Clinical Research Directory

Peripheral Perfusion Index-guided Fluid Resuscitation for Preventing Acute Skin Failure in Elderly Critically Ill Patients

This prospective, randomized, controlled trial aimed to evaluate whether fluid resuscitation guided by the Peripheral Perfusion Index (PPI) could reduce the incidence of Acute Skin Failure (ASF) in elderly critically ill patients. A total of 216 patients aged ≥65 years with sepsis or other types of shock requiring early aggressive fluid resuscitation were enrolled and randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the PPI-guided resuscitation group or the conventional resuscitation group. The intervention group targeted maintaining PPI ≥1.4 in addition to conventional hemodynamic goals, while the control group followed standard resuscitation protocols. The primary outcome was the incidence of ASF within 7 days of ICU admission, diagnosed according to NPUAP/EPUAP (2014) criteria. Secondary outcomes included time to ASF occurrence, lactate clearance, cumulative fluid balance, organ function, and long-term prognosis.

Corticosteroids in Hyperinflammatory Phenotype of Critical Illness

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether methylprednisolone improves outcomes in critically ill patients with a hyperinflammatory phenotype. It will also evaluate the safety of methylprednisolone at different doses. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does methylprednisolone improve organ function compared with placebo? * Does methylprednisolone reduce the risk of mortality within 30 days? Researchers will compare high-dose methylprednisolone (160mg/d), low-dose methylprednisolone (80mg/d), and placebo (normal saline) to evaluate effectiveness and safety. Participants will: * Receive high-dose methylprednisolone, low-dose methylprednisolone, or placebo every 12 hours for the first 3 days * Be reassessed on Day 4 based on their inflammatory status If the hyperinflammatory phenotype persists, the treatment dose will be reduced by half and continued until Day 7 or ICU discharge, whichever occurs first If the patient transitions to a hypoinflammatory phenotype, the study treatment will be discontinued * Be monitored daily in the intensive care unit for organ function, inflammatory status, and need for organ support * Be followed for up to 30 days after randomization to assess survival and recovery

Infraclavicular Axillary Vein Collapsibility Index as a Predictor of Fluid Responsiveness

Fluid responsiveness refers to the ability of the left ventricle to significantly increase stroke volume following fluid administration, and its assessment is critical in managing acute circulatory failure while avoiding fluid overload.Infraclavicular axillary vein collapsibility index is a substitute for inferior vena cava collapsibility index in assessment for the need of fluid resuscitation in spontaneously breathing sepsis related acute circulatory failure patients.

Nafamostat Mesylate Versus Regional Citrate Anticoagulation for Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy in Sepsis-Associated Acute Kidney Injury

Sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) is common in critically ill patients and often requires continuous kidney replacement therapy (CRRT). The choice of blood thinner (anticoagulation) during CRRT affects how long the filter works and the risk of bleeding. Citrate is the current standard blood thinner, but it can cause metabolic problems in patients with shock or liver dysfunction. Nafamostat mesylate (NM) is a newer alternative with a very short half-life and local action, which may offer both effectiveness and safety. However, no large, high-quality study has directly compared NM with citrate in SA-AKI patients. This study aims to show that NM is not worse than citrate for a key outcome called MAKE30 (a combination of death, continued need for kidney replacement therapy, or persistent kidney dysfunction at 30 days). We will also compare filter life, kidney recovery, death rates, hospital stay, bleeding events, and other outcomes. This is a multicenter, randomized, single-blind, non-inferiority trial. A total of 1162 patients will be assigned equally to receive either NM or citrate during CRRT. Patients will not know which treatment they get, but healthcare providers will know. The study includes adults aged 18-90 with sepsis and severe acute kidney injury requiring CRRT for more than 48 hours, who have given informed consent. Key exclusions include active bleeding risk, severe liver failure, pregnancy, or participation in another trial within 3 months. The main outcome is MAKE30 at 30 days. Secondary outcomes include filter life, days off CRRT, death rates, length of stay, bleeding, and changes in organ failure scores. Safety monitoring will focus on metabolic problems and citrate accumulation. The study is designed to test whether NM is non-inferior to citrate with a margin of 5%. If non-inferiority is shown, we will also test if NM is superior. Analyses will follow intention-to-treat principles.

