The benefit of low-dose steroids in septic shock is still debated today, especially with mineralocorticoids. Fludrocortisone is a synthetic mineralocorticoid, an analogue of aldosterone, which has shown, in combination with hydrocortisone, a favorable effect on the mortality of septic shock patients with relative adrenal insufficiency. In a previous study in healthy volunteers, we showed for the first time that fludrocortisone at a dose of 400 μg per day significantly improved the pressor response to phenylephrine. These results confirm the observations reported in rats with endotoxin shock, where fludrocortisone was shown to significantly increase blood pressure and contractile response to phenylephrine. These encouraging results argue for a potential vascular beneficial effect of fludrocortisone and need to be confirmed in a population of septic shock patients. In this context, we aimed to evaluate the effect of oral administration of 100 μg every 6 hours of fludrocortisone on vascular responsiveness to noradrenaline in septic shock patients.
Patients admitted to medical and surgical intensive care units with septic shock who meet the selection criteria may be offered participation in the study. The consent is signed either by the patient or his or her relative/legal representative if he or she is not capable or the patient is included according to the emergency procedure in the absence of a relative. The patient is managed according to the usual procedures for patients in septic shock. After collection of the initial workup and basal measurements, the physician randomizes (=includes) the patient into one of 2 arms : the patient receives either fludrocortisone (400 μg per day), administered in 1 dose of 100 μg every 6 hours, i.e., 2 tablets of 50 μg per dose, or the placebo
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
40
100 μg every 6 hours of fludrocortisone per os
100 μg every 6 hours of placebo per os
Rennes University Hospital - Intensive Care unit
Rennes, Brittany Region, France
Mean arterial blood pressure (mmHg)
Mean arterial blood pressure (mmHg) after a dose escalation of norepinephrine in increments of 0.2 μg/kg/min to a maximum dose of 1.5 μg/kg/min.
Time frame: 1,5 hours after the second administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (7,5 hours)
Heart rate
Heart rate
Time frame: Baseline, before the first administration of the drug (fludrocortisone/placebo)
Heart rate
Heart rate
Time frame: 1,5 hours after the second administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (7,5 hours)
Heart rate
Heart rate
Time frame: After the 3rd administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (12 hours)
Heart rate
Heart rate
Time frame: After the 4th administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (18 hours)
arterial pressure
Mean arterial pressure, systolic arterial pressure, diasystolic arterial pressure
Time frame: Baseline, before the first administration of the experimental drug (fludrocortisone/placebo)
arterial pressure
Mean arterial pressure, systolic arterial pressure, diasystolic arterial pressure
Time frame: 1,5 hours after the second administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (7,5 hours)
arterial pressure
Mean arterial pressure, systolic arterial pressure, diasystolic arterial pressure
Time frame: After the 3rd administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (12 hours)
arterial pressure
Mean arterial pressure, systolic arterial pressure, diasystolic arterial pressure
Time frame: After the 4th administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (18 hours)
Cardiac output
Cardiac output
Time frame: Baseline, before the first administration of the experimental drug (fludrocortisone/placebo)
Cardiac output
Cardiac output
Time frame: 1,5 hours after the second administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (7,5 hours)
Cardiac output
Cardiac output
Time frame: After the 3rd administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (12 hours)
Cardiac output
Cardiac output
Time frame: After the 4th administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (18 hours)
Cardiac index
Cardiac index
Time frame: Baseline, before the first administration of the experimental drug (fludrocortisone/placebo)
Cardiac index
Cardiac index
Time frame: 1,5 hours after the second administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (7,5 hours)
Cardiac index
Cardiac index
Time frame: After the 3rd administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (12 hours)
Cardiac index
Cardiac index
Time frame: After the 4th administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (18 hours)
Indexed Systemic Vascular Resistances (ISVR)
Indexed Systemic Vascular Resistances (ISVR)
Time frame: Baseline, before the first administration of the experimental drug (fludrocortisone/placebo)
