Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Corticosteroid Therapy of Septic Shock - Corticus. A Multi-National, Prospective, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study
Brief Summary: The purpose of the study is to determine whether steroids decrease 28-day mortality in patients with septic shock.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Clinical evidence of infection within the previous 72 hours (may be present longer than 72 hours) (a, b, c, or d - only 1 required)

   1. Presence of polymorphonuclear cells in a normally sterile body fluid (excluding blood);
   2. Culture or Gram stain of blood, sputum, urine or normally sterile body fluid positive for a pathogenic micro-organism;
   3. Focus of infection identified by visual inspection (e.g. ruptured bowel with the presence of free air or bowel contents in the abdomen found at the time of surgery, wound with purulent drainage);
   4. Other clinical evidence of infection - treated community acquired pneumonia, purpura fulminans, necrotising fascitis, etc.
2. Evidence of a systemic response to infection as defined by the presence of two or more of the following signs within the previous 24 hours. These signs may be present longer than 72 hours.

   1. Fever (temperature \>38.3°C) or hypothermia (rectal temperature \< 35.6°C);
   2. Tachycardia (heart rate of \>90 beat/min);
   3. Tachypnea (respiratory rate \> 20 breaths/min, PaC02\<32 mmHg) or patient requires invasive mechanical ventilation;
   4. Alteration of the WBC count \>12,000 cells/mm3, \<4,000 cells/mm3 or \>10% immature neutrophils (bands).
3. Evidence of shock defined by (A + B- both required within the previous 72 hours (may NOT be present longer than 72 hours).

A. A systolic blood pressure \< 90 mmHg or a decrease in SBP of more than 50 mmHg from baseline in previous hypertensive patients (for at least one hour) despite adequate fluid replacement OR need for vasopressors for at least one hour (infusion of dopamine ≥ 5 mcg/kg/min or any dose of adrenaline, noradrenaline, phenylephrine or vasopressin) to maintain a SBP ≥ 90 mmHg;

B. Hypoperfusion or organ dysfunction which is not the result of underlying diseases or drugs, but is attributable to sepsis, including one of the following:

1. Sustained oliguria (urine output \< 0.5 ml/kg/hr for a minimum of 1 hour)
2. Metabolic acidosis \[pH of \< 7.3, or a base deficit of \> or = 5.0 mmol/L, or an increased lactic acid concentration (\> 2 mmol/L)\].
3. Arterial hypoxemia (Pa02/FI02\<280 in the absence of pneumonia)(Pa02/FI02\<200 in the presence of pneumonia).
4. Thrombocytopenia - platelet count ≤ 100,000 cells/mm3.
5. Acute altered mental status (Glasgow Coma Scale \< 14 or acute change from baseline).

4. Informed Consent

5. Cortisol level at baseline and 60 minutes after 0.25 mg cosyntropin

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Pregnancy
2. Age less than 18.
3. Underlying disease with a prognosis for survival of less than 3 months.
4. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation within 72 hours before study.
5. Drug-induced immunosuppression, including chemotherapy or radiation therapy within 4 weeks before the study.
6. Administration of chronic corticosteroids in the last 6 months or acute steroid therapy (any dose) within 4 weeks (including inhaled steroids). Topical steroids are not exclusions.
7. HIV positivity.
8. Presence of an advanced directive to withhold or withdraw life sustaining treatment (i.e. DNR).
9. Advanced cancer with a life expectancy less than 3 months.
10. Acute myocardial infarction or pulmonary embolus.
11. Another experimental drug study within the last 30 days.
12. Moribund patients likely to die within 24 hours.
13. Patients in the ICU for more than 2 months at the time of the start of septic shock.
B: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients admitted to any of the five intensive care units
2. Older than 18 years
3. Nutritional risk screening score (NRS) higher or equal to three upon ICU admission

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patients with a do not resuscitate (DNR) code or moribund at the time of ICU admission
2. Patients already enrolled in another trial
3. Patients transferred from another intensive care unit with an established nutritional therapy
4. Patients suffering from ketoacidotic or hyperosmolar coma on admission
5. Patients with a body mass index (BMI) below 17 kg/m\^2
6. Short bowel syndrome
7. Patients known to be pregnant or nursing
8. Patients on mechanical ventilation at home
9. NRS score lower than three
10. Patient readmitted to ICU after randomization to the EPaNIC trial.
11. Patient not critically ill on admission. (No clinical indication for central intravenous catheter or patient ready for oral nutrition on admission.)
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* males and females,
* between 18 and 75 year old
* who present a burned surface more than 30% of the body surface
* who need catecholamine infusion
* between J0 and J3 after the injury.

Exclusion Criteria:

* pregnancy,
* trauma,
* sepsis,
* cardiac insufficiency,
* AIDS,
* etomidate administration
D: Inclusion Criteria:

Patients aged 18 to 100 years with a community-acquired pneumonia.

Criteria to determine a community-acquired pneumonia:

* Chest radiograph showing new opacities
* In combination with two of the following findings:

  * Cough
  * Production of sputum
  * Temp \>38,0 °C or \<36,0 °C
  * Audible abnormalities by chest examination compatible with pneumonia
  * Leukocytosis (\>10.000 cells/mm3), leftward shift (\>10%) or leukopenia (\<4000 cells/mm3)
  * CRP \> 15 mg/dl (three times upper limit of normal)

Exclusion Criteria:

* o The following groups are excluded:

  * Immunocompromised patients:

    * Patients with a known congenital or achieved immunodeficiency.
    * Patients who received chemotherapy less than 6 weeks ago.
    * Patients who received corticosteroids in the last 6 weeks.
    * Patients who received immunosuppressive medication in the last 6 weeks. (like cyclosporine, cyclofosfamide, azathioprine)
    * Patients with COPD who are on systemic corticosteroids for COPD.
    * Patients who require ICU treatment.

Answer: A