Role of hypovolaemia in the acidosis of severe malaria

ISRCTN ISRCTN35536139
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN35536139
Secondary identifying numbers 062258
Submission date
12/09/2005
Registration date
14/10/2005
Last edited
23/05/2014
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Infections and Infestations
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English Summary

Background and study aims
Shock is a medical emergency which occurs when there is not enough blood flow around the body. As a result of tissues not receiving enough oxygen, too much acid builds up in the body (metabolic acidosis). Children with severe malaria often have metabolic acidosis as a complication of shock. The usual treatment for shock is to replenish lost fluid (fluid resuscitation). We have shown previously that human albumin solution (HAS: a by-product of blood transfusion) safely corrects this acidosis and improves the outcome of children with severe malaria complicated by acidosis. HAS is currently expensive and not widely available in Africa. This study aims to examine the safety and dose required for the correction of acidosis of lower cost infusions called colloids: Gelofusine, Dextran 70 and Hetastarch. These will be compared to a ‘control’ group of children receiving HAS. The results of this study will form the basis for the future larger trials comparing colloidal solutions with saline or maintenance alone, which are required before specific treatment recommendations can be made.

Who can participate?
Children aged over 3 months, either sex, who have severe falciparum malaria (impaired consciousness and or deep breathing) and metabolic acidosis.

What does the study involve?
Children will be randomly allocated to undergo fluid resuscitation with either HAS, Gelofusine, Dextran 70 or Hetastarch.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Children will be closely monitored and fluid will be administered cautiously.

Where is the study run from?
The study will be based at the KEMRI Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast) at Kilifi District Hospital (KDH), Kenya.

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
The study started in December 2004 and ended in December 2008.

Who is funding the study?
The Wellcome Trust (UK).

Who is the main contact?
Professor Kathryn Maitland
k.maitland@imperial.ac.uk

Contact information

Dr Kathryn Maitland
Scientific

Wellcome Trust Research Unit
CGMR-coast KEMRI
Kilifi
PO Box 230
Kenya

Phone +254 (0)415 22063
Email k.maitland@imperial.ac.uk

Study information

Study designRandomised controlled trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)Other
Study typeTreatment
Scientific titleRole of hypovolaemia in the acidosis of severe malaria: a randomised controlled trial
Study hypothesisThis study adds to and extends the original aims of previous studies. In those we provided new, clear evidence for the presence of hypovolaemia in severe malaria and showed that this could be safely corrected by volume resuscitation with either 0.9% saline or 4.5% human albumin solution (HAS). In a formal randomised controlled trial we showed that volume expansion with albumin was associated with a significantly lower mortality in children with severe malaria acidosis, especially those admitted in coma. As HAS is costly and not available in Africa in this current study we aim to examine the safety and dose required (efficacy) for the correction of hypovolaemia of lower cost colloids: Gelofusine, Dextran 70 and Hetastarch. These will be compared to a ‘control’ group of children receiving HAS. In this prospective study we aim to enrol children and randomised them to either Gelofusin, Dextran 70, Hetastarch or HAS. The results of this study will form the basis for the future design of multicentre trials comparing colloidal solutions with saline or maintenance alone, which are required before specific treatment recommendations can be made.
Ethics approval(s)Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) National Scientific Steering Committee and Ethics Review Board, July/August 2004, ref: 864
ConditionSevere falciparum malaria
InterventionFluid resuscitation with either:
1. Human albumin solution
2. Gelofusine
3. Dextran 70
4. Hetastarch
Intervention typeDrug
Pharmaceutical study type(s)
PhasePhase II
Drug / device / biological / vaccine name(s)Human albumin solution, gelofusine, Dextran 70, Hetastarch
Primary outcome measureThe resolution of clinical features of shock and case fatality
Secondary outcome measuresDevelopment of major side effects or complications of volume resusciation:
1. Abnormal clotting indices
2. Pulmonary oedema
3. Raised intracranial pressure
Overall study start date01/11/2004
Overall study end date31/10/2006

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupChild
Lower age limit3 Months
SexBoth
Target number of participants40 in each group (160 in total)
Participant inclusion criteria1. Kenyan children aged more than three months, either sex
2. Clinical features of severe falciparum malaria (impaired consciousness and or deep breathing)
3. Metabolic acidosis (base deficit more than or equal to eight)
Participant exclusion criteria1. Children of families who decline consent
2. Children with:
2.1. Severe anaemia (haemoglobin less than 5 g/dl)
2.2. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) changes consistent with meningitis
2.3. Clinical features of pulmonary oedema (defined as clinical evidence presence of fine crepitations in both lungs plus oxygen saturations less than 95%)
2.4. Evidence of raised intracranial pressure (brain stem features of coning, systolic blood pressure more than 90% centile for age plus falling heart rate and/or papilloedema)
2.5. Any conditions that may contraindicate the use of volume replacement, e.g. established renal failure or known congenital heart disease
Recruitment start date01/11/2004
Recruitment end date31/10/2006

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Kenya

Study participating centre

Wellcome Trust Research Unit
Kilifi
PO Box 230
Kenya

Sponsor information

Imperial College London (UK)
University/education

Prof Mike Levin
Department of Paediatrics and Wellcome Trust Centre for Clinical Tropical Medicine
Faculty of Medicine
Imperial College
Norfolk Place
London
W2 1PG
England
United Kingdom

Phone +44 (0)20 7594 3990
Email m.levin@imperial.ac.uk
Website http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/041kmwe10

Funders

Funder type

Charity

The Wellcome Trust (UK) (grant ref: 062258)

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareNo
IPD sharing plan summaryNot provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination planNot provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Other publications retrospective review 01/06/2003 Yes No
Results article preliminary results 15/02/2005 Yes No
Results article results 15/09/2006 Yes No
Results article results 01/08/2010 Yes No