MENDS Study: Trial in Ventilated ICU Patients Comparing an Alpha2 Agonist Versus a Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)-Agonist to Determine Delirium Rates, Efficacy of Sedation, Analgesia and Discharge Cognitive Status

Overview[ - collapse ][ - ]

Purpose Delirium has recently been shown as a predictor of death, increased cost, and longer length of stay in ventilated patients. Sedative and analgesic medications relieve anxiety and pain, but may contribute to patients' transitioning into delirium. It is possible that modifying the paradigm for sedation using novel therapies targeted at different receptors, such as dexmedetomidine targeting alpha2 receptors and sparing the GABA receptors, could provide efficacious sedation yet reduce the development, duration, and severity of acute brain dysfunction (delirium).
ConditionDelirium
InterventionDrug: Dexmedetomidine
Drug: Lorazepam
PhasePhase 2
SponsorVanderbilt University
Responsible PartyVanderbilt University
ClinicalTrials.gov IdentifierNCT00095251
First ReceivedNovember 1, 2004
Last UpdatedFebruary 5, 2013
Last verifiedFebruary 2013

Tracking Information[ + expand ][ + ]

First Received DateNovember 1, 2004
Last Updated DateFebruary 5, 2013
Start DateAugust 2004
Estimated Primary Completion DateDecember 2013
Current Primary Outcome Measuresachieving target sedation level [Time Frame: Patients will receive study drug for a maximum of 120 hours (5 days)] [Designated as safety issue: No]The patients' managing team will set the "goal" or "target" as medically indicated using the RASS 37. A trained research nurse or physician blinded to patients' group assignment and medical management will perform measurement of the "actual" RASS level every 12 hours. Comparisons will be made between the actual and target RASS levels to determine the primary outcome measure, which is the accuracy of achieving the target sedation level.
Current Secondary Outcome Measuresduration and severity of delirium [Time Frame: Patients will receive study drug for a maximum of 120 hours (5 days)] [Designated as safety issue: No]Delirium will be measured using the CAM-ICU, every 12 hours, by the same research personnel performing the assessment of the patients' sedation level. Together, these instruments take on average only 1 to 2 minutes to perform. Delirium is said to be present if the patients are responsive to verbal stimulation with eye opening (i.e., RASS -3 or better) and are found to have an acute change or fluctuation in the course of their mental status, inattention, and either disorganized thinking or an altered level of consciousness.

Descriptive Information[ + expand ][ + ]

Brief TitleMENDS Study: Trial in Ventilated ICU Patients Comparing an Alpha2 Agonist Versus a Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)-Agonist to Determine Delirium Rates, Efficacy of Sedation, Analgesia and Discharge Cognitive Status
Official TitleA Randomized, Double-blind Trial in Ventilated ICU Patients Comparing Treatment With an Alpha2 Agonist Versus a Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)-Agonist to Determine Delirium Rates, Efficacy of Sedation, Analgesia and Discharge Cognitive Status
Brief Summary
Delirium has recently been shown as a predictor of death, increased cost, and longer length
of stay in ventilated patients. Sedative and analgesic medications relieve anxiety and
pain, but may contribute to patients' transitioning into delirium. It is possible that
modifying the paradigm for sedation using novel therapies targeted at different receptors,
such as dexmedetomidine targeting alpha2 receptors and sparing the GABA receptors, could
provide efficacious sedation yet reduce the development, duration, and severity of acute
brain dysfunction (delirium).
Detailed Description
Delirium occurs in 60-80% of ventilated Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients and is
independently associated with prolonged hospital stay, higher cost, a 3-fold increased risk
of dying by six months and ongoing neuropsychological dysfunction. Hypothesis: Based on our
preliminary work, we hypothesize that standard use of GABA agonist sedatives such as
lorazepam and propofol may contribute to ICU delirium and its attendant untoward clinical
outcomes. An alternative sedation strategy targeting alpha2 receptors and sparing GABA
receptors (dexmedetomidine) might reduce delirium, provide adequate sedation, reduce
analgesic requirement, and concurrently improve cognitive performance.

Long-term objective: To standardize and compare different strategies of sedation and
analgesia for ventilated ICU patients in order to optimize their clinical outcomes focusing
on delirium and the long-term neuropsychological dysfunction of ICU survivors.

Specific Aims:

- to study prevalence and duration of delirium in critically ill patients using
differential exposure to alpha2 vs. GABA receptor agonists while evaluating efficacy of
sedation and analgesia;

- to compare clinical outcomes including duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU length
of stay and severity of neuropsychological dysfunction at hospital discharge; and

- to develop pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic models for dexmedetomidine and lorazepam
when used for up to 5 days in ICU patients.

