SHIPSS: Stress Hydrocortisone In Pediatric Septic Shock

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Stress Hydrocortisone In Pediatric Septic Shock (SHIPSS) Project Summary Sepsis represents the most common cause of childhood mortality worldwide. In the United States alone, 200 cases of pediatric sepsis are diagnosed each day, with an associated hospital mortality rate of 5-10% and health care expenditures now approaching $5 billion annually. Moreover, nearly 40% of children admitted to pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) for septic shock have not regained their baseline health-related quality of life one year following the sepsis event. During early resuscitation of the child with septic shock, in addition to antibiotics, volume replacement, and vasoactive-inotropic support, the most recent pediatric treatment guidelines advise the practitioner to consider adjunctive hydrocortisone therapy if the patient “is at risk of absolute adrenal insufficiency or adrenal pituitary axis failure”. However, the potential benefits and risks of this recommendation have not been rigorously examined. On the one hand, corticosteroids are inexpensive and have been frequently demonstrated to improve hemodynamic status in children and adults with sepsis. Conversely, this drug class is known to alter transcription of approximately 30% of the human genome. Notably, corticosteroids down regulate most aspects of the immune response, but particularly adaptive immunity. Moreover, recent data suggests that children with particular gene expression profiles in sepsis have increased likelihood of mortality when treated with corticosteroids. SHIPSS (Stress Hydrocortisone In Pediatric Septic Shock) is a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial examining the potential benefits and risks of adjunctive hydrocortisone prescribed to critically ill children with fluid and vasoactive-inotropic refractory septic shock. Up to 1,032 children will be enrolled, randomized, and evaluated at baseline, PICU discharge, and 28 and 90 days following study enrollment/randomization. The primary hypothesis is that hydrocortisone, compared to placebo, will decrease the proportion of subjects with poor outcomes, defined as death or severely impaired (≥25% decrease from baseline) health-related quality of life. We will also follow subjects to detect side effects of the treatment. Finally, we will test the hypothesis that biomarker-based prognostic and predictive enrichment strategies can improve our ability to identify which children with septic shock are more likely to benefit from adjunctive hydrocortisone, and which may be harmed. This randomized control trial will have a significant impact on public health by providing the heretofore missing evidence to inform guidelines regarding therapy for septic shock in children.