Clinical Research Directory

Comparison of Manual PAOP and Automatic PAOP (Smart Wedge)

The pulmonary artery catheter (Swan-Ganz) is a standard tool in intensive care for measuring and monitoring the pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP). The Swan-Ganz IQ™ model also allows automatic measurement to reduce the risk of error (Smart Wedge). However, the concordance between this automatic method and the manual method remains poorly studied in real clinical conditions and may vary depending on certain clinical situations. This study therefore aims to compare the PAOP automatically measured (Smart Wedge) with the manual PAOP measurement at bedside based on data collected in clinical practice.

Septic Shock-induced Immunosuppression

Septic syndromes are a major although largely under-recognized health care problem and represent the first cause of mortality in intensive care units (ICU). While it has long been known that sepsis deeply perturbs immune homeostasis by inducing a tremendous systemic inflammatory response, novel findings indicate that sepsis indeed initiates a more complex immune response that varies over time, with the concomitant occurrence of both pro- and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. As a resultant, after a short pro-inflammatory phase, septic patients enter a stage of protracted immunosuppression. This is illustrated in those patients by reactivation of dormant viruses (cytomegalovirus (CMV) or Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)) or infections due to pathogens, including fungi, which are normally pathogenic solely in immunocompromised hosts. These alterations might be directly responsible for worsening outcome in patients who survived initial resuscitation as nearly all immune functions are deeply compromised. New promising therapeutic strategies are currently emerging from those recent findings such as adjunctive immunostimulation for the most immunosuppressed patients. The prerequisite for immunostimulation administration (Interferon gama (IFNg), Granulocyte Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF), interleukin 7 (IL-7)) however relies on clinicians' capacity to identify patients who could benefit the most from these immunoadjuvant therapies, as there is no clinical sign of immune dysfunctions. In this context, the main objectives of IMMUNOSEPSIS 4 study are: 1. to identify the best biomarkers for sepsis-induced immunosuppression 2. to evaluate ex vivo candidate treatments which could rejuvenate immune functions after septic shock

Continuous Infusion Versus Intermittent Bolus Hydrocortisone in Septic Shock

Septic shock is a life-threatening condition in which infection causes dangerously low blood pressure and organ dysfunction despite fluid resuscitation and vasopressor treatment. Hydrocortisone is commonly used in patients with septic shock who continue to require vasopressors. However, it is uncertain whether hydrocortisone should be administered as a continuous intravenous infusion or as intermittent intravenous bolus doses. This randomized controlled trial evaluates whether continuous intravenous hydrocortisone infusion improves clinical outcomes compared with intermittent intravenous hydrocortisone boluses in adult patients with septic shock. Participants receive either hydrocortisone 200 mg/day by continuous infusion or hydrocortisone 50 mg intravenously every 6 hours, in addition to standard septic shock management. The study evaluates 28-day mortality, recovery from shock, duration of vasopressor therapy, mechanical ventilation duration, intensive care unit stay, hospital stay, inflammatory markers, and organ dysfunction scores.

Association Between Muscle L3 CT Scan Muscle Derived Parameters of Muscle Function Upon Intensive Care Unit Admission and 3 Months Mortality After ICU Discharge for Patients Admitted for Septic Shock. The SIMS Study

Muscle dysfunction in intensive care units is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. During septic shock, there is an increased catabolism and systemic inflammation resulting in quantitative and qualitative muscle impairment. In the intensive care setting, quantitative and qualitative assessment of muscle function is challenging due to critical care environments (general anesthesia, altered consciousness, etc.). CT scan measurement at the 3rd lumbar level has been proposed to evaluate muscle function. Recent retrospective studies have highlighted increased mortality among patients with muscle mass impairment and/or decreased muscle density.

Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Propofol-Ketamine Combination Versus Propofol Monotherapy in Geriatric Patients Under Invasive Ventilation

The study is a prospective randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy and safety of propofol-ketamine ("Ketofol") versus propofol monotherapy in geriatric ICU patients. Eligible participants are critically ill elderly patients with a history of cardiac disease who require endotracheal intubation and have not yet received sedation. The investigators focus on a specific population in which geriatric patients have different pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and are more prone to side effects than other populations. Primary outcome: Incidence of hemodynamic instability (defined as hypotension requiring vasopressors), measured by mean arterial pressure (MAP) at baseline, during intubation, and post-intubation at 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 minutes, then hourly for 24 hours.

BioMArkeRs of INflammation, Infection, and Immunity in the Critical Area (MARINA): the Use of Inflammatory and Immunity Biomarkers as Early Predictors of Clinical Severity, Organ Damage, Response to Treatment, and Infectious Complications in Patients Admitted to the Critical Care Area.

