ROle of Dexmedetomidine in Modifying Immune Paralysis In Patient With Septic Shock: Randomized Controlled Trial (RODIS Trial)

Sedation protocol All patients will receive analgesia with fentanyl at fixed dose of 0.5 µg.kg.hr-1. Each patient will receive the study drug within 6 hours after ICU admission. Depth of sedation will be assessed using Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale (RASS) scores (6), which range from -5 (unarousable) to +4 (combative). Study treatments will be infused without loading dose. Group I patients will have dexmedetomidine (4 µg.mL-1) and group II patients will have midazolam (0.33 mg.mL-1). Both drugs will be prepared in 0.9% sodium chloride in 50-mL syringe. Both the agents will be titrated to maintain the RASS in a range of -3 to -1. Dexmedetomidine infusion will be started at 0.1 µg.kg-1.hr-1 and will be adjusted by 0.1 µg.kg-1.h-1 to a maximum of 0.5 µg/kg/h, while midazolam will be started at 1 mg.h-1 (3 mL.hr-1) and adjusted by 1 mg.h-1 to a maximum of 5 mg.h-1 (15 mL.h-1). All infusions will be adjusted by increments of 3 mL/hr-1. Patients in either group not adequately sedated by study drug titration will receive a bolus dose of fentanyl 0.5-1 µg.kg. Assessment of RASS score will be performed every 2 hours and prior to any dose of rescue therapy. The study drugs will be infused for 24 hours and after that the choice of sedation will be determined according to preference of attending physician.