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CompletedNCT03160547EFFORTUpdated Mar 28, 2022

The Effect of Higher Protein Dosing in Critically Ill Patients

An interventional study of Usual Protein/Amino Acid Group and Higher Protein/Amino Acid Group in Critical Illness and Malnutrition, sponsored by Clinical Evaluation Research Unit at Kingston General Hospital. Completed at 86 sites in 16 countries. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2022-03-28.

Sponsored by Clinical Evaluation Research Unit at Kingston General Hospital · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
1,329
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The investigator will investigate the effects of higher protein/amino acid dosing (≥2.2 g/kg/d) vs usual protein/amino acid dosing (≤1.2 g/kg/d) on clinical outcomes in nutritionally high risk ill patients.

Read the detailed description

The EFFORT Study is a multi-center, pragmatic, volunteer-driven, registry-based, randomized, clinical trial of 4000 nutritionally high-risk critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). We anticipate over 100 sites participating internationally, with each site enrolling a minimum of 30 patients. Patients will be randomized to 1 of 2 treatment groups: a usual prescription (≤1.2 g/kg/d) or a higher prescription (≥2.2 g/kg/d) of protein. Other than the protein amount the patient is randomized to the remainder of care provided to randomized patient will be at the discretion of ICU providers.

In both groups, targets will be achieved through any combination of enteral nutrition (high protein content in high group if available), protein supplements, and parenteral nutrition or amino acids only (as clinically available). The only difference between the 2 groups is the protein targets that are set. Similar efforts should be used in both groups to achieve at least 80% of these targets. The remainder of care provided to eligible patients will be at the discretion of ICU providers.

The investigator has posed two research questions:

Primary Research Question:

In critically ill patients with nutrition 'risk factors', what is the effect of prescribing a higher dose (≥2.2 grams/kg/day) of protein/amino acid administration compared to a usual dose prescribed ≤1.2 gram/kg/day on time to discharge alive from hospital?

Secondary Research Question:

In critically ill patients with nutrition 'risk factors', what is the effect of prescribing a higher dose (≥2.2 grams/kg/day) of protein/amino acid administration compared to patients prescribed ≤1.2 gram/kg/day on 60 day mortality?

The proposed hypothesis:

Compared to receiving usual dose of protein/amino acids, the administration of a higher dose of protein/amino acids (a consequence of having a higher prescription) to nutritionally high-risk critically ill patients will be associated with a quicker rate of recovery and an improved survival.

02

Conditions studied

  • Critical Illness
  • Malnutrition
03

In context

Critical Illness

1,923 studies on the registry are indexed under Critical Illness; 465 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 1,329 is above the median of 90 across 1,003 interventional studies indexed under Critical Illness.

Browse Critical Illness studies →

Lead sponsor

Clinical Evaluation Research Unit at Kingston General Hospital is the lead sponsor of 12 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
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

  1. ≥18 years old
  2. Nutritionally 'high-risk' (meeting one of the below criteria)

    1. Low (≤25) or High BMI (≥35)
    2. Moderate to severe malnutrition (as defined by local assessments). We will document the means by which sites are making this determination and capture the elements of the assessment (history of weight loss, history of reduced oral intake, etc.).
    3. Frailty (Clinical Frailty Scale 5 or more from proxy)
    4. Sarcopenia- (SARC-F score of 4 or more from proxy)
    5. From point of screening, projected duration of mechanical ventilation >4 days
  3. Requiring mechanical ventilation with actual or expected total duration of mechanical ventilation >48 hours

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. >96 continuous hours of mechanical ventilation before screening
  2. Expected death or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments within 7 days from screening
  3. Pregnant
  4. The responsible clinician feels that the patient either needs low or high protein
  5. Patient requires parenteral nutrition only and site does not have products to reach the high protein dose group.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
1,329 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Usual Protein/Amino Acid Group

    Patients will receive a usual protein/amino acid dose (≤1.2 g/kg/d)

    Other: Usual Protein/Amino Acid Group

  • Active comparator
    Higher Protein/Amino Acid Group

    Patients will receive a higher protein/amino acid dose (≥2.2 g/kg/d).

    Other: Higher Protein/Amino Acid Group

Interventions

  • OtherUsual Protein/Amino Acid Group

    Protein targets will be set using pre-ICU dry actual weight. For patients with BMI \>30, ideal body weight based on a BMI of 25 will be used. We will endorse the guidelines for energy targets set forth by ASPEN/SCCM, especially as it pertains to the obese patient.