The MARINA study (bioMARkers of INflammation, infection, and immunity in critical cAre) is a multicenter, prospective and retrospective observational cohort study designed to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic role of inflammatory and immune biomarkers in critically ill patients. The study enrolls adult patients (≥18 years) admitted to intensive care or step-down units who present with signs or symptoms of active infection, including sepsis and septic shock. Three main patient populations are targeted: (1) patients with suspected or confirmed infection (community- or hospital-acquired); (2) patients undergoing high-risk major surgery (cardiac, thoracic, or abdominal) under general anesthesia; and (3) immunocompromised patients (solid organ transplant, HSCT, bone marrow transplant, CAR-T cell therapy, or other severe immunosuppression). Serial measurements of established and emerging biomarkers - including procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, MR-proadrenomedullina, copeptin, ferritin, interleukin-6, troponin, D-dimer, lactate, lymphocyte subpopulations, and immunoglobulins - are collected at predefined time points (T1: within 24 hours; T2: within 72 hours; T7: at day 7 of ICU admission) and integrated with clinical data on a dedicated electronic platform. The primary endpoint is 28-day mortality. Secondary endpoints include assessment of organ damage, clinical severity, response to treatment, infectious complications (including VAP and bacteremia), superinfections (bacterial, viral, fungal), ICU and hospital length of stay, and the ability of biomarkers to guide antimicrobial de-escalation. Long-term survival at 90 and 180 days is also assessed. A minimum sample size of 200 patients (prospective phase) is planned across participating centers in Italy and Spain. The study duration is four years from ethical approval.

Hemoadsorpion in Patients With Septic Shock: Efficacy and Safety Evaluation

Hemoadsorpion in Patients With Septic Shock: Efficacy and Safety Evaluation. A Pilot Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. The goal of this clinical trial is the estimation of the efficacy and safety of hemoadsorption procedures (LPS (Lipopolysaccharide) and inflammatory mediators adsorption) in participants with septic shock. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does hemoadsorption decrease the severity of MODS (multiple organ disfunction syndrome)? The study will include participants aged 18 to 80 years with a verified diagnosis of septic shock according to SEPSIS 3 criteria, diagnosed within 12 hours, and a SOFA (sequential organ failure assessment) score of 9 or more. In addition to Standard of Care (SOC), blood purification, including hemoadsorption, will be used. The minimum waiting time after diagnosis of septic shock and initiation of basic therapy before inclusion of the patient in the study therapy is 4 hours. The choice of procedure will be based on the EAA (Endotoxin Activity Assay) result: * for an EAA level of 0.6-0.9, selective lipopolysaccharide (LPS) adsorption with duration from 2 to 10 hours; * for an EAA level less than 0.6, inflammatory mediator adsorption with duration from 6 to 12 hours. The choice of a specific adsorbers within the LPS and inflammatory mediator adsorption group will be based on randomization. The use of LPS adsorption is planned based on randomization: Toramyxin R-20 or Efferon LPS. The use of inflammatory mediator adsorption is planned based on randomization: Jafron (HA 330) or CytoSorb.

Serum Biomarkers to Predict Response to Angiotensin II in Septic Shock

This trial will be a randomized controlled single-center pilot trial comparing the use of angiotensin II versus standard-of-care (SOC) vasopressor therapy in adult patients with persistent vasodilatory shock despite moderate-dose norepinephrine, with a primary outcome of the ability of novel biomarkers (renin and DPP3) to predict blood pressure response to angiotensin II. Given our angiotensin II will be compared to SOC, this will be an unblinded study.

Outcome of Using Hydrocortisone in Early Treatment of Pediatric Septic Shock

Although, hydrocortisone has shown promise in managing refractory shock, its role in early septic shock management remains unclear. This study aims to provide robust evidence on the clinical and hemodynamic outcomes of early hydrocortisone use in pediatric septic shock, contributing to standardized treatment protocols and improved survival rates.

TIMP2*IGFBP7 and Transient AKI

Patients with septic shock in the intensive care unit have a high risk to develop acute kidney injury (AKI) and AKI is an independent risk factor of mortality. Given the absence of validated pharmacological treatments for limiting the progression of AKI or for accelerating recovery from AKI, early intervention and the restoration of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in this context of septic shock might improve the patients' prognosis. One major challenge is to determine whether or not the AKI is reversible (return to normal function KDIGO 0 within 72 hours). In this retrospective study the investigators will analyze all patients admitted for a septic shock in three French ICUs between the 1st january 2014 and 01st January 2017 who developed an AKI (KDIGO ≥1) at admission and who had a determination of the urine concentration of TIMP2\*IGFBP7 at admission. The investigators will determine the best threshold of TIMP2\*IGFBP7 to distinguish the population of patients who will return to normal kidney function within 72 hours (KDIGO 0).

