NCT04156464

Brief Summary

Our aim is to compare outcomes of patients with benzodiazepine-refractory alcohol withdrawal syndrome who are treated with either a phenobarbital-based or a lorazepam based protocol.

Trial Health

43
At Risk

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Trial has exceeded expected completion date
Enrollment
142

participants targeted

Target at P50-P75 for phase_4

Timeline
Completed

Started Jul 2020

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
unknown

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

October 16, 2019

Completed
22 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

November 7, 2019

Completed
8 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

July 6, 2020

Completed
1.4 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 1, 2021

Completed
3 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

March 1, 2022

Completed
Last Updated

October 8, 2020

Status Verified

October 1, 2020

Enrollment Period

1.4 years

First QC Date

October 16, 2019

Last Update Submit

October 6, 2020

Conditions

Keywords

lorazepamphenobarbitalativanalcohol withdrawal syndromealcohol withdrawalintensive care unitdelirium tremensrefractory alcohol withdrawalbenzodiazepine

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • ICU length of stay

    number of days in the intensive care unit

    study completion, up to 18 months

Secondary Outcomes (8)

  • Hospital length of stay

    Study completion, up to 18 months

  • 30-day readmission

    study complettion, up to 18 months

  • mortality

    Study completion, up to 18 months

  • Intubation

    study completion, up to 18 months

  • Hospitalization cost

    Study completion, up to 18 months

  • +3 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (2)

Phenobarbital based treatment

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

* The phenobarbital group will undergo management with a phenobarbital based treatment protocol with additional symptom triggered therapies. * On day 1, the phenobarbital group receive a loading dose of phenobarbital intravenous 10mg/kg (actual body weight) with a maximum dose of 1 g/100 mL * On day 2 of study protocol, and no sooner than 12 hours after loading dose, phenobarbital 64.8 mg is administered every 12 hours for two doses. * On day 3 of study protocol, patients will receive phenobarbital 32.4 mg every 12 hours for two doses. * On day 4 of study protocol, patients will receive phenobarbital 32.4 mg once, to be given 24 hours after last scheduled dose. * Throughout the 4 day protocol, the patient will have phenobarbital 65 mg every 6 hours as needed available either IM or IV, starting no sooner than 30 minutes after the loading dose.

Drug: Phenobarbital

Lorazepam based treatment

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

* The lorazepam group will undergo management with a lorazepam based treatment protocol with additional symptom triggered therapies. * On Day 1, the lorazepam group will be started on scheduled lorazepam 4 mg every 6 hours * After day 1, the scheduled lorazepam dose will be modified based on the total lorazepam requirements from the previous day and divided into 4-6 doses. * A lorazepam infusion, at physician discretion, will be available at any point if the dose of scheduled and PRN lorazepam being given is too high or frequent to effectively be administered. * Once symptoms are well controlled on lorazepam based therapy, the total dose given over the past 24 hours will be calculated and weaned by approximately 10-20% per day when clinically appropriate. * Throughout the entire protocol, 2-4 mg lorazepam IV q 30 minutes PRN will be available for a goal CIWA \<6 or RASS -1 to 0.

Drug: Lorazepam

Interventions

Phenobarbital loading dose followed by a taper will be given to control acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome

Also known as: solfoton, luminal
Phenobarbital based treatment

Ativan will be given according to our institutional alcohol withdrawal protocol to control acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome

Also known as: ativan
Lorazepam based treatment

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Patients will be eligible for randomization if he/she has met one of the following three conditions:
  • has required more than 10 mg of lorazepam within a one hour time period,
  • has required more than 30 mg of lorazepam within a four hour time period, or
  • requires admission/transfer to the intensive care unit for primarily uncontrolled alcohol withdrawal symptoms

You may not qualify if:

  • Patients will be excluded from the study if he/she:
  • has a traumatic brain injury or other neurological condition requiring frequent neurological assessment (stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, active seizures on admission)
  • has severe hypotension requiring vasopressor support
  • is less than 18 years of age
  • is actively pregnant
  • has an allergy to either of the drugs being studied (phenobarbital or lorazepam)
  • is already intubated at the time of randomization

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

OSF Saint Francis Medical Center

Peoria, Illinois, 61637, United States

RECRUITING

Related Publications (28)

  • Friedmann PD. Alcohol use in adults. N Engl J Med. 2013 Apr 25;368(17):1655-6. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc1302445. No abstract available.

    PMID: 23614598BACKGROUND
  • Saitz R, Friedman LS, Mayo-Smith MF. Alcohol withdrawal: a nationwide survey of inpatient treatment practices. J Gen Intern Med. 1995 Sep;10(9):479-87. doi: 10.1007/BF02602395.

