Corticosteroid Therapy for Glucocorticoid Insufficiency Related to Traumatic Brain Injury (Corti-TC)

• rate of hospital acquired pneumonia [ Time Frame: day-28 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Presence of at least two signs (body fever greater than 38°C; leukocytosis greater than 12000/ml or leukopenia below 4000/ml, purulent pulmonary secretions) associated with the appearance of a new infiltrate or modification of an existing infiltrate on chest-X-ray. Confirmation by a lower respiratory tract sample using a quantitative culture with a predefined positive threshold. Hospital-acquired pneumonia was defined as a pneumonia that occurs 48 hours after admission, which was not incubating at time of admission (Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2005; 171, 388-416).
  
  

• Neurological recovery [ Time Frame: 1-year ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  in adapated and insufficient glucocorticoid function (Glasgow Outcome Scale, Barthel index, MIF) (Ancillary study)
  
  
• other infections [ Time Frame: day-28 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Tracheobronchitis 1: Association of at least two signs (fever above 38.0°C, Leucocytosis above 12000/ml or purulent pulmonary secretions) with isolation of bacteria in a lower respiratory tract sample without modification of chest-X-Ray; Urinary tract infection : Fever above 38.2°C associated with leucocyturia (>10000/ml) and bacteriuria (>103 UFC/ml) without other infection; Bacteriemia : One positive blood culture (two positive blood cultures for Staphiloccocus coagulase negative); Surgical wound infection : sputum from surgical incision or scare dehiscence associated with fever.
  
  
• Organ failures [ Time Frame: day-28 ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
  Acute Lung Injury or Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrom: PaO2/FiO2 below 300 with bilateral infiltrates on chest-X-ray without elevation of left atrial pressure; Acute kydney injury: oliguria (<0.3 ml/kg/hour for 24 hours or more) or raise in basal creatinemia of more than 300%; Myocardial insufficiency: indexed cardiac output below 2 l/min/m2; Hematologic insufficiency: platelet count below 50 000/ml; Hepatic insufficiency: bilirubinemia (<50 mmol.l-1) with a prothrombin (<40%), SOFA score (First week)
  
  
• Length of ICU stay [ Time Frame: 6 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  in adapated and insufficient glucocorticoid function
  
  
• Duration of mechanical ventilation support [ Time Frame: 6 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  in adapated and insufficient glucocorticoid function
  
  
• Mortality from all causes [ Time Frame: day-28 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  in adapated and insufficient glucorticoid function
  
  
• Mortality from all causes [ Time Frame: 1 year ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  in adapated and insufficient glucorticoid function
  
  
• Time to amines withdrawal [ Time Frame: day-28 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Post traumatic stress disorder [ Time Frame: 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Assessment of psychological status (ancillary study)
  
  
• Glucocorticoid function [ Time Frame: on day 11-12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Short corticotropin test
  
  

Treatment of glucocorticoid insufficiency in TBI patients remains controversial.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether hydrocortisone associated with fludrocortisone decreases rate of hospital-acquired pneumonia on day-28 in TBI patients with glucocorticoid insufficiency. Glucocorticoid function will be assessed by a corticotropin test (ACTH 0.25 mg). The study treatment will be started before reception of the results of these test. Patients with glucocorticoid insufficiency (basal cortisolemia < 15 mcg/dl or post ACTH raise < or = 9 mcg/dl) will be treated for 10 days. Patients with adapted glucocorticoid function will no longer be treated till the results of corticotropin test are known.

The primary end point will be rate of HAP on day-28 in patients with glucocorticoid insufficiency. Secondary endpoints will be neurological recovery (on day-28, -6 and -12), mortality (on day-28 and day-365), rate of other infections (on day-28), rate of organ failures (on day-28), mechanical ventilation weaning time, ICU length of stay.

In a double-blinded fashion (randomized on a 1:1 basis), 326 patients receive 200 mg intravenously for 10 days. After 7 days, treatment will be tapered with 100 mg given intravenously for days 8-9, then 50 mg for day 10, and then stopped.

All concomitant treatments, including antibiotics, fluids, vasopressors and ancillary therapies will be given at the discretion of the primary care physician. Evidence-based guidelines for the management of severe trauma brain injury (J Neurotrauma 2007; 24 Suppl 1, S1-106.) are encouraged to be followed. All institution are level I trauma center and university hospital.

Clinical assessments were performed twice a day in the ICU. When HAP was suspected after clinical examination, a new infiltrate was checked on a chest X-ray. The study protocol stated that antibiotic therapy should not be modified before a bacteriological sample was performed

All serious adverse events (SAE) which occur between days 0 and 28, which are unexpected and/or considered possibly or probably related to the study medication, must be documented and reported within 24 hours to the Safety and Efficacy Monitoring Committee. Non-serious adverse events will be listed on the case report form if they are unexpected and believed to be related to the study drug during days 0 to 14.

Specific adverse events which will be monitored closely because of their relationship to corticosteroids and trauma are: Use of corticosteroids, i.e. gastrointestinal bleeding and superinfection; hyperglycemia, hypernatremia, muscular weakness, etc.

In addition, substudies will include radiological assessment of hypothalamus and hypophyses,immune and neuro-endocrine interactions, post stress disorder assessment.