Clinical trial NCT00871624
Conditions: Acute Respiratory Failure
Sponsor: Tufts Medical Center
Start date: 2009-03-01; Completion date: 2013-02-01
Enrollment: 36 participants; Allocation: RANDOMIZED; Intervention model: PARALLEL

Brief summary:
The purpose of the study is to determine the efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine during Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) for patients with acute respiratory failure compared to standard analgesic/sedation practices

Detailed description:
Non-invasive positive-pressure ventilation (NPPV) is increasingly being used to manage patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) in an effort to avoid the numerous negative sequelae associated with intubation and mechanical ventilation. In the USA, it is estimated that 20-30% of all patients placed on mechanical ventilation are treated with NPPV. Indications for NPPV include but are not limited to acute or acute-on-chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure, pulmonary edema, respiratory failure in immunocompromised patients or that due to chest wall deformity or neuromuscular disease. For NPPV to be successful, it is critical that the patient be cooperative and comfortable (i.e. no pain) as agitation and discomfort interfere with the success of NPPV.

Despite the importance of patient comfort during NPPV, physicians infrequently use sedation or analgesic therapy during NPPV, primarily due to concerns about the respiratory depressant effects of most of the sedatives (e.g., benzodiazepines) and analgesics (e.g., opioids) that are currently available. In addition, neither the benzodiazepines nor opioids are easily titratable, can easily accumulate and can be associated with both the development of delirium and a withdrawal effect.

Dexmedetomidine is an intravenous rapid-onset, short acting ά 2-receptor agonist that is approved for short-term sedation in post-operative and critically ill patients. It has been stated that this drug produces a state of "cooperative sedation" allowing the patient to interact with health care providers. Dexmedetomidine has been used for its ability to cause sympatholysis and, because of analgesic properties, to decrease the need for opioids. Potential advantages include its short half life and intravenous route of administration, permitting rapid titration to achieve sedation targets and, in patients with respiratory failure; it can provide both sedation and analgesia without inducing respiratory depression. Despite these advantages, it is currently used by less than 5% of pulmonologists/ intensivists as the primary sedative option during NPPV and has not been studied in a controlled fashion in this population. Therefore, dexmedetomidine may prove to be more efficacious and safe compared to standard sedation/analgesic therapy during NPPV.

Arms: arm 1: Subjects received active dexmedetomidine 0.2 -0.7 mcg/kg/hr arm 2: Subjects received placebo saline solution 0.2-0.7 mcg/kg/hr
Interventions: intervention 1: Dexmedetomidine intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Dexmedetomidine will be started at a rate of 0.2mcg/kg/hr and titrated by 0.1 mcg/kg/hr every 30 minutes to a maximum of 0.7 mcg/kg/hr to maintain a Riker-SAS 3-4. intervention 2: Placebo infusion will be started at a rate of 0.2mcg/kg/hr and titrated by 0.1 mcg/kg/hr every 30 minutes to a maximum of 0.7 mcg/kg/hr to maintain a Riker-SAS 3-4.

Protocol documents: