Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common, life-threatening pulmonary process which frequently requires mechanical ventilation and has a hospital mortality as high as 40%. No specific pharmacologic therapy has proven efficacy to treat ARDS. Corticosteroids have been investigated as a treatment for ARDS with conflicting results. Two sub phenotypes of ARDS have been described. One is hypo-inflammatory, associated with lower levels of circulating cytokines and therefore greater ventilator free days and a lower mortality. The second sub-phenotype is hyper-inflammatory with elevated cytokine levels, elevated acute phase reactants such as ferritin and c-reactive protein (CRP).~Many patients infected with the novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of CVOID-19, present with an exaggerated inflammatory response which leads to the hyper-inflammatory sub-phenotype of ARDS. These patients may derive great benefit from corticosteroids. Accordingly,this study will determine the safety and estimate efficacy of targeted corticosteroids in mechanically ventilated patients with the hyper-inflammatory sub phenotype of ARDS due to COVID-19~Hypothesis: Early administration of dexamethasone to patients with the hyper-inflammatory sub-phenotype of ARDS due to COVID-19 pneumonia is a safe intervention which increases ventilator free days~Approach: This is a single-center, phase 2a, pragmatic, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study accessing the safety and efficacy of dexamethasone for mechanically ventilated patients with ARDS due to COVID-19 infection. Primary outcome will be ventilator free days at day 28.~Understanding the safety and efficacy of corticosteroids in ARDS due to COVID-19 pneumonia could have dramatic implications for critically ill patients. Patients who present with an ARDS sub-type characterized by exaggerated inflammation may particularly benefit from this intervention. Corticosteroids may represent a simple and safe treatment for patients with the most severe form of COVID-19 infection and has the potential to save thousands of lives.
This trial will determine the safety and estimate efficacy of targeted corticosteroids in mechanically ventilated patients with the hyper-inflammatory sub phenotype of ARDS due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by implementing a Phase 2A clinical trial.