    PMID: 8523149BACKGROUND
  • Kosten TR, O'Connor PG. Management of drug and alcohol withdrawal. N Engl J Med. 2003 May 1;348(18):1786-95. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra020617. No abstract available.

    PMID: 12724485BACKGROUND
  • Holbrook AM, Crowther R, Lotter A, Cheng C, King D. Diagnosis and management of acute alcohol withdrawal. CMAJ. 1999 Mar 9;160(5):675-80.

    PMID: 10102003BACKGROUND
  • Miller NS, Gold MS. Management of withdrawal syndromes and relapse prevention in drug and alcohol dependence. Am Fam Physician. 1998 Jul;58(1):139-46.

    PMID: 9672434BACKGROUND
  • Kaim SC, Klett CJ, Rothfeld B. Treatment of the acute alcohol withdrawal state: a comparison of four drugs. Am J Psychiatry. 1969 Jun;125(12):1640-6. doi: 10.1176/ajp.125.12.1640. No abstract available.

    PMID: 4890289BACKGROUND
  • Sarff M, Gold JA. Alcohol withdrawal syndromes in the intensive care unit. Crit Care Med. 2010 Sep;38(9 Suppl):S494-501. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e3181ec5412.

    PMID: 20724883BACKGROUND
  • Dixit D, Endicott J, Burry L, Ramos L, Yeung SY, Devabhakthuni S, Chan C, Tobia A, Bulloch MN. Management of Acute Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome in Critically Ill Patients. Pharmacotherapy. 2016 Jul;36(7):797-822. doi: 10.1002/phar.1770. Epub 2016 Jun 30.

    PMID: 27196747BACKGROUND
  • Hack JB, Hoffmann RS, Nelson LS. Resistant alcohol withdrawal: does an unexpectedly large sedative requirement identify these patients early? J Med Toxicol. 2006 Jun;2(2):55-60. doi: 10.1007/BF03161171.

    PMID: 18072114BACKGROUND
  • Wong A, Benedict NJ, Lohr BR, Pizon AF, Kane-Gill SL. Management of benzodiazepine-resistant alcohol withdrawal across a healthcare system: Benzodiazepine dose-escalation with or without propofol. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2015 Sep 1;154:296-9. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.07.005. Epub 2015 Jul 16.

    PMID: 26205315BACKGROUND
  • Duby JJ, Berry AJ, Ghayyem P, Wilson MD, Cocanour CS. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome in critically ill patients: protocolized versus nonprotocolized management. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2014 Dec;77(6):938-43. doi: 10.1097/TA.0000000000000352.

    PMID: 25248063BACKGROUND
  • Crispo AL, Daley MJ, Pepin JL, Harford PH, Brown CV. Comparison of clinical outcomes in nonintubated patients with severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome treated with continuous-infusion sedatives: dexmedetomidine versus benzodiazepines. Pharmacotherapy. 2014 Sep;34(9):910-7. doi: 10.1002/phar.1448. Epub 2014 Jun 5.

    PMID: 24898418BACKGROUND
  • Pandharipande PP, Pun BT, Herr DL, Maze M, Girard TD, Miller RR, Shintani AK, Thompson JL, Jackson JC, Deppen SA, Stiles RA, Dittus RS, Bernard GR, Ely EW. Effect of sedation with dexmedetomidine vs lorazepam on acute brain dysfunction in mechanically ventilated patients: the MENDS randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2007 Dec 12;298(22):2644-53. doi: 10.1001/jama.298.22.2644.

    PMID: 18073360BACKGROUND
  • Ives TJ, Mooney AJ 3rd, Gwyther RE. Pharmacokinetic dosing of phenobarbital in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. South Med J. 1991 Jan;84(1):18-21. doi: 10.1097/00007611-199101000-00006.

    PMID: 1986421BACKGROUND
  • Tangmose K, Nielsen MK, Allerup P, Ulrichsen J. Linear correlation between phenobarbital dose and concentration in alcohol withdrawal patients. Dan Med Bull. 2010 Aug;57(8):A4141.

    PMID: 20682131BACKGROUND
  • Kramp P, Rafaelsen OJ. Delirium tremens: a double-blind comparison of diazepam and barbital treatment. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1978 Aug;58(2):174-90. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1978.tb06930.x.

    PMID: 358756BACKGROUND
  • Martin PR, Bhushan CM, Kapur BM, Whiteside EA, Sellers EM. Intravenous phenobarbital therapy in barbiturate and other hypnosedative withdrawal reactions: a kinetic approach. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1979 Aug;26(2):256-64. doi: 10.1002/cpt1979262256.