Febrile Infants Swedish Study

Approximately one million febrile infants aged ≤60 days present annually to pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) in Europe and the United States. Although fewer than 5% are diagnosed with meningitis or bacteremia (invasive bacterial infections - IBIs), and 10-15% with urinary tract infections (UTIs), current guidelines recommend extensive diagnostic evaluations, hospitalization, and empirical treatment with broad-spectrum parenteral antibiotics. This approach may contribute to medical overuse, with implications for patient care, healthcare resource utilization, and environmental sustainability. The Febrile Infants Swedish Study (FISS) is a prospective observational study conducted across 11 PEDs in Sweden. All febrile infants aged ≤60 days presenting to participating sites will be eligible. A new clinical guideline for the management of infants with fever without source (FWS) will be implemented in 7 PEDs, while 4 PEDs will continue with current standard practice and serve as a comparison group. The study is expected to run for approximately two years and aims to recruit a minimum of 2,500 febrile infants

Long-term Assessment of Patients Treated in the ICU for Sepsis

This study is a prospective, observational cohort clinical registry designed to describe clinical and epidemiological characteristics and outcomes of adult patients hospitalized with sepsis. Participants will be followed during hospitalization and after hospital discharge to evaluate short- and long-term outcomes.

A Study to Compare the Efficacy and Safety of Extended and Intermittent Infusion of Beta-lactams in Critically Ill Paediatric Patients

The goal of this clinical trial is to examine the success and safety of administering certain antibiotics (beta-lactams) given in a longer 3-hour infusion to children (0-17 years) who are critically ill and have severe infection. The main question it aims to answer is: Is the longer infusion more effective than the conventional short-term (0.5-hour-long) infusion? Researchers will compare the 3-hour-long infusion group to the 0.5-hour-long infusion group to determine whether the longer infusion can cure the infection earlier and whether it is equally safe. The doses are the same in the two groups. Only the duration differs until the patient receives the antibiotic. Participants will: * be given the required antibiotic drug in a 3-hour-long or in a 0.5 hour-long infusion. * be examined to make sure their blood drug levels are correct. This will require two blood tests. * be treated according to routine care and have examinations and blood tests performed.

A Study to Learn About How Safe BAY 3389934 is, Its Suitable Dose, and How it Affects the Participants With Sepsis Induced Coagulopathy

Researchers are looking for a better way to treat people who have sepsis induced coagulopathy. Sepsis happens when bacteria and their toxins spread in the blood, causing an infection. To overcome the infection the body responds activating the immune system, sometimes this immune response is too active and causes uncontrolled blood clot formation, also called sepsis-induced coagulopathy. Sepsis coagulopathy damages blood vessels and organs and leads to low platelet levels in the body. In severe cases, it can even lead to death. The main purpose of this first in patient study is to learn about how safe BAY 3389934 is, its suitable dose, and how it affects the participants with sepsis induced coagulopathy. For this study, researchers will enroll people receiving treatment for sepsis induced coagulopathy in a hospital intensive care unit (ICU). For this, the researchers will collect the number of participants with medical problems during and after receiving BAY 3389934. These medical problems are also known as "adverse events". Doctors keep track of all medical problems that happen in studies, even if they do not think they might be related to the study treatments. Participants will be divided into 2 groups. The first group will receive the lowest starting dose of BAY3389934. The researcher will carefully monitor how the participant responds to the medication and may adjust the dose, either increasing or decreasing it based on the safety and the tolerability of the drug. If no serious side effects are reported from the first group, the second group will receive higher dose of BAY3389934. Each participant will be in the study for around 28 days. During the study, the doctors and their study team will: * Take blood and urine samples, * Do physical examinations, * Check vital signs such as body temperature, blood pressure and heart rate, * Examine heart health using electrocardiogram (ECG)

Individualized Multiplex Pathophysiological Treatment of Severe Acute Infections: N-Acetylcysteine

The primary objective of the IMPACT-NAC trial is to assess the effects of N-acetylcysteine on survival and hospital length of stay in adults admitted to the emergency department with acute infection or sepsis and evidence of liver dysfunction. The main question it aims to answer is: does N-acetylcysteine increase the number of days alive and out of the hospital within the first 14 days after enrolment in the trial? To answer this question, we will conduct a randomized, double-blinded controlled trial of 360 participants. Participants will be randomized to either N-acetylcysteine or placebo (normal saline without active drugs). This will be administered as an infusion during four hours within the first day of hospital admission.