Relationship to anesthesiology: We will study whether the adverse clinical outcomes
associated with ICU delirium including long-term neuropsychological dysfunction can be
modified by the choice of psychoactive agents frequently used by anesthesiologists and
intensivists.

Design: A blinded, randomized controlled trial of adult mechanically ventilated patients
using a sedation strategy of dexmedetomidine ± fentanyl versus lorazepam ± fentanyl, with
relevant outcomes and safety monitoring.
Study TypeInterventional
Study PhasePhase 2
Study DesignAllocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator), Primary Purpose: Prevention
ConditionDelirium
InterventionDrug: Dexmedetomidine
a bolus dose of 1 μg/kg infused over 10 minutes followed by an infusion started at 0.15- 0.45 μg/kg/hr. Dexmedetomidine will be titrated every 10 minutes to achieve set target RASS score. The maximum dexmedetomidine infusion will be 1.5 μg/kg/hr.
Drug: Lorazepam
Patients in the lorazepam arm will receive a bolus dose of 1-3 mg followed by an infusion started at 1-3 mg/hr. Lorazepam infusion will be titrated every 10 minutes to achieve set target RASS score. The maximum lorazepam infusion will be 10 mg /hr.
Study Arm (s)
  • Active Comparator: Dexmedetomidine group
    Patients in the dexmedetomidine arm will receive a bolus dose of 1 μg/kg infused over 10 minutes followed by an infusion started at 0.15- 0.45 μg/kg/hr. The patient's managing physician will have the option of beginning the dexmedetomidine infusion without a bolus in circumstances where the patient's sedation level is adequate at enrollment or in the presence of baseline bradycardia /hypotension. Dexmedetomidine will be titrated every 10 minutes to achieve set target RASS score. The maximum dexmedetomidine infusion will be 1.5 μg/kg/hr.
  • Active Comparator: Lorazepam group
    Patients in the lorazepam arm will receive a bolus dose of 1-3 mg followed by an infusion started at 1-3 mg/hr. Lorazepam infusion will be titrated every 10 minutes to achieve set target RASS score. The maximum lorazepam infusion will be 10 mg /hr.

Recruitment Information[ + expand ][ + ]

Recruitment StatusActive, not recruiting
Estimated Enrollment100
Estimated Completion DateDecember 2013
Estimated Primary Completion DateAugust 2007
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

- Male or female adult patients admitted to the medical and surgical ICU for critical
illnesses requiring mechanical ventilation with expectation of being mechanically
ventilated for greater than 24 hours

Exclusion Criteria:

- Subjects who are less than 18 years of age

- Subjects who are pregnant (a pregnancy test will be performed on all women of child
bearing age)

- Inability to obtain informed consent from the patient or his/her surrogate

- Subjects in the ICU due to a lack of beds elsewhere in the hospital, triage issues,
or withdrawal of care decisions rather than severity of illness

- Subjects admitted with alcohol or drug overdoses, suicide attempts, or
alcohol/delirium tremens

- Subjects who are physiologically benzodiazepine dependent, and at risk for withdrawal
syndromes

- Subjects with chronic pain syndromes on maintenance narcotics

- Subjects treated within the last 30 days with a drug or device that has not received
regulatory approval as of study entry

- Subjects with a psychiatric history for which they are on neuroleptic treatment

- Subjects with documented moderate to severe dementia

- Subjects with anoxic brain injuries, strokes, neurotrauma, or neuromuscular disorders
such as myasthenia gravis or Guillain Barre syndrome

- Medical team following patient unwilling to use the sedation regimens

- Subjects whose family and/or physician have not committed to aggressive support for
72 hours or who are likely to withdraw within 72 hours

- Subjects who are moribund and not expected to survive 24 hours

- Subjects not expected to survive hospital discharge due to preexisting uncorrectable
medical condition

- Documented allergy to study medications

- Subjects who have either Child-Pugh Class B or C cirrhosis

- Subjects with active coronary artery disease at time of screening as defined by any
recent evidence of ischemia, documented myocardial infarction, or coronary
intervention within the past 6 months.

- Subjects with advanced heart block at time of screening
GenderBoth
Ages18 Years
Accepts Healthy VolunteersNo
ContactsNot Provided
Location CountriesUnited States

Administrative Information[ + expand ][ + ]

NCT Number NCT00095251
Other Study ID NumbersIRB#031089
Has Data Monitoring CommitteeYes
Information Provided ByVanderbilt University
Study SponsorVanderbilt University
CollaboratorsNot Provided
Investigators Principal Investigator: E Wesley Ely, MD, MPH Vanderbilt University
Verification DateFebruary 2013

Locations[ + expand ][ + ]

Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, Tennessee, United States, 37232