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WithdrawnNCT01605357Updated Dec 12, 2016

Hypernatremia for the Prevention and Treatment of Cerebral Edema in Traumatic Brain Injury

A Phase 1/2 interventional study of Induced, sustained hypernatremia using hypertonic saline and Standard of care (hypertonic saline and mannitol; serum sodium) in Traumatic Brain Injury, Subdural Hematoma and Cerebral Contusion, sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital. Withdrawn. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 60 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2016-12-12.

Sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital · Phase 1/2, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was withdrawn
Never started.
Phase
Phase 1/2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
0
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 60 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Cerebral edema is seen heterogenous group of neurological disease states that mainly fall under the categories of metabolic, infectious, neoplasia, cerebrovascular, and traumatic brain injury disease states. Regardless of the driving force, cerebral edema is defined as the accumulation of fluid in the brain's intracellular and extracellular spaces. This occurs secondary to alterations in the complex interplay between four distinct fluid compartments within the cranium. In any human cranium; fluid is contained in the blood, the cerebrospinal fluid, interstitial fluid of the brain parenchyma, and the intracellular fluid of the neurons and glia. Fluid movement occurs normally between these compartments and depends on specific concentrations of solutes (such as sodium) and water. In brain-injured states, the normal regulation of this process is disturbed and cerebral edema can develop. Cerebral edema leads to increased intracranial pressure and mortality secondary to brain tissue compression, given the confines of the fixed-volume cranium. Additionally, secondary neuronal dysfunction or death can occur at the cellular level secondary to the disruption of ion gradients that control metabolism and function.

While studies utilizing bolus dosing of hyperosmolar therapy to target signs or symptoms of increased intracranial pressure secondary to cerebral edema are numerous, there is a paucity of studies relating to continuous infusion of hyperosmolar therapy for targeted sustained hypernatremia for the prevention and treatment of cerebral edema. The investigators hypothesize that induced, sustained hypernatremia following traumatic brain injury will decrease the rate of cerebral edema formation and improve patient outcomes.

02

Conditions studied

  • Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Subdural Hematoma
  • Cerebral Contusion
  • Head Injury
  • Cerebral Edema

Keywords

  • Brain Injuries
  • Hematoma, subdural
  • Decompressive Craniectomy
  • Saline solution, hypertonic
  • Hypernatremia
  • Intracranial hemorrhages
  • Head Injuries, closed
  • Intracranial pressure
  • Brain edema
  • Critical care
  • Brain Diseases
  • Central Nervous System Diseases
  • Nervous System Diseases
  • Wounds and Injuries
  • Physiological Effects of Drugs
  • Pharmacologic Actions
03

In context

Brain Injuries, Traumatic

1,721 studies on the registry are indexed under Brain Injuries, Traumatic; 447 are open to participants now.

Browse Brain Injuries, Traumatic studies →

Lead sponsor

Massachusetts General Hospital is the lead sponsor of 2,586 studies on the registry; 447 are open to participants now.

Of its 222 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 168 (76%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 60 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Adults (18 - 60 years old)
  • Severe traumatic brain injury with intracranial pressure monitoring
  • Initial GCS 5-8 (obtained free of the effects of neuromuscular blockade or sedatives)
  • Clearly defined time of injury no more than 8 hours before administration of study drug
  • Written consent obtained from legally authorized representative (LAR)
  • Severe swelling prone injury patterns:

    1. Contusion - frontal or temporal (> 20 cc)
    2. Acute convexity subdural hematoma with any evidence of midline shift

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients undergoing emergent (within 15 minutes) or urgent neurosurgery (within 4 hours) following emergency department arrival (bedside procedures, such as intracranial pressure monitor placement are excluded)
  • Posterior fossa lesions
  • Penetrating brain injury
  • Spinal column instability and/or spinal cord injury with neurological deficit
  • Pregnant
  • Concomitant severe nonsurvivable injury
  • Acute renal failure ; Chronic renal failure (serum creatinine of > 2.5 mg/dL, history of ongoing dialysis, \<30mL/min/1.73 m2); Severe pulmonary edema; Severe heart failure; Severe liver failure (, ALT, or > 2 times normal)
  • Known use of warfarin, clopidogrel, prasugrel, cilostazol, heparin, low molecular weight heparin, heparinoids, abciximab or similar antiplatelet agents
  • Treatment with another drug within the prior 30 days
  • Systolic blood pressure \< 90 mm HG not responsive to fluid resuscitation
  • > 1.4
  • Hospitalization for brain injury or neurological disease within previous 3 years
  • Admission serum sodium \< 135 mmol/L
  • > 8 hours from the time of injury to admission
  • Fix/dilated pupil suspected to be secondary to brainstem compression
  • Duret (brainstem) hemorrhage indicating brainstem herniation
  • PaO2 \< 60 mmHg on admission (when blood gases are drawn as standard of care)
  • Prisoner or other persons unable to make a true, voluntary and uncoerced decision whether or not to participate in the study
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(5)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

GFR and eGFR (kidney filtering)

GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is how much blood the kidneys filter each minute. It is usually estimated from a blood test — eGFR, by formulas such as CKD-EPI or MDRD — and some studies ask for it to be measured directly instead. Usually given in mL/min/1.73 m².