  • OtherHigher Protein/Amino Acid Group

    Protein targets will be set using pre-ICU dry actual weight. For patients with BMI \>30, ideal body weight based on a BMI of 25 will be used. We will endorse the guidelines for energy targets set forth by ASPEN/SCCM, especially as it pertains to the obese patient.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Time to discharge alive from hospital

    This is a composite of mortality and length of stay, evaluated up to 60 days post randomization

    Time frame: 60 day

Secondary outcomes

  1. 60-day mortality

    Mortality 60 days post randomization

    Time frame: 60 day

Other outcomes

  1. Nutritional Adequacy

    To be evaluated up to 60 days post randomization

    Time frame: 60 day

  2. Hospital mortality

    To be evaluated up to 60 days post randomization

    Time frame: 60 day

  3. Readmission to ICU and Hospital

    To be evaluated up to 60 days post randomization

    Time frame: 60 day

  4. Duration of Mechanical Ventilation

    To be evaluated up to 60 days post randomization

    Time frame: 60 day

  5. ICU length of stay

    To be evaluated up to 60 days post randomization

    Time frame: 60 day

  6. Hospital length of stay

    To be evaluated up to 60 days post randomization

    Time frame: 60 day

07

Study locations

86 sites
  • Banner University Medical Center
    Phoenix, Arizona 85006, United States
  • Phoenix VA Health Care System
    Phoenix, Arizona 85012, United States
  • MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center
    Long Beach, California 90712, United States
  • NorthShore University HealthSystem
    Evanston, Illinois 60077, United States
  • SwedishAmercian.Hospital
    Rockford, Illinois 61104, United States
  • IU Health Methodist Hospital
    Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
  • Lahey Hospital and Medical Center
    Burlington, Massachusetts 01805, United States
  • Spectrum Health
    Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503, United States
  • Virtua
    Marlton, New Jersey 08053, United States
  • Virtua
    Mount Holly, New Jersey 28012, United States
  • Virtua
    Voorhees Township, New Jersey 08043, United States
  • The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
    Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
  • Fairfield Medical Center
    Lancaster, Ohio 43130, United States
  • OU Medical Center
    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104, United States
  • Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania - MICU
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
  • University of Tennessee Medical Center Knoxville
    Knoxville, Tennessee 37920, United States
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center
    Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
  • University of Virginia Health System
    Charlottesville, Virginia 22901, United States
  • Harborview Medical Center
    Seattle, Washington 98104, United States
  • Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center
    Vancouver, Washington 98686, United States
  • Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, United States
  • Hospital Britanico de Buenos Aires
    Buenos Aires, C1280AEB CABA, Argentina
  • Sanatorio Allende
    Córdoba, 260, Argentina
  • Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service
    Gold Coast, Australia
  • Casa de Saude Sao Jose
    Rio de Janeiro, 200, Brazil
  • Hospital e Clinica Sao Goncalo
    Rio de Janeiro, 211, Brazil
  • Hospital Icarai
    Rio de Janeiro, 222, Brazil
  • Royal Alexandra Hospital
    Edmonton, Alberta 869, Canada
  • University of Alberta
    Edmonton, Alberta 900, Canada
  • Abbotsford Regional Hospital
    Abbotsford British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada
  • Burnaby Hospital
    Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
  • Royal Columbian Hospital
    New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
  • Surrey Memorial Hospital
    Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
  • London Health Sciences Center Hospital
    London, Ontario, Canada
  • Grey Bruce Health Services
    Owen Sound, Ontario N4K 6M9, Canada
  • Mount Sinai Hospital
    Toronto, Ontario 442, Canada
  • CIUSSS de l'Est-de-l'ile-de-Montreal- Installation Hospital Maisonneuve-Rosemont
    Montreal, Quebec 547, Canada
  • Agioi Anargiroi Hospital
    Athens, Greece
  • Evangelismos General Hospital
    Athens, Greece
  • Queen Mary Hospital
    Hong Kong, 1400, Hong Kong
  • Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Limited
    Mumbai, India
  • Emam Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Science
    Mashhad, Iran
  • Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital
    Kobe, Hyōgo 768, Japan
  • National Disaster Medical Center
    Tokyo, Midori-cho, Tachikawa-shi 3256, Japan
  • University of Malaya Medical Centre
    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Hospital San Javier
    Guadalajara, Jalisco 44670, Mexico
  • Hospital Civil Fray Antonio Alcalde
    Guadalajara, Jalisco 964, Mexico
  • Hospital General Dr. Manuel Gea Gonzalez
    Mexico City, Mexico City 298, Mexico
  • Hospital Angeles Lomas
    México, State of Mexico 165, Mexico
  • Hospital Regional Rafael Hernandez L. David Chiriqui Css
    David, Chiriquí Province 330, Panama
  • Hospital Irma De Lourdes Tzanetatos
    Panama City, 200, Panama
  • Complejo Hospitalario Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid de la Caja de Seguro Social
    Panama City, 50, Panama
  • Hospital Himas San Pablo Caguas
    Caguas, 440, Puerto Rico
  • King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center
    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • University Southampton NHS Trust
    Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom
  • Royal Blackburn Hospital
    Blackburn, United Kingdom
  • North Bristol NHS Trust
    Bristol, United Kingdom
  • Addenbrooke's Hospital
    Cambridge, United Kingdom
  • St Richards Hospital
    Chichester, United Kingdom
  • Northumbria Emergency Care Hospital
    Cramlington, United Kingdom
  • Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
    Edinburgh, United Kingdom
  • Queen Elizabeth Hospital
    Gateshead, United Kingdom
  • Medway Maritime Hospital
    Gillingham, United Kingdom
  • Northwick Park hospital
    Harrow, United Kingdom
  • East Suffolk & North Essex Foundation Trust
    Ipswich, United Kingdom
  • The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kings Lynn NHS Trust
    Kings Lynn, United Kingdom
  • Royal Glamorgan Hospital
