SPECS: Safe Pediatric Euglycemia in Cardiac Surgery (SPECS)

July 21, 2022 updated by: Michael Agus, Boston Children's Hospital

Maintaining Normal Blood Sugar Levels in Children Undergoing Heart Surgery to Reduce the Risk of Infections and Improve Recovery (The SPECS Study)

Critically ill children, including children undergoing heart surgery, commonly develop elevated blood glucose (also known as "blood sugar") levels during their illness, which can lead to poor health outcomes and an increased risk of death. This study will examine the effectiveness of maintaining normal blood glucose levels at decreasing infections and improving recovery in young children undergoing heart surgery.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Children undergoing heart surgery are under significant bodily stress, which can lead to higher than normal or lower than normal blood glucose levels. A synthetic form of insulin, a naturally occurring hormone in the body, can be injected into people to normalize blood glucose levels. Insulin is most commonly used to treat people with diabetes, but it is also used in hospitals to control blood glucose levels in patients. Previous studies of adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients have shown that patients whose blood sugar levels are maintained at normal levels with the use of insulin contract fewer infections and are released more quickly from the ICU than patients who do not maintain normal blood glucose levels. This study will use a continuous blood glucose monitoring system to detect changes in blood glucose levels. Intravenous insulin infusions will be used to then safely maintain normal blood glucose levels. The purpose of this study is to determine if maintaining normal blood glucose levels during an ICU stay will help decrease the incidence of infections and improve surgical recovery in young children following heart surgery.

This study will enroll children who are undergoing heart surgery that requires a cardiopulmonary bypass procedure. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a control group or the treatment group. All participants will receive usual care while in the ICU and will undergo continuous glucose monitoring. Participants in the treatment group will receive intravenous insulin infusions to keep their blood glucose within the normal range. While in the ICU, blood will be collected from all participants once a day for the first 3 days and then once a week to monitor glucose levels, hormone levels, and measurements of nutrition and immune function. On days 1 and 5 following surgery, participants who are on a ventilator will have their breath measured to monitor heart function and energy use. Thirty days and 1 year following surgery, study researchers will contact the participant's parent or doctor to collect information on health status and any new infections at the surgical site. Children who enroll in the study will be asked to participate in follow-up neurodevelopmental evaluations at 1 and 3 years of age to assess longer term cognitive effects of tight glycemic control in the ICU.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

989

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
        • Children's Hospital Boston
    • Michigan
      • Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48109
        • C.S. Mott Children's Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

No older than 3 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Undergoing heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass
  • Recovering in the Cardiac ICU

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Enrolled in another interventional clinical trial with related study outcomes

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Insulin
Insulin was infused to target a blood glucose concentration of 80-110 mg/dL
Drug: Insulin
Study drug is continuously infused intravenous insulin. Suggested dose is calculated by a computerized infusion algorithm using the participant's blood sugar concentration. The insulin infusion rate is titrated to maintain normal blood sugar. Participants are eligible to receive insulin while they have an in-dwelling arterial catheter.
Other Names:
  • Novolin R
  • Humulin R
  • Human regular insulin
Active Comparator: Usual Care
Insulin was infused according to the discretion of the treating clinical team.
Other: Usual Care
Participants receive standard Cardiac ICU care without tight blood glucose control.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of Nosocomial Infections in the Cardiac ICU
Time Frame: Measured during participant's ICU stay, a median duration of 3 days.
Nosocomial infections that are attributable to the subject's stay in the Cardiac ICU, according to Center for Disease Control-defined criteria. These definitions are extensive and cannot be accurately condensed to fit within this space. Current CDC/NHSN criteria may be accessed through this URL: https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/pdfs/pscmanual/17pscnosinfdef_current.pdf.
Measured during participant's ICU stay, a median duration of 3 days.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cardiac Index (CI)
Time Frame: Day 2 (day after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery).
Cardiac index is a measure of cardiac function, relating the cardiac output from the left ventricle in one minute to body surface area. It is calculated using the Fick principle, using oxygen consumption measured with a metabolic cart, hemoglobin levels, and the difference between arterial and superior vena cava oxygen saturation measured by co-oximetry.
Day 2 (day after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery).
Duration of ICU Stay
Time Frame: The duration of cardiac ICU stay was evaluated from the date of postoperative cardiac ICU admission until the date of cardiac ICU discharge or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 30 days.
Duration of ICU stay spans from post-operative cardiac ICU admission to cardiac ICU discharge.
The duration of cardiac ICU stay was evaluated from the date of postoperative cardiac ICU admission until the date of cardiac ICU discharge or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 30 days.
Duration of Hospital Stay
Time Frame: The duration of hospital stay was evaluated from the day of postoperative cardiac ICU admission until the day of hospital discharge or day of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 30 days.
Duration of hospital stay spans from post-operative cardiac ICU admission to hospital discharge.
The duration of hospital stay was evaluated from the day of postoperative cardiac ICU admission until the day of hospital discharge or day of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 30 days.
Duration of Endotracheal Intubation
Time Frame: The duration of endotracheal intubation (mechanical ventilation) was evaluated from the day of postoperative cardiac ICU admission until the day of extubation or day of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 30 days.
Duration of endotracheal intubation spans from endotracheal tube intubation/initiation of mechanical ventilation to endotracheal tube extubation.
The duration of endotracheal intubation (mechanical ventilation) was evaluated from the day of postoperative cardiac ICU admission until the day of extubation or day of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 30 days.
Mortality at Hospital Discharge.
Time Frame: Mortality at hospital discharge (In-hospital mortality) was evaluated on the day of hospital discharge or day of death from any cause, whichever came first (no upper limit).
Mortality is assessed at hospital discharge and at 30 days.
Mortality at hospital discharge (In-hospital mortality) was evaluated on the day of hospital discharge or day of death from any cause, whichever came first (no upper limit).
Mortality at 30 Days.
Time Frame: Measured at 30 days.
Mortality is assessed at hospital discharge and at 30 days. If the participant is discharged from the hospital prior to 30 days, status is determined by a follow-up phone call to the family.
Measured at 30 days.
Cardiac Function
Time Frame: The duration of vasoactive support was evaluated from the day of postoperative cardiac ICU admission until the last day of vasoactive support or day of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 30 days.
Cardiac function is assessed by duration of vasoactive support.
The duration of vasoactive support was evaluated from the day of postoperative cardiac ICU admission until the last day of vasoactive support or day of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 30 days.
Immune Function
Time Frame: Post-operative day 7.
Immune function is assessed by C-reactive protein (CRP) on post-operative day 7.
Post-operative day 7.
Endocrine Function
Time Frame: Measured during participant's ICU stay on Day 7.
Endocrine function is assessed by total triiodothyronine (T3) on post-operative day 7.
Measured during participant's ICU stay on Day 7.
Nutritional Status
Time Frame: The percentage of total caloric intake was evaluated from the day of postoperative cardiac ICU admission until the last day of the critical illness period, as defined by the presence of the arterial catheter, assessed up to 30 days.
Nutritional status assessed by percentage of total caloric intake as enteral nutrition during critical illness period.
The percentage of total caloric intake was evaluated from the day of postoperative cardiac ICU admission until the last day of the critical illness period, as defined by the presence of the arterial catheter, assessed up to 30 days.
Neurodevelopmental Evaluation, Cognitive
Time Frame: Measured at one year of age.

Neurodevelopmental follow-up includes in-person testing using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III), measured at one year of age.

  • Bayley-III cognitive composite score ranges from 55-145, Bayley-III language composite score ranges from 47-153, and Bayley-III motor composite score ranges from 46-154.
  • Higher values indicate better neurodevelopmental outcomes.
  • These three composite scores cannot be combined and are presented as separate scores in the literature.
Measured at one year of age.
Neurodevelopmental Evaluation, Language
Time Frame: Measured at one year of age.

Neurodevelopmental follow-up includes in-person testing using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III), measured at one year of age.

  • Bayley-III cognitive composite score ranges from 55-145, Bayley-III language composite score ranges from 47-153, and Bayley-III motor composite score ranges from 46-154.
  • Higher values indicate better neurodevelopmental outcomes.
  • These three composite scores cannot be combined and are presented as separate scores in the literature.
Measured at one year of age.
Neurodevelopmental Evaluation, Motor
Time Frame: Measured at one year of age.

Neurodevelopmental follow-up includes in-person testing using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III), measured at one year of age.

  • Bayley-III cognitive composite score ranges from 55-145, Bayley-III language composite score ranges from 47-153, and Bayley-III motor composite score ranges from 46-154.
  • Higher values indicate better neurodevelopmental outcomes.
  • These three composite scores cannot be combined and are presented as separate scores in the literature.
Measured at one year of age.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Boston Children's Hospital

Collaborators

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Michael Agus, MD, Boston Children's Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

November 1, 2006

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2012

Study Completion (Actual)

January 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 5, 2007

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 5, 2007

First Posted (Estimate)

March 6, 2007

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 25, 2022

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 21, 2022

Last Verified

July 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 512
  • 5R01HL088448-05 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Will share with investigators based upon specific requests

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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