Neonatal Enterovirus Infections in Italy: Virological Characterization, Genomic and Clinical-epidemiological Insights on Echovirus 11

The Enterovirus genus, belonging to the Picornaviridae family, consists of positively polarized single-stranded RNA viruses classified into the species Enterovirus (EV, comprising Coxsackievirus, Echovirus and Poliovirus) A-J and Rhinovirus (RV) A-C, of which more than 200 different genotypes have been described. Enteroviruses have a global spread and are a common cause of febrile, gastroenteric and exanthematous diseases, usually self-limiting, which are widespread in infants and pediatric populations. However, they can occasionally cause serious diseases, including meningoencephalitis, myelitis, paralysis, myocarditis, sepsis, severe respiratory syndromes, and acute hepatitis. They can be transmitted by respiratory route, with most cases in temperate regions occurring during summer and early autumn. Enteroviruses are characterized by a rapid evolution determined by the high mutation rate (due to the presence of an RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase that lacks proofreading activity) and the high probability of undergoing recombination events. The latter, in particular inter-typical recombination, plays a crucial role in the evolutionary process of Enteroviruses and has been recognized as a major cause of the emergence of strains with higher pathogenicity and/or epidemic potential, although the associated genetic determinants are not known to date. Between July 2022 and April 2023, nine cases of neonatal Echovirus 11 (E-11) infection with severe liver failure and neurological and myocardial involvement were reported in France; seven of these cases resulted in fatal outcomes. Following these reports, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an alert that quickly led to the identification of further cases in Italy, Spain, Croatia and the United Kingdom. As EV infections are not subject to systematic surveillance, there is a lack of data on the actual burden of disease associated with these infections. Thus, EV infections are underestimated and, even more so, data on their typing are scarce - if not absent -, which involve second-level analyses that are generally not carried out routinely in clinical microbiological diagnostic laboratories, are rarely available and are not systematically collected, not even at European level. A condition that therefore makes it impossible to estimate either the impact of EV infections in general, and of E-11 in particular, or the risk factors related to the most serious cases and the most significant transmission routes. Moreover, the characteristics of the immunological and inflammatory response to infection remain to be defined. These elements would allow, if available, the formulation of a specific case definition to ensure rapid laboratory confirmation and recognition of the disease.To strengthen knowledge of the spread and impact of enterovirus infections in newborns, with a focus on E-11, by carrying out the following activities, within the scope of the project's proposed objectives: design and pilot implementation (proof of concept) of epidemiological and genomic surveillance systems with potential national application; molecular characterization and evaluation of viral pathogenic features; search for possible immunological markers and host risk factors associated with severe EV disease, including E-11. Specific objectives 1. To implement and validate a protocol for screening activities in neonatal units and neonatal intensive care units aimed at checking for the presence of infections caused by EV and identifying severe forms of infection, with particular attention to E-11. 2. Characterize EV strains, identified within the activities carried out by specific objectives 1, using next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches to obtain the whole genome sequence and identify possible recombinant forms. Carry out phylogenetic analysis of the obtained sequences compared with those deposited in the main international databases, to define genomes that can be traced back to variant strains or with specific mutations in the genome.

Study of Nogapendekin Alfa Inbakicept and iNKT Cells in Critically Ill Adults With Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia

This is a Phase 3, randomized, blinded, and placebo-controlled clinical trial investigating a new combination treatment for critically ill adults who have severe community-acquired pneumonia, especially if they also have sepsis or acute respiratory distress syndrome. The study aims to determine if adding the experimental agents, Nogapendekin Alfa Inbakicept and iNKT cells, to standard medical care can reduce the 28-day all-cause mortality rate compared to standard care alone with a placebo.

Nogapendekin Alfa-Inbakicept and iNKT Cells for Critically Ill Adults With Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia (With or Without Sepsis/ARDS)

This Phase 2 study tests whether adding two immune therapies - nogapendekin alfa-inbakicept (NAI) and off-the-shelf iNKT cell infusions - to standard care can safely help critically ill adults with severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) (with or without sepsis/ARDS) recover. The study will give NAI by subcutaneous injection (Days 1 and 10) and one IV dose of iNKT cells (Day 3), then follow participants for 90 days.