    Llantrisant, United Kingdom
  • Colchester Hospital
    London, United Kingdom
  • Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
    London, United Kingdom
  • Kings College Hospital Denmark Hill
    London, United Kingdom
  • Queen Elizabeth Hospital
    London, United Kingdom
  • Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
    London, United Kingdom
  • University Hospital Lewisham
    London, United Kingdom
  • Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital
    Margate, United Kingdom
  • Freeman Hospital
    Newcastle, United Kingdom
  • Aneurin bevan University Health Board
    Newport, United Kingdom
  • Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
    Nottingham, United Kingdom
  • The Tunbridge Wells Hospital
    Pembury, United Kingdom
  • Queen Alexandra
    Portsmouth, United Kingdom
  • Royal Preston Hospital
    Preston, United Kingdom
  • Lister Hospital East and North Hertfordshire Trust
    Stevenage, United Kingdom
  • Royal Stoke Hospital
    Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom
  • Sunderland Royal Hospital
    Sunderland, United Kingdom
  • Torbay Hospital
    Torquay, United Kingdom
  • Worthing Hospital
    Worthing, United Kingdom
  • Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
    Yeovil, United Kingdom
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Hoffer LJ, Bistrian BR. Appropriate protein provision in critical illness: a systematic and narrative review. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Sep;96(3):591-600. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.032078. Epub 2012 Jul 18. PubMed 22811443 ↗
  • Heyland DK, Cahill N, Day AG. Optimal amount of calories for critically ill patients: depends on how you slice the cake! Crit Care Med. 2011 Dec;39(12):2619-26. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e318226641d. PubMed 21705881 ↗
  • Jolly SS, Cairns JA, Yusuf S, Meeks B, Pogue J, Rokoss MJ, Kedev S, Thabane L, Stankovic G, Moreno R, Gershlick A, Chowdhary S, Lavi S, Niemela K, Steg PG, Bernat I, Xu Y, Cantor WJ, Overgaard CB, Naber CK, Cheema AN, Welsh RC, Bertrand OF, Avezum A, Bhindi R, Pancholy S, Rao SV, Natarajan MK, ten Berg JM, Shestakovska O, Gao P, Widimsky P, Dzavik V; TOTAL Investigators. Randomized trial of primary PCI with or without routine manual thrombectomy. N Engl J Med. 2015 Apr 9;372(15):1389-98. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1415098. Epub 2015 Mar 16. PubMed 25853743 ↗
  • Fan E, Dowdy DW, Colantuoni E, Mendez-Tellez PA, Sevransky JE, Shanholtz C, Himmelfarb CR, Desai SV, Ciesla N, Herridge MS, Pronovost PJ, Needham DM. Physical complications in acute lung injury survivors: a two-year longitudinal prospective study. Crit Care Med. 2014 Apr;42(4):849-59. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000000040. PubMed 24247473 ↗
  • De Jonghe B, Sharshar T, Lefaucheur JP, Authier FJ, Durand-Zaleski I, Boussarsar M, Cerf C, Renaud E, Mesrati F, Carlet J, Raphael JC, Outin H, Bastuji-Garin S; Groupe de Reflexion et d'Etude des Neuromyopathies en Reanimation. Paresis acquired in the intensive care unit: a prospective multicenter study. JAMA. 2002 Dec 11;288(22):2859-67. doi: 10.1001/jama.288.22.2859. PubMed 12472328 ↗
  • Hermans G, Van Mechelen H, Clerckx B, Vanhullebusch T, Mesotten D, Wilmer A, Casaer MP, Meersseman P, Debaveye Y, Van Cromphaut S, Wouters PJ, Gosselink R, Van den Berghe G. Acute outcomes and 1-year mortality of intensive care unit-acquired weakness. A cohort study and propensity-matched analysis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2014 Aug 15;190(4):410-20. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201312-2257OC. PubMed 24825371 ↗
  • Tweel LE, Brody R, Samavat H, Day AG, Jiang X, Byham-Gray L, Patel J, Compher C, Heyland DK. Association between protein dose in the early and late acute phases of critical illness and time-to-discharge-alive: A secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2026 Feb;50(2):183-191. doi: 10.1002/jpen.70033. Epub 2025 Nov 14. PubMed 41236842 ↗
  • Lew CCH, Lee ZY, Day AG, Jiang X, Bear D, Jensen GL, Ng PY, Tweel L, Parillo A, Heyland DK, Compher C. The Association Between Malnutrition and High Protein Treatment on Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients: A Post Hoc Analysis of the EFFORT Protein Randomized Trial. Chest. 2024 Jun;165(6):1380-1391. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2024.02.008. Epub 2024 Feb 12. PubMed 38354904 ↗
  • Haines RW, Prowle JR, Day A, Bear DE, Heyland DK, Puthucheary Z. Association between urea trajectory and protein dose in critically ill adults: a secondary exploratory analysis of the effort protein trial (RE-EFFORT). Crit Care. 2024 Jan 16;28(1):24. doi: 10.1186/s13054-024-04799-1. PubMed 38229072 ↗
  • Tweel LE, Compher C, Bear DE, Gutierrez-Castrellon P, Leaver SK, MacEachern K, Ortiz-Reyes L, Pooja L, Leon A, Wedemire C, Lee ZY, Day AG, Heyland DK. A Comparison of High and Usual Protein Dosing in Critically Ill Patients With Obesity: A Post Hoc Analysis of an International, Pragmatic, Single-Blinded, Randomized Clinical Trial. Crit Care Med. 2024 Apr 1;52(4):586-595. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000006117. Epub 2023 Nov 6. PubMed 37930244 ↗
  • Stoppe C, Patel JJ, Zarbock A, Lee ZY, Rice TW, Mafrici B, Wehner R, Chan MHM, Lai PCK, MacEachern K, Myrianthefs P, Tsigou E, Ortiz-Reyes L, Jiang X, Day AG, Hasan MS, Meybohm P, Ke L, Heyland DK. The impact of higher protein dosing on outcomes in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury: a post hoc analysis of the EFFORT protein trial. Crit Care. 2023 Oct 18;27(1):399. doi: 10.1186/s13054-023-04663-8. PubMed 37853490 ↗
  • Heyland DK, Patel J, Compher C, Rice TW, Bear DE, Lee ZY, Gonzalez VC, O'Reilly K, Regala R, Wedemire C, Ibarra-Estrada M, Stoppe C, Ortiz-Reyes L, Jiang X, Day AG; EFFORT Protein Trial team. The effect of higher protein dosing in critically ill patients with high nutritional risk (EFFORT Protein): an international, multicentre, pragmatic, registry-based randomised trial. Lancet. 2023 Feb 18;401(10376):568-576. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)02469-2. Epub 2023 Jan 25. PubMed 36708732 ↗
  • Hill A, Heyland DK, Elke G, Schaller SJ, Stocker R, Haberthur C, von Loeffelholz C, Suchner U, Puthucheary ZA, Bear DE, Ney J, Clasen KC, Meybohm P, Lindau S, Laurentius T, Stoppe C. Meeting nutritional targets of critically ill patients by combined enteral and parenteral nutrition: review and rationale for the EFFORTcombo trial. Nutr Res Rev. 2020 Dec;33(2):312-320. doi: 10.1017/S0954422420000165. Epub 2020 Jul 16. PubMed 32669140 ↗

