The interaction of vasopressin and corticosteroids in septic shock: a pilot randomized controlled trial

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Vasopressin, published as a randomized controlled trial.

Vasopressin and corticosteroids are both commonly used adjunctive therapies in septic shock.

The researchers aimed to test for an interaction between vasopressin and corticosteroids in septic shock.

Who Took Part

The age groups tagged for this paper are middle-aged adults and older adults, both men and women.

Four adult ICUs in London teaching hospitals.

Sixty-one adult patients who had septic shock.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, open-label, placebo-controlled and pilot study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Vasopressin and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Everyone knew when Vasopressin was being given (open label), which is simpler to run but leaves more room for expectations to affect what is reported.

Some participants received a placebo instead of Vasopressin, giving a reference point.

It is described as a pilot, a small early test of whether a larger Vasopressin study would be practical.

Prospective open-label randomized controlled pilot trial.

Plasma vasopressin levels were measured at 6-12 and 24-36 hours after hydrocortisone/placebo administration.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Drug Interactions, Hydrocortisone, Intensive Care Units, Organ Dysfunction Scores, Pilot Projects and Shock, Septic.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, open-label and placebo-controlled study of Vasopressin.

Its findings take up roughly 7 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2014 (Critical care medicine), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Vasopressin compound page, all human trials.