Indexed Systemic Vascular Resistances (ISVR)
Indexed Systemic Vascular Resistances (ISVR)
Time frame: 1,5 hours after the second administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (7,5 hours)
Indexed Systemic Vascular Resistances (ISVR)
Indexed Systemic Vascular Resistances (ISVR)
Time frame: After the 3rd administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (12 hours)
Indexed Systemic Vascular Resistances (ISVR)
Indexed Systemic Vascular Resistances (ISVR)
Time frame: After the 4th administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (18 hours)
Indexed Global Telediastolic Volume (IGVT)
Indexed Global Telediastolic Volume (IGVT)
Time frame: Baseline, before the first administration of the experimental drug (fludrocortisone/placebo)
Indexed Global Telediastolic Volume (IGVT)
Indexed Global Telediastolic Volume (IGVT)
Time frame: 1,5 hours after the second administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (7,5 hours)
Indexed Global Telediastolic Volume (IGVT)
Indexed Global Telediastolic Volume (IGVT)
Time frame: After the 3rd administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (12 hours)
Indexed Global Telediastolic Volume (IGVT)
Indexed Global Telediastolic Volume (IGVT)
Time frame: After the 4th administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (18 hours)
Ejection Volume Variability (EVV)
Ejection Volume Variability (EVV)
Time frame: Baseline, before the first administration of the experimental drug (fludrocortisone/placebo)
Ejection Volume Variability (EVV)
Ejection Volume Variability (EVV)
Time frame: 1,5 hours after the second administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (7,5 hours)
Ejection Volume Variability (EVV)
Ejection Volume Variability (EVV)
Time frame: After the 3rd administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (12 hours)
Ejection Volume Variability (EVV)
v
Time frame: After the 4th administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (18 hours)
Extravascular Pulmonary Water (EVW)
Extravascular Pulmonary Water (EVW)
Time frame: Baseline, before the first administration of the experimental drug (fludrocortisone/placebo)
Extravascular Pulmonary Water (EVW)
Extravascular Pulmonary Water (EVW)
Time frame: 1,5 hours after the second administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (7,5 hours)
Extravascular Pulmonary Water (EVW)
Extravascular Pulmonary Water (EVW)
Time frame: After the 3rd administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (12 hours)
Extravascular Pulmonary Water (EVW)
Extravascular Pulmonary Water (EVW)
Time frame: After the 4th administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (18 hours)
Mortality
Percentage of deceased patients
Time frame: Day 28
Mortality
Percentage of deceased patients
Time frame: Day 90
Length of stay in intensive care unit
Length of stay in intensive care unit
Time frame: Day 90
Length of stay in care unit
Length of stay in care unit
Time frame: Day 90
Time to wean from catecholamines
Time to wean from catecholamines
Time frame: Day 90
Duration of mechanical ventilation (MV)
Duration of mechanical ventilation (MV)
Time frame: Day 90
Inflammation markers
IFNγ, TNF α, IL1β, IL6, IL10 dosage
Time frame: Baseline, before the first administration of the experimental drug (fludrocortisone/placebo)
Inflammation markers
IFNγ, TNF α, IL1β, IL6, IL10 dosage
Time frame: 1,5 hours after the second administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (7,5 hours)
natremia dosage
blood sodium
Time frame: Baseline, before the first administration of the experimental drug (fludrocortisone/placebo)
natremia dosage
blood sodium
Time frame: 1,5 hours after the second administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (7,5 hours)
urinary sodium dosage
urinary sodium
Time frame: Baseline, before the first administration of the experimental drug (fludrocortisone/placebo)
urinary sodium dosage
urinary sodium
Time frame: 1,5 hours after the second administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (7,5 hours)
kalemia dosage
blood potassium
Time frame: Baseline, before the first administration of the experimental drug (fludrocortisone/placebo)
kalemia dosage
blood potassium
Time frame: 1,5 hours after the second administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (7,5 hours)
urinary potassium dosage
urinary potassium
Time frame: Baseline, before the first administration of the experimental drug (fludrocortisone/placebo)
urinary potassium dosage
urinary potassium
Time frame: 1,5 hours after the second administration of fludrocortisone or placebo (7,5 hours)
pharmacokinetics of fludrocortisone : Area under the plasma concentration-time curve (plasma concentrations of fludrocortisone at 5 times)
in the experimental group only.
Time frame: After 4th dose of fludrocortisone (18 hours)
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