NCT04358835

Brief Summary

Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) is a devastating viral illness that originated in Wuhan China in late 2019 and there are nearly 2 million confirmed cases. The mortality rate is approximately 5% of reported cases and over half of patients that require mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure. As the disease continues to spread, strategies for reducing duration of ventilator support in patients with COVID-19 could significantly reduce morbidity and mortality of these individuals and future patients requiring this severely limited life-saving resource. Methods to improve gas exchange and to reduce the inflammatory response in COVID-19 are desperately needed to save lives. The ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carbohydrate, adequate-protein diet that promotes metabolic ketosis (ketone body production) through hepatic metabolism of fatty acids. High fat, low carbohydrate diets have been shown to reduce duration of ventilator support and partial pressure carbon dioxide in patients with acute respiratory failure. In addition, metabolic ketosis reduces systemic inflammation. This mechanism could be leveraged to halt the cytokine storm characteristic of COVID-19 infection. The hypothesis of this study is that the administration of a ketogenic diet will improve gas exchange, reduce inflammation, and duration of mechanical ventilation. The plan is to enroll 15 intubated patients with COVID 19 infection and administer a 4:1 ketogenic formula during their intubation.

Trial Health

15
At Risk

Trial Health Score

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

Trial has exceeded expected completion date
Timeline
Completed

Started Sep 2020

Typical duration for not_applicable covid19

Status
withdrawn

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

April 16, 2020

Completed
8 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

April 24, 2020

Completed
4 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

September 1, 2020

Completed
1 year until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

September 1, 2021

Completed
4 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 31, 2021

Completed
Last Updated

August 25, 2020

Status Verified

August 1, 2020

Enrollment Period

1 year

First QC Date

April 16, 2020

Last Update Submit

August 21, 2020

Conditions

Keywords

ketogenic dietIntensive careCOVID-19Mechanical ventilationIntubated patientscoronavirus

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Change in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2)

    PaCO2 is the partial pressure of carbon dioxide Units: millimeters of mercury

    Daily until the patient is wean off the ventilator or die, whichever came first, assessed up to 10 days

Secondary Outcomes (34)

  • Change in minute ventilation

    every 6 hours until the patient is wean off the ventilator or die, whichever came first, assessed up to 10 days

  • Change in respiratory system compliance

    every 6 hours until the patient is wean off the ventilator or die, whichever came first, assessed up to 10 days

  • Change in driving pressure

    every 6 hours until the patient is wean off the ventilator or die, whichever came first, assessed up to 10 days

  • Change in ventilator synchrony

    every 6 hours until the patient is wean off the ventilator or die, whichever came first, assessed up to 10 days

  • Change in mean arterial pressure

    every 6 hours until the patient is wean off the ventilator or die, whichever came first, assessed up to 10 days

  • +29 more secondary outcomes

Other Outcomes (22)

  • Change in total blood cholesterol level

    At baseline and every 24 hours until the patient is wean off the ventilator or die, whichever came first, assessed up to 10 days

  • Change in blood low-density lipoprotein level

    At baseline and every 24 hours until the patient is wean off the ventilator or die, whichever came first, assessed up to 10 days

  • Change in blood high-density lipoprotein level

    At baseline and every 24 hours until the patient is wean off the ventilator or die, whichever came first, assessed up to 10 days

  • +19 more other outcomes

Study Arms (1)

Intubated patients with COVID-19 on a ketogenic diet only

EXPERIMENTAL

4:1 ketogenic diet formula

Dietary Supplement: Ketogenic dietOther: standard of care

Interventions

Ketogenic dietDIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

4:1 ratio enteral ketogenic formula within 48 hours of intubation

Intubated patients with COVID-19 on a ketogenic diet only

standard of care/supportive therapy

Intubated patients with COVID-19 on a ketogenic diet only

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 80 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Patients age 18 and older.
  • COVID-19 positive and respiratory failure requiring intubation
  • Legally authorized representative

You may not qualify if:

  • Unstable metabolic condition
  • Liver failure
  • Acute Pancreatitis
  • Inability to tolerate enteral feeds, ileus, gastrointestinal bleeding
  • Known Pregnancy
  • Received propofol infusion within 24 hours
  • Known fatty acid oxidation disorder or pyruvate carboxylase deficiency

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Related Publications (33)

  • Ji Y, Ma Z, Peppelenbosch MP, Pan Q. Potential association between COVID-19 mortality and health-care resource availability. Lancet Glob Health. 2020 Apr;8(4):e480. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30068-1. Epub 2020 Feb 25. No abstract available.

