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Evaluation of a New Strategy for Protocolized Antibiotic Care for Severe Open Fractures: SEXTANT 2

Evaluation of a New Strategy for Protocolized Antibiotic Care for Severe Open Fractures: SEXTANT 2 - A Continuation of the Multicenter Randomized Control Trial SEXTANT 1

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04678154
Acronym
SEXTANT 2
Enrollment
600
Registered
2020-12-21
Start date
2021-05-07
Completion date
2029-03-31
Last updated
2026-07-22

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

Conditions

Post Operative Surgical Site Infection

Keywords

Surgical site infection risk prevention, Bacterial species type and antibacterial sensitivities

Brief summary

The PRCT evaluates infection outcomes as well as fracture and antibiotic-related complications to include the emergence of resistant bacteria associated with two different antibiotic strategies in the treatment of Gustilo type IIIB tibia and hindfoot fractures (calcaneus and talus) and selected IIIA fractures of the tibia and trauma-related transtibial amputations that are performed in the "zone-of-injury". This study will be conducted in established METRC level 1 trauma centers. The patients will be randomized as close to admission as possible to either 1) Standard of Care (SOC) prophylactic open fracture protocol, including the use of topical antibiotic as per the usual practice of the surgeon or 2) experimental protocol (SEXTANT). The SEXTANT protocol includes application of wound bioburden-targeted topical Vancomycin powder and Tobramycin powder antibiotic treatment at the time of final wound closure/coverage combined with 72 hours of systemic antibiotic coverage targeted to both gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens. The study will compare the results of the current SOC prophylactic coverage to the strategic wound bioburden treatment (SEXTANT) protocol. Up until the time of definitive wound closure/coverage, all patients will be treated per the usual regimen of the surgeon / center and in accordance with current Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) and Surgical Quality Improvement Program (SQIP) recommendations for the care of open fractures.14,15,17 It includes the administration of systemic antibiotics as close to the time of injury as possible. In the definitive wound closure/coverage procedure post-operative period, participants in the intervention arm will receive 72 hours of systemic antibiotic therapy targeted at the modern wound bioburden, and patients in the usual care arm will receive post-operative care per the usual practice of their surgeon. All other activities related to follow-up and related treatments will proceed per the usual practice of the surgeon.

Detailed description

Specific Aim 1: To determine if the SEXTANT treatment strategy designed to address the modern wound bioburden at the time of delayed wound closure/coverage is superior to the standard-of-care (SOC) antibiotic protocol. Our primary comparison will be the proportion of fracture-related infections (FRI) under the SEXTANT arm versus the FRI proportion for those under standard of care in the first 180 days following final wound closure/coverage. One-year rates of FRI will also be assessed. Secondary Aims: To compare rates of antibiotic-related complications (including aseptic nonunion) and serious adverse events (SAEs), including emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, of the two treatment groups in the first 180 days following final wound closure/coverage. One-year rates will also be assessed. To compare the terminal bioburden of the wounds at the time of delayed closure/coverage as sampled by standard tissue microbiology and assess the effectiveness of the antibiotic regimen. (Exploratory) To employ emerging NextGen Sequencing rapid PCR platforms for wound pathogen identification in a sub-cohort of patients.

Interventions

DRUGStandard of care

Participants in the control group will receive standard care treatment for their injury, to include all institution specific standard treatment (prophylactic and otherwise) for preventing and treating infection. Topical antibiotics are allowed, if SOC for the institution, but are not mandated.

DRUGVancomycin and Tobramycin

The patients in the SEXTANT cohort will receive 72 hours of targeted systemic antibiotic therapy (Table 2) and will have 1000 mg of Vancomycin and 1200 mg of Tobramycin administered to the wound surface, fracture site, and exposed hardware (if any) just prior to suture closure of the wound or flap. 72-hour of systemic gram-positive and gram-negative antibiotic coverage to target the terminal wound bioburden. The antibiotics coverage proposed as the primary choice includes PO Ciprofloxacin + PO linezolid or IV Ciprofloxacin and IV Vancomycin. The preferred antibiotic regimen will be decided by study's ID team, in cooperation with the ID and Antibiotic Stewardship teams at each site. Antibiotic recommendations will be adjusted, if needed, to account for a Site's bacteria susceptibility / resistance profile, or the specific needs of an individual patient.