    PMID: 455894BACKGROUND
  • Robinson GM, Sellers EM, Janecek E. Barbiturate and hypnosedative withdrawal by a multiple oral phenobarbital loading dose technique. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1981 Jul;30(1):71-6. doi: 10.1038/clpt.1981.129.

    PMID: 7237901BACKGROUND
  • Young GP, Rores C, Murphy C, Dailey RH. Intravenous phenobarbital for alcohol withdrawal and convulsions. Ann Emerg Med. 1987 Aug;16(8):847-50. doi: 10.1016/s0196-0644(87)80520-6.

    PMID: 3619162BACKGROUND
  • Hendey GW, Dery RA, Barnes RL, Snowden B, Mentler P. A prospective, randomized, trial of phenobarbital versus benzodiazepines for acute alcohol withdrawal. Am J Emerg Med. 2011 May;29(4):382-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2009.10.010. Epub 2010 Mar 25.

    PMID: 20825805BACKGROUND
  • Rosenson J, Clements C, Simon B, Vieaux J, Graffman S, Vahidnia F, Cisse B, Lam J, Alter H. Phenobarbital for acute alcohol withdrawal: a prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. J Emerg Med. 2013 Mar;44(3):592-598.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2012.07.056. Epub 2012 Sep 19.

    PMID: 22999778BACKGROUND
  • Ibarra F Jr. Single dose phenobarbital in addition to symptom-triggered lorazepam in alcohol withdrawal. Am J Emerg Med. 2020 Feb;38(2):178-181. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2019.01.053. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

    PMID: 30744913BACKGROUND
  • Tidwell WP, Thomas TL, Pouliot JD, Canonico AE, Webber AJ. Treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome: Phenobarbital vs CIWA-Ar Protocol. Am J Crit Care. 2018 Nov;27(6):454-460. doi: 10.4037/ajcc2018745.

    PMID: 30385536BACKGROUND
  • Gold JA, Rimal B, Nolan A, Nelson LS. A strategy of escalating doses of benzodiazepines and phenobarbital administration reduces the need for mechanical ventilation in delirium tremens. Crit Care Med. 2007 Mar;35(3):724-30. doi: 10.1097/01.CCM.0000256841.28351.80.

    PMID: 17255852BACKGROUND
  • Gashlin LZ, Groth CM, Wiegand TJ, et al. Comparison of alcohol withdrawal outcomes in patients treated with benzodiazepines alone versus adjunctive phenobarbital: a retrospective cohort study. Asia Pac J Med Toxicol 2015;4:31-6.

    BACKGROUND
  • Hjermo I, Anderson JE, Fink-Jensen A, Allerup P, Ulrichsen J. Phenobarbital versus diazepam for delirium tremens--a retrospective study. Dan Med Bull. 2010 Aug;57(8):A4169.

    PMID: 20682133BACKGROUND
  • Askgaard G, Hallas J, Fink-Jensen A, Molander AC, Madsen KG, Pottegard A. Phenobarbital compared to benzodiazepines in alcohol withdrawal treatment: A register-based cohort study of subsequent benzodiazepine use, alcohol recidivism and mortality. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2016 Apr 1;161:258-64. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.02.016. Epub 2016 Feb 18.

    PMID: 26922279BACKGROUND
  • Mo Y, Thomas MC, Karras GE Jr. Barbiturates for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome: A systematic review of clinical trials. J Crit Care. 2016 Apr;32:101-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2015.11.022. Epub 2015 Dec 8.

    PMID: 26795441BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium

Interventions

PhenobarbitalLorazepam

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous SystemNeurotoxicity SyndromesNervous System DiseasesPoisoningChemically-Induced DisordersAlcohol-Induced DisordersAlcohol-Related DisordersSubstance-Related DisordersSubstance Withdrawal SyndromeMental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

BarbituratesPyrimidinonesPyrimidinesHeterocyclic Compounds, 1-RingHeterocyclic CompoundsBenzodiazepinonesBenzodiazepinesBenzazepinesHeterocyclic Compounds, 2-RingHeterocyclic Compounds, Fused-Ring

Study Officials

  • Bhagat Aulakh, MD

    OSF Healthcare System

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
phase 4
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Model Details: 2 arms
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

October 16, 2019

First Posted

November 7, 2019

Study Start

July 6, 2020

Primary Completion

December 1, 2021

Study Completion

March 1, 2022

Last Updated

October 8, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-10

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Locations