Acetazolamide for Respiratory Failure in Combination With Metabolic Alkalosis

Status

Completed

Phases

Phase 4

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT00222534

Enrollment

Registered

2005-09-22

Start date

2002-01-31

Completion date

2009-12-31

Last updated

2014-01-20

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Alkalosis, Respiratory Insufficiency

Keywords

Respiratory Insufficiency, Alkalosis

Brief summary

Respiratory failure is a common consequence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A concurrent metabolic alkalosis may worsen the respiratory failure, as a higher pH in blood (and thus in cerebrospinal fluid) results in a weaker respiratory drive. Use of diuretics is the most common cause of metabolic alkalosis. When a patient with an acute exacerbation of a respiratory failure is also alkalotic, there are (at least theoretical) reasons to lower the pH in order to increase the respiratory drive. Among other alternatives, the drug acetazolamide can be used for this purpose. In some hospitals there is a tradition for the use of acetazolamide on this indication, but any evidence for the effect of such a treatment is rather weak. Thus, the aim of this trial is to evaluate the effect of acetazolamide as an adjuvant treatment for hospitalized patients with acute exacerbation of respiratory failure in combination with metabolic alkalosis.

Interventions

DRUGAcetazolamide

DRUGPlacebo

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Arterial pO2 8 kPa or lower, and arterial pCO2 7 kPa or higher. * Base Excess 8 mmmol/l or higher. * Written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

* Acetazolamide treatment regarded as obviously indicated or obviously contraindicated * Already using acetazolamide * Moribund patient * Unable to give fully informed consent * Allergy towards the tablet content or unable to swallow the tablets * Pregnant or breast-feeding

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood on the 5th day of treatment (without extra oxygen)	—
Change in partial pressure of oxygen from start of treatment to the fifth day of treatment	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Intrahospital deaths	—
Use of mechanical ventilation	—
Partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood on the 5th day of treatment.	—
Side effects	—
Length of stay	—
Change in partial pressure of carbon dioxide from start of treatment to the fifth day of treatment	—

Countries

Norway

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026