Gelaspan vs Crystalloid Therapy in Sepsis

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to evaluate whether balanced gelatin solution is more effective and safe than balanced crystalloid solution for perioperative fluid management in adults with sepsis undergoing emergency abdominal surgery. Sepsis often causes severe fluid loss from the bloodstream into tissues, leading to low blood pressure, impaired organ function, and the need for urgent fluid resuscitation. Balanced gelatin, a colloid solution, may help maintain intravascular volume more effectively than crystalloid alone. In this study, participants are randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either balanced gelatin or Ringer's acetate during surgery and in the first 24 hours afterward. All patients receive standardized anesthesia care, goal-directed fluid therapy, and protocolized use of vasoactive drugs. The main questions the study aims to answer are: * Does balanced gelatin reduce positive fluid balance within 24 hours after surgery? * Does it improve hemodynamic stability during the early postoperative period? * What effects does balanced gelatin have on kidney function, microcirculation, postoperative recovery, and other clinical outcomes? Participants will be followed throughout hospitalization and contacted again on postoperative day 28 and day 90 to assess survival, complications, and health-related quality of life. The trial is double-blind, meaning that patients, clinicians, and outcome assessors do not know which fluid is being used. An independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board will oversee patient safety during the study. The findings of this trial are expected to provide important evidence to guide perioperative fluid resuscitation strategies for septic patients undergoing emergency surgery.

Dynamics of Organ Damage and Immune Exhaustion During Sepsis

This is a prospective, non-randomized study investigating if organ damage and immune changes can be measured by liquid biopsy NGS through advanced analytical methods.

Assessing Immune Dysfunction in Sepsis

Sepsis leads to sustained immune system dysfunction resulting in increased susceptibility to secondary infection while in the hospital or after discharge. Consequently, many of the \~2 million Americans that develop sepsis every year will end up back in the ICU, weeks and months later. The objective of this study is to define the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving the dysfunction and reprogramming of T cells and B cells that mediate cellular and humoral immunity using a combination of phenotypic, functional, genomic, and metabolomic assays.

Sepsis: From Syndrome to Personalized Care

This is a prospective, observational study designed to examine the performance of biomarkers, molecular biological methods and other analysis in blood from patient with suspected sepsis in the Emergency department, as well as identidying novel sepsis endotypes. Around 1500 patients will be enrolled.

Modified Shock Index

The Emergence of Modified Shock Index (MSI) To further enhance the assessment of hemodynamic stability, the modified shock index (MSI) was developed. The MSI is defined as the ratio of heart rate to mean arterial pressure (MAP) This index takes into account the effect of diastolic blood pressure by replacing SBP with MAP in the calculation . The modified shock index has proven to be a superior predictor of mortality compared to traditional SI . It outperforms heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and SI as individual predictors

Sepsis in the ICU-II

Sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction (SIMD) is a well-known phenomenon yet its diagnosis remains elusive with no accepted definition, or defining pathophysiological mechanism associated with this disease. Systolic dysfunction occurs in 20-70% of patients, and may be severe, yet does not appear to have any prognostic value for mortality. Diastolic function has also been variably described and seems to be related to short-term mortality. However, the contribution of left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction to mortality in sepsis are still far from clear, with uncertain contribution from previous cardiovascular disease, vasopressor and inotropic drugs and mechanical ventilation. Another poorly investigated area is right ventricular dysfunction. Cor pulmonale occurs in up to 25% of patients with septic shock, and is invariably related to pulmonary haemodynamics and mechanical ventilation, yet very little is known about how this affects prognosis. Finally, although the outcome of disease is a function of multiple parameters, septic cardiomyopathy is most frequently characterized based on individual echocardiographic parameters, without considering their interactions or placing them in the context of biomarkers and clinically available haemodynamic data. Available relevant studies are often monocentric, and many fail to consider the various confounders that influence the clinical outcome in sepsis. Therefore, the diagnostic and prognostic value of combinations of clinical, biochemical and haemodynamic variables remains to be established. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to identify biomarkers and echocardiographic and haemodynamic signatures characteristic of specific outcomes in SIMD to support the diagnosis and prognosis in SIMD. Specific aims are: 1. To determine the association between left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction, and adverse outcome in SIMD; 2. To determine the association between right ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction, and adverse outcome in SIMD; 3. To determine the association between novel biomarkers and adverse outcome in SIMD; 4. To determine the combined value of biomarker, echocardiographic, and haemodynamic variables for predicting adverse outcomes in SIMD; 5. To explore if there are different phenotypes of SIMD using unsupervised machine learning algorithms, and whether they are associated with adverse outcomes. 50 patients will be enrolled in a feasibility study to evaluate the logistical setup for acute echocardiography and biobanking facilities. A further 280 patients will be enrolled with inclusion from peripheral centers once feasibility is confirmed. Note 15 Mar 2026: typing mistake noted in prior text, the sample size was originally for 330 patients (i.e. 50 + 280), not 350 (50 + 300) patients.