Sponsors

Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium
Lead SponsorOTHER
United States Department of Defense
CollaboratorFED

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 64 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Injury meeting at least one of the following criteria: a. Gustilo type III fractures of the tibia (OTA 41 plateau, OTA 42 shaft and OTA 43 pilon); ankle (OTA 44); calcaneus (OTA 82) and/or talus (OTA 81) with injury characteristics meeting at least one of the following criteria: i. All IIIB fractures ii. IIIA fractures that require a planned second debridement prior to definitive closure / coverage iii. IIIA fractures with extensive contamination or muscle damage precluding definitive internal fixation at the time of initial surgery iv. IIIA fractures with extensive degloving or wound greater than 10 cm after debridement (if indicated, primary wound closure is allowed. Primary wound closure refers to the definitive closure of the wound at the initial surgical event, without plans for re-entry for additional debridement and/or fracture fixation) v. IIIA fractures severe fracture comminution resulting from high energy trauma (if indicated, primary wound closure/coverage is allowed) vi. IIIA fractures with AO/OTA OFC contamination level of severe with material imbedded into bone or soft tissue or with a severe high risk environmental contamination from farm, fecal, dirty water inoculation or other equivalent (if indicated, primary wound closure/coverage is allowed) vii. IIIA Fractures where the skin could be closed after extensive muscle or bone removal (if indicated, primary wound closure/coverage is allowed) viii. IIIA fractures with bone loss resulting in a circumferential gap of 1 cm after debridement (if indicated, primary wound closure/coverage is allowed) ix. Fractures where fasciotomies were performed for impending or diagnosed compartment syndromes (regardless of the initial open or closed classification of the fracture x. Traumatic "zone-of-injury" trans-tibial amputations requiring DPC, and/or flap coverage 2. Ages 18 - 64 years inclusive 3. Patients may have risk factors for infection including diabetes, immunosuppression from steroids or other medications, HIV, or other infections. 4. Patients may have a traumatic brain injury. 5. Patients may have other fractures including spine, upper extremity fractures, contralateral lower extremity injuries, ipsilateral pelvis, hip, femur, or foot injuries. 6. Patients may be treated initially at an outside institution prior to transferring to the study institution, as long as the definitive wound closure/coverage was not performed prior to entrance into the study. 7. Patients with bilateral injuries that meet inclusion criteria may be included, but only the limb rated as "more severe" by the treating surgeon will be enrolled in the study. 8. Patients may have co-existing non-tibial or hindfoot infections, with or without antibiotic treatment. 9. Patients may be definitively stabilized using any method (nail, plate, ex fix, or cast). 10. Patients may have fasciotomy.

Exclusion criteria

1. Patient speaks neither English or Spanish 2. Patient in current therapy for a wound, implant or fracture site infection related to the study site. 3. Patient is pregnant, potentially pregnant, or lactating. 4. Patient likely to have difficulty maintaining follow-up, including: 1. Diagnosis of a severe psychiatric condition 2. Intellectually challenged without adequate family support 3. Resides outside of the hospital's catchment area, unless willing to follow-up by phone or telemedicine 4. Planning to follow-up at another medical center, unless willing to follow-up by phone or telemedicine 5. Being a prisoner 6. Not having a means of contact (address, cell phone, home phone, e-mail)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Deep surgical site infection180 days from final wound closure/cloverageTo determine if the SEXTANT treatment strategy designed to address the modern wound bioburden at the time of delayed wound closure/coverage is superior to the standard-of-care (SOC) antibiotic protocol. Our primary comparison will be the proportion of fracture-related infections (FRI) under the SEXTANT arm versus the FRI proportion for those under standard of care in the first 180 days following final wound closure/coverage. One-year rates of FRI will also be assessed.

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTSuna Chung, MPH
schung60@jhu.edu4105023357
CONTACTSusan C Collins, MSc
scolli21@jhu.edu410-502-8966
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORMicahel J Bosse, MD

Carolinas Medical Center

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORRachel Seymour, PhD

Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute Research

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORRenan C Castillo, PhD

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORAnthony R Carlini, MS

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jul 23, 2026