ISRCTN ISRCTN66727957
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN66727957
EudraCT/CTIS number 2009-017636-41
Secondary identifying numbers UKCRN ID: 8828; EudraCT: 2009-017636-41
Submission date
03/06/2010
Registration date
10/09/2010
Last edited
16/04/2015
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Signs and Symptoms
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English Summary

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Dr Anthony Gordon
Scientific

Clinical Senior Lecturer & Consultant
Critical Care Medicine
11N, Imperial College/Charing Cross Hospital
Fulham Palace Road
London
W6 8RF
United Kingdom

Email anthony.gordon@imperial.ac.uk

Study information

Study designOpen-label randomised controlled trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typeTreatment
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet
Scientific titleVasopressin and Corticosteroids in septic Shock: an open-label randomised controlled trial
Study acronymVACS
Study hypothesisThis is an open-label randomised controlled trial. It will be conducted in the three general adult ICUs within the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. All patients will be treated with vasopressin as the initial vasopressor therapy to maintain mean arterial blood pressure after adequate fluid resuscitation. If maximum doses of vasopressin are reached the patient will be treated with the randomised study drug (hydrocortisone or placebo), before additional clinically indicated vasopressors/inotropes are prescribed.

The objectives of this trial are:
1. To assess if corticosteroids increase exogenously administered vasopressin levels in septic shock
2. To assess if corticosteroids increase the blood pressure response to exogenously administered vasopressin
3. To act as feasibility study for a larger double-blind randomised controlled trial

As of 22/11/2011 the overalltrial end date has been updated. The previous date was 30/09/2011.
Ethics approval(s)Oxford REC A, 18/05/2010, ref: 10/H0604/35
ConditionTopic: Generic Health Relevance and Cross Cutting Themes; Subtopic: Generic Health Relevance (all Subtopics); Disease: Critical Care
InterventionVasopressin +/- steroids; the two treatment arms will be:
1. Vasopressin (0 - 0.06 U/minute via continuous intravenous [IV] infusion) and hydrocortisone sodium phosphate (50 mg IV 6-hourly)
2. Vasopressin (0 - 0.06 U/minute via continuous IV infusion) and placebo (0.5 ml 0.9% saline IV 6 hourly)

Vasopressin will continue until shock has resolved. Hydrocortisone will continue for a maximum of 11 days. Total follow-up is 28 days.

Study entry: single randomisation only
Intervention typeDrug
Pharmaceutical study type(s)
PhaseNot Applicable
Drug / device / biological / vaccine name(s)Vasopressin, hydrocortisone
Primary outcome measurePlasma vasopressin levels, measured 6 - 24 hours post-steroid administration
Secondary outcome measures1. Difference in vasopressin requirements between treatment groups
2. 28-day, ICU and hospital mortality rates
3. Organ failure free days in the first 28 days, assessed using the serial organ failure assessment (SOFA) score
Overall study start date30/08/2010
Overall study end date31/03/2012

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
SexBoth
Target number of participantsPlanned sample size: 60; UK sample size: 60
Participant inclusion criteriaThe target population is adult patients who require vasopressors for the management of sepsis despite fluid resuscitation. These patients will require management on the intensive care unit.

Inclusion criteria will use the internationally-established consensus definitions of sepsis. In brief:
1. Fulfil 2/4 of the criteria of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) due to known or suspected infection within the previous 24 hours. The SIRS criteria are:
1.1. Fever (greater than 38°C) or hypothermia (less than 36°C)
1.2. Tachycardia (heart rate greater than 90 beats per minute)
1.3. Tachypnea (respiratory rate greater than 20 breaths per minute or partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the blood [PaCO2] less than 4.3 kPa) or need for mechanical ventilation
1.4. Abnormal leukocyte count (greater than 12,000 cells/mm3, less than 4000 cells/mm3, or greater than 10% immature [band] forms)
2. Hypotension despite adequate intravenous fluid resuscitation (minimum of 1 litre in the previous four hours)
3. Aged greater than or equal to 16 years, either sex
Participant exclusion criteria1. Patient has received a continuous infusion of vasopressors previously during this hospital admission (other than vasopressors used as emergency treatment to stabilise the patient during this episode). Vasopressors include noradrenaline, adrenaline, vasopressin, dopamine, metaraminol, phenylephrine.
2. Regular systemic corticosteroid therapy within the previous three months (this does not include inhaled steroid therapy)
3. End-stage renal failure
4. Known adrenal dysfunction/insufficiency
5. Physician and team are not committed to full active care
6. Patient who is terminally ill (death anticipated within 24 hours)
7. Patient is known to be pregnant
8. Patient has known acute mesenteric ischaemia
9. Patient is being actively treated for an acute coronary syndrome
10. Patient is known to have Raynaud's phenomenon, systemic sclerosis or other vasospastic diseases
11. Patient is enrolled in another interventional trial that might interact with the study drugs
12. Patients has a history of anaphylaxis to any study drug
Recruitment start date30/08/2010
Recruitment end date31/03/2012

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • England
  • United Kingdom

Study participating centre

Imperial College/Charing Cross Hospital
London
W6 8RF
United Kingdom

Sponsor information

Imperial College London (UK)
University/education

c/o Gary Roper
Joint Research Office
Sir Alexander Fleming Building
Exhibition Road
London
SW7 2AZ
England
United Kingdom

Phone +44 (0)20 7594 1188
Email gary.roper@imperial.ac.uk
Website http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/clinicalresearchgovernanceoffice
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/041kmwe10

Funders

Funder type

Government

Intensive Care Foundation (UK)

No information available

National Institute for Health Research
Government organisation / National government
Alternative name(s)
National Institute for Health Research, NIHR Research, NIHRresearch, NIHR - National Institute for Health Research, NIHR (The National Institute for Health and Care Research), NIHR
Location
United Kingdom

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?
Results article results 01/06/2014 Yes No
HRA research summary 28/06/2023 No No