Simplified Assessment of Left Ventricular Systolic Function in Septic Shock Patients

The assessment of left ventricular systolic function is based on the measurement of left ventricular ejection function (LVEF) by the Simpson biplane method. More recently, left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) has been developed to detect abnormalities of cardiac contractility in patients with preserved myocardial contractility. However, both tools are not always easy to collect in practice. This is why other ultrasound parameters have been proposed in the literature as a substitute for LVEF and GLS such as the Doppler tissue imaging (DTI)-derived mitral annular systolic peak S-wave velocity (S'), the mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE) and the longitudinal wall fractional shortening index (LWFS). The purpose of this project is to propose an algorithm using simple parameters (S' wave, lateral MAPSE, septal MAPSE, mean MAPSE and LWFS) to predict LVEF and GLS in order to diagnose patients with impaired systolic function and preserved ejection.

Myeloid Bias in the Bone Marrow of Septic Patients and Its Correlation With Disease Severity and Prognosis: A Single-Center, Prospective Cohort Study

Sepsis remains a leading cause of critical illness worldwide, yet the underlying mechanisms driving its profound and persistent immune dysfunction are incompletely understood. The bone marrow, as the birthplace of all immune cells, plays a central role in orchestrating systemic immune responses. Emerging evidence from animal models suggests that sepsis triggers emergency myeloid-biased hematopoiesis in the bone marrow, characterized by expansion of myeloid progenitors and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) at the expense of lymphoid and erythroid lineages. This bone marrow remodeling precedes peripheral immune alterations and may represent the initiating event of sepsis-induced immunosuppression. However, direct clinical evidence in humans is scarce. This prospective, single-center cohort study aims to systematically characterize bone marrow hematopoietic remodeling in patients with septic shock, compared to critically ill non-septic patients and healthy volunteers, and to determine whether the degree of myeloid lineage bias correlates with disease severity, immunosuppression, and adverse clinical outcomes. This study will enroll three cohorts. Bone marrow aspirates and peripheral blood samples will be collected at 48-72 hours post-enrollment for flow cytometric immunophenotyping of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, MDSC subsets, and PD-L1 expression, as well as cytokine profiling and exploratory single-cell transcriptomics. Rectal swabs will be collected synchronously for 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics to investigate the association between gut microbiota, microbial metabolites, and bone marrow myeloid skewing, testing the gut-bone marrow-immune axis hypothesis. Clinical severity (SOFA/APACHE II), secondary infections, and 90-day mortality will be assessed to evaluate prognostic value. By integrating bone marrow hematopoiesis, gut microbiome, and clinical outcomes, this study seeks to provide novel mechanistic insights into sepsis-induced immunoparalysis and identify potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets for immune restoration.

Occult Vasoplegia in Normotensive Sepsis: Early Prediction With Diastolic Index and Lactate

The goal of this observational study is to learn if the Diastolic Shock Index (DSI) and initial lactate can predict occult vasoplegia in adults with normotensive sepsis. Normotensive sepsis occurs in patients who have an apparently normal mean arterial pressure but may have impaired vascular tone. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Can an elevated DSI at admission predict the initiation of vasopressors (norepinephrine) within the first 6 hours of intensive care unit stay? * How does the combination of initial DSI and lactate perform compared to each marker alone in predicting hemodynamic deterioration? Researchers will compare patients with an elevated DSI to those with a normal DSI to see if this index identifies those who will progress to circulatory shock.Since this is a retrospective cohort study using existing medical records, participants will not be asked to perform any tasks. Researchers will analyze anonymized data, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and lactate levels already recorded in the institutional database.

