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Efficacy and Safety of Methylene Blue in the Treatment of Severe Septic Shock

Exploratory Study on the Efficacy and Safety of Methylene Blue in Treating Severe Septic Shock Patients: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Status
Recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06481410
Enrollment
488
Registered
2024-07-01
Start date
2024-06-22
Completion date
2026-06-20
Last updated
2024-12-30

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

Conditions

Methylene Blue, Sepsis, Septic Shock

Keywords

Septic Shock, Methylene blue, Sepsis

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate whether methylene blue injection can safely and effectively improve the survival rate of patients with severe septic shock, shorten the duration of norepinephrine use, reduce the dosage of vasopressors, promptly correct hemodynamics, and improve tissue perfusion and organ function impairment.

Detailed description

Researchers will compare methylene blue to a placebo (a look-alike substance that contains no drug) to see if methylene blue works to treat severe septic shock. Participants will: Administer a loading dose of 2.5 mg/kg via micro-pump over 15 minutes, followed by a maintenance infusion at a rate of 0.25 mg/kg/hour for 12 hours or until norepinephrine has been continuously discontinued for 4 hours, whichever comes first. If norepinephrine needs to be increased to 0.25 μg/kg/min before the 12-hour period ends, continue using methylene blue until the 12-hour infusion is completed. Primary Study Endpoint \- 28-day all-cause mortality rate starting from the diagnosis of septic shock. Secondary Study Endpoints * Time from the start to the discontinuation of norepinephrine after the diagnosis of septic shock. * Total dose of norepinephrine used (from enrollment to 72 hours). * Number of days without norepinephrine within 28 days. * Duration of mechanical ventilation. * Rate of CRRT (Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy). * Length of ICU stay. * Total hospital stay. Record the following indicators before methylene blue intervention and at 24 hours, 72 hours, and 5 days after the intervention: * Highest serum lactate level. * Lowest mean arterial pressure. * Alanine aminotransferase (ALT). * Total bilirubin. * Creatinine. * Oxygenation index (P/F ratio). * Creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB). * Troponin I (TNI). * Systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI).

Interventions

DRUGMethylene Blue Intervention Group

In addition to standard treatment, patients will receive methylene blue intervention. The method is as follows: a loading dose of 2.5 mg/kg administered via micro-pump over 15 minutes, followed by a continuous infusion at a rate of 0.25 mg/kg/hour for 12 hours or until norepinephrine has been continuously discontinued for 4 hours, whichever comes first. If norepinephrine needs to be increased to 0.1 μg/kg/min before the 12-hour period ends, continue using methylene blue until the 12-hour infusion is completed.

DRUGNormal Saline Control Group

In addition to standard treatment, patients will receive a placebo control with normal saline, administered for the same duration as the intervention group.

Sponsors

Yuyao People's Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Taizhou Enze Medical Center Group
CollaboratorOTHER
NINGBO MEDICAL CENTER LIHUIIHOSPITAI
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
CollaboratorOTHER
The second Nanning People's Hospital
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
GUI LIN PEOPLE'S HOSPITAL
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Guangxi Hospital Division of The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
The First People's Hospital of Huzhou
CollaboratorOTHER
Hangzhou Yuhang District Second People's Hospital
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Wuming Hospital of Guangxi Medical University
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

This study implements blinding for the outcome assessor.

Intervention model description

This is a prospective, randomized, controlled, single-blind study.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Age ≥ 18 years. 2. Meets the Sepsis 3.0 criteria for septic shock: patients with infection who, despite adequate fluid resuscitation, require vasopressor therapy to maintain a mean arterial pressure (MAP) of ≥ 65 mmHg and have a blood lactate concentration \> 2 mmol/L. 3. Diagnosed with septic shock and started on norepinephrine within 24 hours. 4. Requires a norepinephrine dose of ≥ 0.1 μg/kg/min to maintain a MAP of ≥ 65 mmHg.

Exclusion criteria

1. Pregnant or breastfeeding women. 2. Individuals allergic to methylene blue or any components of the methylene blue injection. 3. Individuals with a personal or family history of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. 4. Patients with an expected survival time of less than 48 hours. 5. Patients who have been on norepinephrine for more than 24 hours.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
28-day survival rate of enrolled patients28-dayOur primary endpoint is the 28-day survival rate of enrolled patients: All enrolled patients will be followed from the time of randomization until 28 days post-enrollment, recording the survival status on the 28th day after enrollment. If a patient dies within 28 days post-enrollment, the number of survival days will be recorded. Note: 1. Cases where the family requests discharge to home for end-of-life care and the patient subsequently dies will be counted as death cases. 2. Cases where the family requests discharge for non-medical reasons such as financial constraints and no further treatment is sought will be counted as dropout cases.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
The duration and dosage of norepinephrine use28-dayThe duration of norepinephrine use:The time from the start of norepinephrine (NE) administration after sepsis diagnosis until its discontinuation. The definition of discontinuation: NE must be stopped for ≥2 hours; if NE is stopped for \<2 hours, it is not considered discontinued. If NE is re-administered after being stopped for more than 2 hours, it is still considered discontinued. The dosage of norepinephrine use:the total dose of NE used within 72 hours after the patient is enrolled in the study.
The duration of mechanical ventilation28-dayThe number of days without mechanical ventilation within 28 days post-enrollment. Note: Only full days without mechanical ventilation can be counted as one day.
The duration of ICU stay28-dayICU length of stay: the number of days in the ICU starting from the time of patient enrollment in the study. Note: Some patients may have multiple ICU admissions; only the ICU stay duration after the current enrollment is recorded.
The duration of overall hospital stay28-dayThe duration of overall hospital stay: the total number of days hospitalized starting from the time of patient enrollment in the study. Note: Days hospitalized prior to enrollment are not included.
The safety of methylene blue injection28-dayWe will record the complications due to the use of methylene blue, such as hemolysis: We will determine the presence of hemolysis by daily monitoring of urine color, red blood cells, hemoglobin count in complete blood count, and bilirubin levels in liver function tests. If the patient's urine turns dark brown (similar to soy sauce), accompanied by a decrease in hemoglobin and red blood cell count and a simultaneous increase in bilirubin, hemolysis will be considered.

Countries

China

Contacts

Primary ContactWenqiao Yu, PhD
yuwenqiao1980@zju.edu.cn+86-18868787588

Outcome results

None listed

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