Check the method, the units and the minimum the study states. A value of 90 or above is in the normal-or-high range, but kidney damage can show in other tests too.

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

Bilirubin

A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.

Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

INR, PT and aPTT (clotting tests)

Blood tests of how long blood takes to clot. The INR is the prothrombin time (PT) put on a common scale; about 1 is usual for someone not taking a blood thinner.

Criteria often make an exception for people on a blood thinner such as warfarin, whose INR is raised on purpose.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1 / Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
0 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Standard Care

    Patients will be managed to maintain a goal serum sodium of \> 135 mmol/L , a well recognized value in the management of severe traumatic brain injury.

    Drug: Standard of care (hypertonic saline and mannitol; serum sodium)

  • Experimental
    Induced Hypernatremia

    Patients will be treated with induced, sustained hypernatremia for 5 days following injury by using hypertonic saline to target a goal serum sodium of 150-160 mmol/L

    Drug: Induced, sustained hypernatremia using hypertonic saline

Interventions

  • DrugInduced, sustained hypernatremia using hypertonic saline

    Patients in the experimental arm will receive hypertonic saline to target a serum sodium goal of 150 - 160 mmol/L. All hypertonic saline will be administered intravenously. Loading phase: Upon enrollment 23.4 % hypertonic saline (volume 20 cc) will be administered via a central venous catheter. A continuous infusion of 3% hypertonic saline will be administered at a rate of 30 cc per hour and titrated every six hours to target a serum sodium goal of 150-160 mmol/L. Maintenance phase: Titrate serum sodium to 150-160 mmol/L using continuous 3% hypertonic saline infusion. Discontinuation phase: After 5 days of completed therapy, begin to wean 3% hypertonic saline rate by 10cc every 6 hours. Discontinue hypertonic saline infusion after infusing at a rate of 20cc an hour for 6 hours. Bolus dosing of hypertonic saline and mannitol are to be administered at the discretion of the provider to treat elevated intracranial pressure based on practice guidelines

  • DrugStandard of care (hypertonic saline and mannitol; serum sodium)

    Bolus dosing of hypertonic saline and mannitol are to be administered at the discretion of the provider to treat elevated intracranial pressure based on practice guidelines. Hyponatremia ( serum sodium \< 135 mmol/L) is to be corrected at the discretion of the provider.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Primary Efficacy Objective

    The primary efficacy objective of this study is to assess whether patients with severe TBI treated with sustained hypernatremia will show a decrease in neuroimaging defined edema compared to patients treated as the current standard of care.

    Time frame: 72 hours ; 120 hours ; 30 days

  2. Primary Safety Objective

    The primary safety objective is to assess the safety and tolerability of sustained hypernatremia compared to the goal of avoiding hyponatremia in patients with severe traumatic brain injury. Safety will be assessed by a review of the incidence of mortality and adverse events, as well as by analysis of relevant laboratory data.

    Time frame: Through 30 days

Secondary outcomes

  1. Short term neurological outcome

    The secondary outcome measure of this study will be assess whether patients with TBI treated with sustained hypernatremia will benefit patients in terms of short term neurological outcome - defined as need for tracheostomy during principal admission. Other secondary outcome measures will be need for delayed craniectomy and cumulative dosage of bolus dosing hyperosmolar therapy.

    Time frame: 30 days

07

Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Dec 12, 2016, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01605357
Responsible party
Brian P. Walcott (Surgeon - Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital) — Principal investigator
First posted
May 24, 2012
Start date
Jul 2012
Primary completion
Jul 2013 (estimated)
Completion
Aug 2013 (estimated)
Last update
Dec 12, 2016

Study contacts

Brian P Walcott, MD
study chair · Massachusetts General Hospital
Brian V Nahed, MD
principal investigator · Massachusetts General Hospital
Sameer A Sheth, MD PhD
study director · Massachusetts General Hospital

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is withdrawn, as verified in Dec 2016. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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