Effects of Anisodamine on Sublingual Microcirculation and Vascular Waterfall Phenomenon in Patients With Septic Shock

This prospective, multicenter, single-arm, open-label interventional pilot study aims to evaluate the short-term physiological effects of intravenous anisodamine on sublingual microcirculation and vascular-waterfall parameters in adult patients with septic shock. Eligible patients will have septic shock according to Sepsis-3 criteria, will require norepinephrine support after adequate fluid resuscitation, and will be receiving invasive mechanical ventilation and PiCCO-based hemodynamic monitoring. After baseline assessment, participants will receive intravenous anisodamine according to the study protocol. Anisodamine will be administered as a loading dose of 0.5 mg/kg within 3 minutes, with a minimum dose of 20 mg and a maximum dose of 40 mg, followed by continuous infusion at 0.02-0.1 mg/kg/hour, with a maximum total daily dose of 200 mg. Sublingual microcirculatory variables, including microvascular flow index, perfused vessel density, proportion of perfused vessels, and heterogeneity index, as well as vascular-waterfall parameters, including estimated critical closing pressure, estimated mean systemic filling pressure, and the Pcc-Pmsf gradient, will be measured at baseline, 3 hours, and 6 hours after initiation of anisodamine. Systemic hemodynamic, perfusion, vasopressor, PiCCO-derived variables, and safety outcomes will also be collected. The primary objective is to characterize immediate changes in sublingual microcirculation and vascular-waterfall physiology after anisodamine administration and to provide preliminary data for future controlled studies.

Veno-arterial Carbon Dioxide Partial Pressure Difference (CO2gap) for Early Resuscitation of Septic Shock

Sepsis is a dysregulated host response to infection that leads to life-threatening organ dysfunction and represents a major healthcare problem. Septic shock is the most severe form, characterized by increased capillary permeability and vasodilation, resulting in hypotension and tissue hypoxia. Early identification and treatment of tissue hypoperfusion are pivotal components of initial resuscitation to limit progression to multiple organ dysfunction and death. The 2021 Surviving Sepsis Guidelines recommend guiding initial resuscitation by targeting decreases in serum lactate levels in patients with elevated lactate. However, although elevated lactate levels may reflect tissue hypoxia, serum lactate is not a direct marker of tissue perfusion. Hyperlactatemia may be attributable to mechanisms other than tissue hypoperfusion, such as accelerated aerobic glycolysis driven by excessive β-adrenergic stimulation or impaired clearance (e.g., in liver failure). The venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure difference (CO₂ gap), which is inversely related to cardiac output, has been shown to reflect the adequacy of venous blood flow to remove CO₂ from tissues. The CO₂ gap is closely linked to microcirculatory blood flow during the early resuscitation phase of septic shock and may effectively identify persistent tissue hypoperfusion in shock states. A persistently high CO₂ gap during early resuscitation has been associated with significantly higher 28-day mortality and increased Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores. Moreover, the CO₂ gap has been shown to respond to changes in cardiac output during inotrope infusion in patients with low blood flow, suggesting that its assessment could be useful for therapeutic adjustments. Therefore, there are compelling arguments to evaluate the usefulness of the CO₂ gap in guiding early resuscitation in patients with septic shock. The investigators postulated that CO₂ gap-guided early resuscitation may be more effective in improving outcomes than lactate-guided resuscitation.

Prospective, Randomized Trial of Personalized Medicine With Pentaglobin® After Surgical Infectious Source Control in Patients With Peritonitis

The aim of this prospective, randomized, controlled trial is to provide evidence for adjuvant IgGAM treatment with regard to 1. Improvement of patient outcomes for peritonitis. Improvement in outcome will be determined by scores such as MOF, SOFA and survival. 2. Identification of biomarkers (including immunoglobulin levels, HLA-DR, NF-kB1 and other immunological biomarkers) to identify patient subpopulations that benefit most from IgGAM treatment. These patients will form the basis for a further randomized, controlled, double-blind Phase III trial (RCT) to demonstrate the benefit of this treatment. 3. In addition, these biomarkers could help to guide a targeted, i.e. "personalized", adjuvant therapy with Pentaglobin® (IgGAM) in the indication of peritonitis.

Safety and Feasibility of Metformin for Sepsis Induced AKI

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an independent risk factor for death that affects 10-15% of hospitalized patients and more than 50% of patients admitted to the intensive care unit. Sepsis is the most frequent cause of AKI, affecting 48 million people worldwide every year, and accounting for approximately 11 million of annual global deaths. Despite these figures, there are no known therapies to prevent or reverse septic AKI; hence this study aims to establish the safety and feasibility of the implementation of metformin in the treatment of AKI in patients with sepsis. This study is the first critical step to inform the design of a future, full-scale efficacy randomized clinical trial.

EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF SEPTIC DIC

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation is a severe complication of septic shock, associated with high mortality, whose diagnosis relies on complex scores that are rarely used in practice. Preliminary studies have shown that increased neutrophil fluorescence is associated with Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation and could reflect NETosis, a key mechanism of immunothrombosis. This study aims to validate neutrophil fluorescence measured on the SthemA 801 analyzer, alone or integrated into an artificial intelligence model, as an early, reliable, and routinely usable biomarker for the diagnosis of septic Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation.