Study documents

  • Protocol and informed consent form · Oct 1, 2017
  • Statistical analysis plan · Mar 9, 2022

Documents are hosted by the registry — open the source record to download them.

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Ran from Nov 2017 to primary completion in Dec 2021, 48 months.

Of 422 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Critical Illness, half reached primary completion within 21 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 11 and three quarters within 38. This study's 48 months is above that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 427 studies reached it within 21 months; a quarter within 11 and three quarters within 37.

Critical Illness covers many different conditions, not one, so the studies compared here vary widely. Read these figures as a rough guide.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
May 17, 2017
First posted
May 19, 2017
StartActual
Nov 21, 2017
Primary completionActual
Dec 3, 2021
CompletionActual
Dec 3, 2021
Last update
Mar 28, 2022
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 28, 2022, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03160547
Lead sponsor
Clinical Evaluation Research Unit at Kingston General Hospital
Responsible party
Daren K. Heyland (Director, Clinical Evaluation Research Unit at Kingston General Hospital) — Principal investigator
First posted
May 19, 2017
Start date
Nov 21, 2017
Primary completion
Dec 3, 2021
Completion
Dec 3, 2021
Last update
Mar 28, 2022

Study contacts

Daren K Heyland, MD
principal investigator · Clinical Evaluation Research Unit

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Mar 2022. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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