Expression Profiles of Integrin αDβ2 on Neutrophils in Sepsis

In this research study we want to learn more about the characteristics of neutrophils that are present in the blood and secretions from a breathing tube of patients with sepsis. Sepsis is a severe type of infection, affecting various parts of the body. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that are part of the body's immune system. Even though neutrophils are important in getting rid of germs, they also may be harmful to parts of the body by causing injury in the lungs in patients with sepsis. Neutrophils can change their character in sepsis. Because of this, it is important for doctors to know what kind of neutrophils are in the blood and secretions from the breathing tube of patients with sepsis so that they can work to develop therapies to prevent these cells from being harmful.

Aminoglycosides in Early Sepsis

Norwegian guidelines for empirical antibiotic therapy in suspected community acquired sepsis recommend the combination of narrow spectrum betalactam and aminoglycoside as the first choice, but broad spectrum betalactams are considered equally appropriate, effective, and safe. However, fear of renal complications due to gentamicin and concern for lacking evidence for efficiency commonly leads to the use of broad spectrum betalactam therapy, a larger driver of antibiotic resistance. In patients with suspected community acquired sepsis, the investigators hypothesize that empirical combination therapy with narrow spectrum betalactams and aminoglycosides is safe and non-inferior to empirical therapy with broad spectrum betalactams. More specifically, the investigators hypothesize that the proportion of patients with acute kidney injury or death will be similar between these two treatment groups. Furthermore, the investigators hypothesize that the aminoglycoside-based regimen has lesser impact on the gut microbiome. Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most urgent health threats of our time, and Norwegian hospitals were required but failed to reduce the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics with 30% by the end of 2020. In this context, novel initiatives aiming at reducing use of antibiotics are direly needed.

Clinical Features and Outcomes of CBP Versus Non-CBP in Septic Children

The effect of continuous blood purification (CBP) in children is unclear. Also, the timing of early application is still being explored. In this study, we need to explore the efficacy and the timing of application of CBP in children with sepsis or septic shock.

PK/PD of Ceftazidime Avitbatan Sodium in Children With Severe Infection

Ceftazidime avitbatan sodium is a broad-spectrum antibiotic with an antimicrobial spectrum covering resistant gram-negative bacteria. Its use in pediatric intensive care for severe infections is not unusual. Pathophysiological changes in severe sepsis can lead to significant changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics during continuous renal replacement therapy.This research aims to study change of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic in severe infection children with extracorporeal life support, thus improve the treatment of severe sepsis and sepsis shock.

MULTIMODAL APPROACH IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF SEPTIC AKI

In recent studies, it has been reported that the renal resistance index is effective in detecting sepsis-related acute renal failure (SA-AKI) in the early period. Similarly, urinary biomarkers \[TIMP-2\]\*\[IGFBP-7\], released in response to tubular epithelial cell stress, have been reported to indicate the presence of acute renal injury (AKI) early on, before functional loss occurs (increased creatinine). This observational study aims to evaluate the renal resistance index and urinary biomarker variation in patients diagnosed with sepsis and to investigate their usefulness in the early detection of renal dysfunction that may develop after sepsis.

Early Dexmedetomidine and Sympathetic Regulation in Sepsis

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether early administration of dexmedetomidine can improve autonomic nervous system regulation and clinical outcomes in adult patients with septic shock. It will also evaluate the safety of dexmedetomidine in this population. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does early dexmedetomidine improve sympathetic nervous system activity, as measured by heart rate variability (HRV) and blood pressure variability (BPV)? Does dexmedetomidine reduce endogenous catecholamine levels and vasopressor requirements? Does early autonomic modulation improve organ function and survival outcomes in septic shock? Researchers will compare dexmedetomidine to a placebo (normal saline) to determine whether dexmedetomidine improves hemodynamic stability and prognosis in patients with septic shock. Participants will: Be randomly assigned to receive dexmedetomidine (0.5 μg/kg/h) or placebo by continuous intravenous infusion for 48 hours Undergo continuous ECG and invasive blood pressure monitoring Have blood samples collected at predefined time points to measure inflammatory markers and endogenous catecholamine levels Be assessed for organ function, vasopressor use, and perfusion parameters during the first 48 hours Be followed up for 28-day and 90-day survival outcomes