Mechanistic Assessment of Norepinephrine Therapy vs. Angiotensin-II in Septic Shock

Despite best therapy efforts, sepsis and septic shock are associated with mortality rates of up to 40%. This clinical trial will determine the benefit of exogenous Angiotensin II versus norepinephrine (conventional care) treatment in septic shock patients. This trial will determine whether there are better predictors of septic shock severity. This approach may inform more appropriate treatment regimens and improve outcomes for these patients.

Adjunctive Fludrocortisone in Septic Shock

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by the body's dysregulated response to an infection. While corticosteroids are known to help stabilize blood pressure in septic shock, their ability to reduce mortality is still debated. Recent analyses suggest that combining fludrocortisone with hydrocortisone may be more effective at saving lives than hydrocortisone alone. To test this hypothesis, a large, definitive international trial is needed. However, this research proposal is for a smaller pilot study (Phase II) involving 32 critically ill patients. The primary goal of this pilot is to determine the feasibility of conducting the subsequent large-scale trial that would compare hydrocortisone alone against the combination therapy and potentially change medical practice.

Adaptive Blood Purification for the Treatment of Patients With Septic Shock

There is a lack of evidence in the efficacy of extracorporeal blood purification (EBP) to reduce the mortality rate in septic shock. We have designed the EABPSS (Efficacy of Adaptive Blood Purification for Septic Shock) study to confirm whether adaptive blood purification (ABP) intervention could confer a clinical benefit. In this multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial, We are recruiting a total of 276 patients with septic shock. Eligible patients who provide informed consent will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the control group or the intervention group. Patients in the control group will receive standard care according to the Surviving Sepsis Guidelines. Patients in the intervention group will receive two 6-hour sessions of ABP treatment within 24 hours of enrollment, based on standard care. ABP is a novel, adaptive EBP strategy proposed by our research team, specifically, for patients with septic shock do not require renal replacement therapy (RRT), plasma filtration-adsorption (PFAD) will be used alone, and for patients with septic shock and acute kidney injury meeting RRT indications, a combination of PFAD-RRT will be employed. The primary endpoint of this study is all-cause mortality at 90 days after enrollment. Secondary endpoints of the study include the declining proportion of serum cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and HMGB1 within 24 hours after enrollment. Additionally, the study will evaluate the improvement of Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score on day 7 post-enrollment, as well as the 30-day mortality rate.

A Trial of Vitamin B12 in Septic Shock

This study will randomize 20 septic shock patients to receive either a single 5 gram dose of IV vitamin B12 (Cyanokit® Meridian Medical Technologies, Columbia, MD) versus placebo in addition to standard of care to test the feasibility of completing clinical and laboratory protocols.

GM-CSF to Decrease ICU Acquired Infections

The concept of acquired immunodeficiency after a first severe infection in the ICU is widely described in the literature. There is a dual risk: increased mortality and increased secondary infections. Several approaches of immunostimulatory treatments have been proposed in the literature. The treatment proposed by this study consists of the administration of Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), colony stimulating factor widely used particularly in the USA where it is marketed. A phase 2 clinical trial was conducted in Germany in 2009. The main objective is to measure the incidence of ICU-acquired infections in 2 groups of patients treated by GM-CSF or placebo. ICU patients at risk are defined as surviving at D3 from a severe sepsis or septic shock and presenting a sepsis associated immunodepression. The detection of immunosuppressed patients will be achieved by measuring the HLA-DR (Human Leucocyte Antigen DR)with a threshold of less to 8000 sites. Our hypothesis is that the number of secondary infections (primary endpoint) will be significantly reduced in the treated group.

Cerebral Hemodynamics and Oxygenation in Critically Ill Patients

Critically-ill patients frequently experience marked changes in mean arterial pressure and carbon dioxide partial arterial pressure, the two major determinants of the cerebral blood flow. In addition, many therapeutics (fluids, vasopressors or inotropes administration, blood transfusion, prone positioning...) can influence these two determinants of cerebral blood flow and thus cerebral blood flow, especially in patients with altered cerebral autoregulation. Nevertheless, cerebral hemodynamics and oxygenation, as well as the effects of the different therapeutics on it have been poorly studied in critically-ill patients. In addition, it has been suggested that impaired cerebral blood flow and impaired cerebral microcirculation may be involved in the pathophysiology of septic encephalopathy in patients with sepsis and/or septic shock. In this study, we aimed to characterize and investigate the effects of different therapeutics on cerebral hemodynamics and oxygenation in critically-ill patients.