View clinical trials related to Refractory Shock.
Filter by:Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is a temporary mechanical circulatory support that has been increasingly used over the last decade to restore and maintain adequate end-organ perfusion, with data suggesting improvement in outcome for patients with refractory cardiogenic shock. Nevertheless, VA-ECMO weaning should be questioned every day during patient's support. Indeed, studies have shown that the incidence of severe complications related to ECMO is associated with longer circulatory support duration. Inotropes such as dobutamine are currently used to improve myocardial contractility during VA-ECMO support with the aim to enhance left ventricular ejection, aortic valve opening and to shorten ECMO duration. However, many data suggest an increase in mortality related to predisposition to myocardial ischemia and arrythmias. Levosimendan is a calcium sensitizing inotropic agent with systemic, coronary and pulmonary vasodilatory properties and specific cardioprotective effect without increasing myocardial oxygen consumption. The use of levosimendan in patients undergoing VA-ECMO may therefore be of interest both to reduce the duration of mechanical support and to minimize severe complication with few data suggesting a potential benefit of levosimendan for VA-ECMO weaning and survival in post-cardiotomy low cardiac output syndrome with improvement of endothelial function and hemodynamics. Investigators therefore sought to investigate whether the use of levosimendan improves weaning for patients undergoing VA-ECMO support for refractory cardiogenic shock hospitalized in the surgical intensive care unit (ICU).
Mortality rates associated septic shock remains unacceptably high, around 20-50%, with refractory hypotension in half of these patients. Widespread vasodilatation involves the activation of the soluble intracellular enzyme guanylate cyclase (GC) by nitric oxide (NO), resulting in the production of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Initially discovered as an endothelium-derived relaxing factor in blood vessels, NO is made by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS). It has been suggested that the inhibition of NO generation might be a treatment option for sepsis and septic shock. Methylene blue (MB) is a dye that easily crosses cell membranes, inhibits iNOS, and is capable of inhibiting the GC enzyme in vascular smooth muscle cells.Early use of MB can block the progressive decrease in systemic vascular resistance of patients unresponsive to noradrenaline and mitigate the need for prolonged vasoconstrictor use. The investigators propose to study the effect of methylene blue on cirrhotic adults with sepsis, with refractory vasoplegia unresponsive to maximum doses of noradrenaline and vasopressin.