    PMID: 32109372BACKGROUND
  • al-Saady NM, Blackmore CM, Bennett ED. High fat, low carbohydrate, enteral feeding lowers PaCO2 and reduces the period of ventilation in artificially ventilated patients. Intensive Care Med. 1989;15(5):290-5. doi: 10.1007/BF00263863.

    PMID: 2504796BACKGROUND
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    PMID: 7995861BACKGROUND
  • Cervenka MC, Hartman AL, Venkatesan A, Geocadin RG, Kossoff EH. The ketogenic diet for medically and surgically refractory status epilepticus in the neurocritical care unit. Neurocrit Care. 2011 Dec;15(3):519-24. doi: 10.1007/s12028-011-9546-3.

    PMID: 21523523BACKGROUND
  • Cervenka MC, Hocker S, Koenig M, Bar B, Henry-Barron B, Kossoff EH, Hartman AL, Probasco JC, Benavides DR, Venkatesan A, Hagen EC, Dittrich D, Stern T, Radzik B, Depew M, Caserta FM, Nyquist P, Kaplan PW, Geocadin RG. Phase I/II multicenter ketogenic diet study for adult superrefractory status epilepticus. Neurology. 2017 Mar 7;88(10):938-943. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000003690. Epub 2017 Feb 8.

    PMID: 28179470BACKGROUND
  • McDonald TJW, Cervenka MC. Ketogenic Diets for Adults With Highly Refractory Epilepsy. Epilepsy Curr. 2017 Nov-Dec;17(6):346-350. doi: 10.5698/1535-7597.17.6.346.

    PMID: 29217974BACKGROUND
  • Williams TJ, Cervenka MC. The role for ketogenic diets in epilepsy and status epilepticus in adults. Clin Neurophysiol Pract. 2017 Jul 1;2:154-160. doi: 10.1016/j.cnp.2017.06.001. eCollection 2017.

    PMID: 30214989BACKGROUND
  • Thakur KT, Probasco JC, Hocker SE, Roehl K, Henry B, Kossoff EH, Kaplan PW, Geocadin RG, Hartman AL, Venkatesan A, Cervenka MC. Ketogenic diet for adults in super-refractory status epilepticus. Neurology. 2014 Feb 25;82(8):665-70. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000151. Epub 2014 Jan 22.

    PMID: 24453083BACKGROUND
  • McDonald TJW, Henry-Barron BJ, Felton EA, Gutierrez EG, Barnett J, Fisher R, Lwin M, Jan A, Vizthum D, Kossoff EH, Cervenka MC. Improving compliance in adults with epilepsy on a modified Atkins diet: A randomized trial. Seizure. 2018 Aug;60:132-138. doi: 10.1016/j.seizure.2018.06.019. Epub 2018 Jun 22.

    PMID: 29960852BACKGROUND
  • Park EG, Lee J, Lee J. The ketogenic diet for super-refractory status epilepticus patients in intensive care units. Brain Dev. 2019 May;41(5):420-427. doi: 10.1016/j.braindev.2018.12.007. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

    PMID: 30638692BACKGROUND
  • Peng P, Peng J, Yin F, Deng X, Chen C, He F, Wang X, Guang S, Mao L. Ketogenic Diet as a Treatment for Super-Refractory Status Epilepticus in Febrile Infection-Related Epilepsy Syndrome. Front Neurol. 2019 Apr 26;10:423. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00423. eCollection 2019.

