Efficacy of DEXamethasone in Patients With Acute Hypoxemic REspiratory Failure Caused by INfEctions (DEXA-REFINE)

February 16, 2024 updated by: Jesus Villar, Dr. Negrin University Hospital

Efficacy of Higher vs. Lower Doses of Dexamethasone in Patients With Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure (Including ARDS) Caused by Infections (Including COVID-19)

Background: There are no proven therapies specific for pulmonary dysfunction in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) caused by infections (including Covid-19). The full spectrum of AHRF ranges from mild respiratory tract illness to severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), multiorgan failure, and death. The efficacy of corticosteroids in AHRF and ARDS caused by infections remains controversial.

Methods: This is a multicenter, randomized, controlled, open-label clinical trial testing dexamethasone in mechanically ventilated adult patients with established AHRF (including ARDS) caused by confirmed pulmonary or systemic infections, admitted in a network of Spanish ICUs. Eligible patients will be randomly assigned to receive dexamethasone: either 6 mg/d x 10 days or 20 mg/d x 5 days followed by 10 mg/d x 5 days. The primary outcome is 60-day mortality. The secondary outcome is the number of ventilator-free days at 28 days. All analyses will be done according to the intention-to-treat principle.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF), and its more severe form termed the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), is a catastrophic illness of multifactorial etiology characterized by a severe inflammatory process of the lung leading to hypoxemic respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation (MV). Pulmonary infections are the leading causes of AHRF and ARDS. Translational research has established a strong association between dysregulated systemic and pulmonary inflammation and progression or delayed resolution of AHRF.2 Glucocorticoid receptor-mediated downregulation of systemic and pulmonary inflammation is essential to accelerate disease resolution and restore tissue homeostasis, and can be enhanced with glucocorticoid treatment.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a critical moment for the world, in which even industrially advanced countries have rapidly reached intensive care units (ICUs) saturation, and intensivists are forced to make difficult ethical decisions that are uncommon outside war zones. As with other bacterial or viral infections, severe pneumonia is the main condition leading to AHRF and ARDS requiring weeks of MV with high mortality (35-55%) in critically ill patients. There has been great interest in the role of corticosteroids to attenuate the pulmonary and systemic damage in ARDS patients because of their potent anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic properties.3 Corticosteroids have been off patent for greater than 20 years, they are cheap, and globally equitable. However, the efficacy of corticosteroids in AHRF (including ARDS) caused by infections remains controversial.

Only two large randomized clinical trials (RCT) have shown that the administration of dexamethasone is able to reduce mortality in patients with AHRF. Villar et al in Spain observed that moderate doses of dexamethasone (10-20 mg/d x 10 days) caused a 15% absolute reduction of 60-day mortality in patients with established moderate-to-severe ARDS from multiple etiologies. Horby et al in the RECOVERY trial in Great Britain reported that dexamethasone at low doses (6 mg/d x 10 days) reduced 28-day mortality in patients with AHRF caused by COVID-19. These findings confirmed that corticosteroid therapy is associated with a sizable reduction in duration of MV and hospital mortality. These two RCTs will change clinical practice for the management of AHRF and ARDS. However, there is a reasonable doubt whether dexamethasone at moderate doses (10-20 mg/d) would cause a greater reduction in mortality than 6 mg/d. Our goal in this study is to respond this question.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

