficient humidification of the inhaled gas mixture and safety in terms of no or minimal change in resistance to airflow.

Aim: To test the effectiveness and safety of prolonged (72-hour exchange interval) use of a single HME.

Design: Prospective, single-centre, parallel-group randomised controlled trial. Subjects: ICU patients (general ICU)

Treatment in the intervention group: HME filter exchange every 72 hours

Control group: Standard-of-care: daily HME filter exchange

Primary outcome:

1. Presence of HME-associated adverse events (a composite endpoint of endotracheal tube occlusion or nosocomial tracheobronchitis or pneumonia).

2. The cumulative incidence of lower respiratory tract microbial colonisation analysed by the Kaplan-Maier method, censored in the case of ICU discharge or extubation \> 24h.

Secondary and exploratory outcomes: Differences in the relative risk of infection-related ventilator-associated complications, antibiotics (ATB) exposure analysis, length of ICU stay in days (time frame: three months), number of ventilator-free days (time frame: 28 days); differences in the incidence of endotracheal tube occlusion necessitating reintubation between individual groups, differences in airway resistance, humidity delivered to the patients and efficacy of HMEs between groups

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
120
Inclusion Criteria
  1. Age ≥18 years
  2. In-patient in ICU and expected to stay > 3 days
  3. Mechanical ventilation or imminent need of it; predicted length of mechanical ventilation ≥ 72h
  4. Clinical Pulmonary Infection score (CPIS) less than six at the baseline 5 No history and symptoms of aspiration at the baseline
Exclusion Criteria
  1. Suspected pulmonary infection on admission and in the first 48 hours of mechanical ventilation
  2. Pregnancy
  3. Acute respiratory distress syndrome
  4. Body temperature < 32°C
  5. Airway bleeding or other contraindications for the use of HME
  6. An early decision of treatment withdrawal

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
72-hour HME exchange interval group72-hour HME exchange interval groupIntervention group: daily care will be provided according to the local standards, with an HME exchange interval every 72 hours
24-hour HME exchange interval group24-hour HME exchange interval groupControl group: daily care will be provided according to the local standards, with an HME exchange interval every 24 hours
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Presence of HME-associated adverse events3 months

A composite endpoint of nosocomial tracheobronchitis or pneumonia (all-cause, nosocomial and ventilator-associated) or endotracheal tube occlusion).

The cumulative incidence of lower respiratory tract microbial colonisation analysed by the Kaplan-Maier method, censored in the case of ICU discharge or extubation > 24h.3 months

To detect microorganisms in the lower respiratory tract, tracheal aspirate will be directly cultured for detecting Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and anaerobic bacteria and fungi. Standard microbial surveillance (tracheal aspirate) will be performed on admission, twice a week (Monday, Thursday) and always ad hoc according to the clinical situation.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Differences in the relative risk of infection-related ventilator-associated complications (IVAC) according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria.3 months

Incidence rates among patients exposed to experimental intervention compared to those receiving standard care. We will establish the IVAC diagnosis based on the following:

* an increase of the daily minimum positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of ≥3 cm of water column (H2O) and (or) the daily minimum inspired oxygen fraction (FiO2) of ≥20 points sustained for ≥2 days and

* evidence of a new infection present (abnormal temperature or white blood cell count) and prescription of a new antibiotic for ≥4 days

Number of ventilator-free days.at 28 days

That is, the number of days, out of 28 days after admission, that the patient has not been supported by mechanical ventilation.

ATB exposure analysis3 months

Duration of antibiotics prescribed at discharge.

Length of ICU stay in days3 months

that is, length in ICU stay in days

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

3rd Faculty of Medicine and FNKV

🇨🇿

Prague, Česká Republika, Czechia

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