    PMID: 31105638BACKGROUND
  • Fried PI, McClean PA, Phillipson EA, Zamel N, Murray FT, Marliss EB. Effect of ketosis on respiratory sensitivity to carbon dioxide in obesity. N Engl J Med. 1976 May 13;294(20):1081-6. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197605132942003.

    PMID: 1256524BACKGROUND
  • Tagliabue A, Bertoli S, Trentani C, Borrelli P, Veggiotti P. Effects of the ketogenic diet on nutritional status, resting energy expenditure, and substrate oxidation in patients with medically refractory epilepsy: a 6-month prospective observational study. Clin Nutr. 2012 Apr;31(2):246-9. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2011.09.012. Epub 2011 Oct 20.

    PMID: 22019282BACKGROUND
  • Rubini A, Bosco G, Lodi A, Cenci L, Parmagnani A, Grimaldi K, Zhongjin Y, Paoli A. Effects of Twenty Days of the Ketogenic Diet on Metabolic and Respiratory Parameters in Healthy Subjects. Lung. 2015 Dec;193(6):939-45. doi: 10.1007/s00408-015-9806-7. Epub 2015 Sep 26.

    PMID: 26410589BACKGROUND
  • Ruskin DN, Ross JL, Kawamura M Jr, Ruiz TL, Geiger JD, Masino SA. A ketogenic diet delays weight loss and does not impair working memory or motor function in the R6/2 1J mouse model of Huntington's disease. Physiol Behav. 2011 Jul 6;103(5):501-7. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.04.001. Epub 2011 Apr 9.

    PMID: 21501628BACKGROUND
  • Yang X, Cheng B. Neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory activities of ketogenic diet on MPTP-induced neurotoxicity. J Mol Neurosci. 2010 Oct;42(2):145-53. doi: 10.1007/s12031-010-9336-y. Epub 2010 Mar 24.

    PMID: 20333481BACKGROUND
  • Fraser DA, Thoen J, Bondhus S, Haugen M, Reseland JE, Djoseland O, Forre O, Kjeldsen-Kragh J. Reduction in serum leptin and IGF-1 but preserved T-lymphocyte numbers and activation after a ketogenic diet in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2000 Mar-Apr;18(2):209-14.

    PMID: 10812493BACKGROUND
  • Fraser DA, Thoen J, Djoseland O, Forre O, Kjeldsen-Kragh J. Serum levels of interleukin-6 and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate in response to either fasting or a ketogenic diet in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2000 May-Jun;18(3):357-62.

    PMID: 10895373BACKGROUND
  • Schreck KC, Lwin M, Strowd RE, Henry-Barron BJ, Blakeley JO, Cervenka MC. Effect of ketogenic diets on leukocyte counts in patients with epilepsy. Nutr Neurosci. 2019 Jul;22(7):522-527. doi: 10.1080/1028415X.2017.1416740. Epub 2017 Dec 18.

    PMID: 29254457BACKGROUND
  • Chen C, Zhang XR, Ju ZY, He WF. [Advances in the research of mechanism and related immunotherapy on the cytokine storm induced by coronavirus disease 2019]. Zhonghua Shao Shang Za Zhi. 2020 Jun 20;36(6):471-475. doi: 10.3760/cma.j.cn501120-20200224-00088. Chinese.

    PMID: 32114747BACKGROUND
  • Buyken AE, Goletzke J, Joslowski G, Felbick A, Cheng G, Herder C, Brand-Miller JC. Association between carbohydrate quality and inflammatory markers: systematic review of observational and interventional studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Apr;99(4):813-33. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.074252. Epub 2014 Feb 19.

    PMID: 24552752BACKGROUND
  • Dupuis N, Curatolo N, Benoist JF, Auvin S. Ketogenic diet exhibits anti-inflammatory properties. Epilepsia. 2015 Jul;56(7):e95-8. doi: 10.1111/epi.13038. Epub 2015 May 23.

