Effect of Antibiotic Choice On ReNal Outcomes (ACORN)

Study Overview
=================
Brief Summary
-----------------
Sepsis is one of the most common causes of acute illness and death in the United States. Early, empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics are a mainstay of sepsis treatment. Two classes of antibiotics with activity against Pseudomonas, anti-pseudomonal cephalosporins and anti-pseudomonal penicillins, are commonly used for acutely ill adults with sepsis in current practice. Recent observational studies, however, have raised concern that anti-pseudomonal penicillins may cause renal toxicity. Anti-pseudomonal cephalosporins, by comparison, may be associated with a risk of neurotoxicity. Rigorous, prospective data regarding the comparative effectiveness and toxicity of these two classes of medications among acutely ill patients are lacking. The investigator propose a randomized trial comparing the impact of anti-pseudomonal cephalosporins and anti-pseudomonal penicillins on renal outcomes of acutely ill patients.

Detailed Description
-----------------
Sepsis is a common condition associated with high mortality and morbidity. Antibiotics are an integral component of the management of patients with sepsis. Each hour delay in antibiotic administration in sepsis is associated with an increase in mortality. Clinical guidelines recommend early management bundles, including early broad-spectrum antibiotics, for patients with presumed sepsis in the emergency department and intensive care unit. Since the specific organism causing an infection is rarely known at clinical presentation, empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics are commonly prescribed. For patients at risk for resistant organisms, the most common regimens include vancomycin (to cover gram-positive organisms including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and an anti-pseudomonal cephalosporin or anti-pseudomonal penicillin (to cover gram-negative organisms including Pseudomonas). Cephalosporins and penicillins are beta-lactam antibiotics that act by inhibiting the synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer of bacterial cell walls. They are commonly used for a variety of infections including empiric broad spectrum coverage for sepsis and suspected nosocomial infections. Several cephalosporins and penicillins have anti-pseudomonal activity, including cefepime, a fourth-generation cephalosporin, ceftazidime, a third-generation cephalosporin, and piperacillin-tazobactam, an extended-spectrum penicillin with beta-lactamase inhibitor. Anti-pseudomonal penicillins are the preferred agents for empiric broad spectrum coverage at many centers, and piperacillin-tazobactam, specifically, has the added benefit of treating anaerobic organisms. Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a common complication of ICU admission. AKI is associated with a six to eight fold increase in mortality in ICU populations is therefore a common target of critical care trials. Sepsis is the most common cause of AKI and accounts for 40-50% of AKI in the intensive care unit (ICU). As the primary treatment for the underlying cause of sepsis, antibiotics are a critical treatment for acutely ill patients, but antibiotics may cause renal injury, and renally-cleared antibiotics may reach supratherapeutic levels in the setting of AKI. Vancomycin has long been associated with AKI. Recently, a number of retrospective observational analyses have examined a potential association between the concurrent administration of vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam and the development of AKI, compared with vancomycin alone. These data, however, are likely to be confounded by indication bias and studies evaluating whether piperacillin-tazobactam causes more AKI than other anti-pseudomonal antibiotics have been inconclusive. Based on this preliminary, observational data, however, some institutions have elected to change their preferred broad spectrum antibiotic regimens from one including an anti-pseudomonal penicillin to one including an anti-pseudomonal cephalosporin. However, others have argued against this approach given the lack of randomized trials comparing the relative efficacy and safety of the two agents as well as observational data suggesting that cephalosporins may be associated with neuro-toxicity. Tens of thousands of patients each year receive either anti-pseudomonal cephalosporins and penicillins, but no randomized trials have ever compared their relative effectiveness or safety. Each class of medications has been hypothesized to have toxicities that may be relevant for acutely ill patients. Because the relationship between antibiotic choice (anti-pseudomonal cephalosporins or anti-pseudomonal penicillins) and clinically relevant outcomes, such as AKI, are unknown, clinical trial data is urgently needed. Rigorous high-quality evidence that anti-pseudomonal cephalosporins, compared to anti-pseudomonal penicillins, decreases, increases or has no impact on the risk of AKI would have the potential to change the care received by thousands of acutely ill adults each year.

Official Title
-----------------
Effect of Antibiotic Choice On ReNal Outcomes (ACORN)

Conditions
-----------------
Sepsis, AKI, Neurotoxicity

Intervention / Treatment
-----------------
* Drug: anti-pseudomonal cephalosporin
* Drug: anti-pseudomonal penicillin


Participation Criteria
=================
Eligibility Criteria
-----------------
Inclusion Criteria: Age ≥ 18 years old Located in a participating emergency department or medical intensive care unit Less than 12 hours from presentation to study hospital Treating clinician initiating an order for an anti-pseudomonal cephalosporin or anti-pseudomonal penicillin Exclusion Criteria: Known receipt of > 1 dose of an anti-pseudomonal cephalosporin or anti-pseudomonal penicillin during the last 7 days Current documented allergy to cephalosporins or penicillin Known to be a prisoner Treating clinicians feel that either an anti-pseudomonal cephalosporin or anti-pseudomonal penicillin is required or contraindicated for the optimal treatment of the patient, including for more directed antibiotic therapy against known prior resistant infections or suspected sepsis with an associated central nervous system infection

Ages Eligible for Study
-----------------
Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
-----------------
All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
-----------------
No

Study Plan
=================
How is the study designed?
-----------------

Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: This study will be performed as a pragmatic, randomized controlled clinical trial with parallel group assignment.
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Active Comparator: anti-pseudomonal cephalosporin<br>Participants in the anti-pseudomonal cephalosporin arm will receive at least one dose of an anti-pseudomonal cephalosporin. | Drug: anti-pseudomonal cephalosporin<br>* Providers will be prompted to order an anti-pseudomonal cephalosporin, such as cefepime with a dose range of 500 mg, 1,000 mg, or 2,000 mg, and frequency every 6, 8, 12, or 24 hours based on provider discretion.<br>|
| Active Comparator: anti-pseudomonal penicillin<br>Participants in the anti-pseudomonal penicillin arm will receive at least one dose of an anti-pseudomonal penicillin. | Drug: anti-pseudomonal penicillin<br>* Providers will be prompted to order anti-pseudomonal penicillin, such as piperacillin-tazobactam with a dose range of 3.375 g or 4.5 g and frequency every 6, 8, or 12 hours based on provider discretion.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
-----------------
Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) Ordinal Scale | Acute Kidney Injury Score between randomization and day 14. The acute kidney injury score is an ordinal outcome containing the stages of AKI as defined by Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) creatinine criteria, new renal replacement therapy (RRT), and death: 0 = No AKI = Stage 1 AKI (Creatinine increase by 1.5-1.9 times baseline OR increase by >= 0.3 mg/dL) = Stage 2 AKI (Creatinine increase by 2.0-2.9 times baseline) = Stage 3 AKI (Creatinine increase by >= 3.0 times baseline OR increase to >= 4.0 mg/dL OR New RRT) = Death | 14 days post-enrollment | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Major Adverse Kidney Events Within 14 Days (MAKE14) | Composite outcome of death within 14 days, new renal replacement therapy within 14 days, or stage 2 or higher AKI at day 14 | 14 days post-enrollment | 
| Delirium and Coma-Free Days to Day 14 | The number of days alive and free of coma and delirium in the 14 days after enrollment | 14 days post-enrollment |