980

Phase

  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

      • Albacete, Spain, 02006
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Albacete (ICU)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
      • Barcelona, Spain, 08036
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Clinic de Barcelona (AVI)
        • Contact:
      • Barcelona, Spain, 08036
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Clinic de Barcelona (Cardiac ICU)
        • Contact:
      • Barcelona, Spain, 08036
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Clínic (Hepatic ICU)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
      • Barcelona, Spain, 08036
        • Recruiting
        • Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (Anesthesia)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
      • Ciudad Real, Spain, 13005
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital General de Ciudad Real (ICU)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
      • Cuenca, Spain, 16002
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Virgen de la Luz (ICU)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
      • La Coruña, Spain, 15006
      • León, Spain, 24001
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Complejo Asistencial Universitario de León (ICU)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
      • Madrid, Spain, 28006
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Universitario La Princesa (ICU)
        • Contact:
      • Madrid, Spain, 28034
      • Madrid, Spain, 28040
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Clínico Universitario San Carlos (ICU)
        • Contact:
      • Madrid, Spain, 28040
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz (ICU)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
          • César Calvo, MD
          • Phone Number: +34618100522
          • Email: Cperez@fjd.es
      • Madrid, Spain, 28041
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre (ICU)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
          • MD
      • Madrid, Spain, 28046
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Universitario La Paz (Anesthesia)
        • Contact:
      • Madrid, Spain, 28046
        • Recruiting
        • Hospital Universitario La Paz (ICU)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
      • Murcia, Spain, 30120
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Universitario Virgen de Arrixaca (Anesthesia)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
      • Murcia, Spain, 30120
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Universitario Virgen de Arrixaca (ICU)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
      • Málaga, Spain, 29010
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Universitario Regional de Malaga Carlos Haya (ICU)
        • Contact:
      • Pamplona, Spain, 31008
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Clinica Universidad de Navarra
        • Contact:
      • Pontevedra, Spain, 36071
      • Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Spain, 38010
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria (ICU)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
      • Segovia, Spain, 40002
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital General de Segovia (ICU)
        • Contact:
      • Valencia, Spain, 46010
      • Valencia, Spain, 46010
        • Recruiting
        • Hospital Clinico Universitario de Valencia (ICU)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
      • Valladolid, Spain, 47003
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid (Anesthesia)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
      • Valladolid, Spain, 47012
      • Valladolid, Spain, 47012
      • Zamora, Spain, 49022
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Virgen de la Concha (ICU)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
    • Barcelona
      • Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain, 08221
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Universitario Mutua Terrassa (ICU)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
    • Ciudad Real
      • Alcazar de San Juan, Ciudad Real, Spain, 13600
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital General La Mancha Centro (ICU)
        • Contact:
    • La Coruña
      • Santiago De Compostela, La Coruña, Spain, 15706
    • León
      • Ponferrada, León, Spain, 24404
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital General El Bierzo (ICU)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
    • Madrid
      • Coslada, Madrid, Spain, 28822
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Universitario del Henares (ICU)
        • Contact:
      • Getafe, Madrid, Spain, 28905
      • Leganés, Madrid, Spain, 28911
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Universitario Severo Ochoa (ICU)
        • Contact:
      • Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain, 28222
    • Toledo
      • Talavera De La Reina, Toledo, Spain, 45600
    • Vizcaya

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

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • age 18 years or older;
  • intubated and mechanically ventilated;
  • acute onset of AHRF (as defined by a PaO2/FiO2 ≤300 mmHg during at least 6 hours from diagnosis. For the measurement of PaO2 and calculation of PaO2/FiO2 ratio, the minimum accepted value for PEEP is 5 cmH2O and for FiO2 is 0.3. ARDS is defined by Berlin criteria,4 which includes: (i) having pneumonia or worsening respiratory symptoms, (ii) bilateral pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging (x-ray or CT scan), (iii) absence of left atrial hypertension or no clinical signs of left heart failure, and (iv) hypoxemia, as defined by a PaO2/FiO2 ≤300 mmHg on positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of ≥5 cmH2O, regardless of FiO2.
  • Pulmonary or systemic infectious etiology of AHRF.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with a known contraindication to corticosteroids,
  • Patient included in another therapeutic clinical trial
  • Lack of informed consent

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
Active Comparator: Dexamethasone (low dose)
Dexamethasone: 6 mg/iv/day during 10 days.
Intravenous dexamethasone (low vs. moderate doses) during 10 days
Other Names:
  • Decadron
  • Dexasone
  • Diodex
Active Comparator: Dexamethasone (moderate dose)
Dexamethasone: 20 mg/iv/ daily from day of randomization (day 1) during 5 days, followed by 10 mg/iv/ daily from Day 6 to Day 10 of randomization.
Intravenous dexamethasone (low vs. moderate doses) during 10 days
Other Names:
  • Decadron
  • Dexasone
  • Diodex

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
60-day mortality
Time Frame: 60 days
All-cause mortality at 60 days after randomization
60 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Ventilator-free days
Time Frame: 28 days
Number of ventilator-free days (VFDs) at Day 28 (defined as days being alive and free from mechanical ventilation at day 28 after randomization. For patients ventilated 28 days or longer and for subjects who die, VFD is 0.
28 days

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Jesús Villar, MD, Hospital Universitario Dr. Negrin

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.

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 (Actual)

July 6, 2021

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 30, 2024

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 30, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 5, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 5, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

September 10, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 20, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 16, 2024

Last Verified

February 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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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