    PMID: 26011473BACKGROUND
  • Youm YH, Nguyen KY, Grant RW, Goldberg EL, Bodogai M, Kim D, D'Agostino D, Planavsky N, Lupfer C, Kanneganti TD, Kang S, Horvath TL, Fahmy TM, Crawford PA, Biragyn A, Alnemri E, Dixit VD. The ketone metabolite beta-hydroxybutyrate blocks NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammatory disease. Nat Med. 2015 Mar;21(3):263-9. doi: 10.1038/nm.3804. Epub 2015 Feb 16.

    PMID: 25686106BACKGROUND
  • Bae HR, Kim DH, Park MH, Lee B, Kim MJ, Lee EK, Chung KW, Kim SM, Im DS, Chung HY. beta-Hydroxybutyrate suppresses inflammasome formation by ameliorating endoplasmic reticulum stress via AMPK activation. Oncotarget. 2016 Oct 11;7(41):66444-66454. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.12119.

    PMID: 27661104BACKGROUND
  • Deora V, Albornoz EA, Zhu K, Woodruff TM, Gordon R. The Ketone Body beta-Hydroxybutyrate Does Not Inhibit Synuclein Mediated Inflammasome Activation in Microglia. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 2017 Dec;12(4):568-574. doi: 10.1007/s11481-017-9754-5. Epub 2017 Aug 23.

    PMID: 28836226BACKGROUND
  • Goldberg EL, Asher JL, Molony RD, Shaw AC, Zeiss CJ, Wang C, Morozova-Roche LA, Herzog RI, Iwasaki A, Dixit VD. beta-Hydroxybutyrate Deactivates Neutrophil NLRP3 Inflammasome to Relieve Gout Flares. Cell Rep. 2017 Feb 28;18(9):2077-2087. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.02.004.

    PMID: 28249154BACKGROUND
  • Yamanashi T, Iwata M, Kamiya N, Tsunetomi K, Kajitani N, Wada N, Iitsuka T, Yamauchi T, Miura A, Pu S, Shirayama Y, Watanabe K, Duman RS, Kaneko K. Beta-hydroxybutyrate, an endogenic NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor, attenuates stress-induced behavioral and inflammatory responses. Sci Rep. 2017 Aug 9;7(1):7677. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-08055-1.

    PMID: 28794421BACKGROUND
  • Baumeister FA, Oberhoffer R, Liebhaber GM, Kunkel J, Eberhardt J, Holthausen H, Peters J. Fatal propofol infusion syndrome in association with ketogenic diet. Neuropediatrics. 2004 Aug;35(4):250-2. doi: 10.1055/s-2004-820992.

    PMID: 15328567BACKGROUND
  • Brozova K, Broz J. The risk of hypoglycemia and the ketogenic diet for super-refractory status epilepticus patients. Brain Dev. 2019 Sep;41(8):740. doi: 10.1016/j.braindev.2019.02.008. Epub 2019 Feb 22. No abstract available.

    PMID: 30803732BACKGROUND
  • Cervenka MC, Henry BJ, Felton EA, Patton K, Kossoff EH. Establishing an Adult Epilepsy Diet Center: Experience, efficacy and challenges. Epilepsy Behav. 2016 May;58:61-8. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2016.02.038. Epub 2016 Apr 6.

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  • van der Louw EJ, Williams TJ, Henry-Barron BJ, Olieman JF, Duvekot JJ, Vermeulen MJ, Bannink N, Williams M, Neuteboom RF, Kossoff EH, Catsman-Berrevoets CE, Cervenka MC. Ketogenic diet therapy for epilepsy during pregnancy: A case series. Seizure. 2017 Feb;45:198-201. doi: 10.1016/j.seizure.2016.12.019. Epub 2016 Dec 26.

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  • Kossoff EH, Zupec-Kania BA, Auvin S, Ballaban-Gil KR, Christina Bergqvist AG, Blackford R, Buchhalter JR, Caraballo RH, Cross JH, Dahlin MG, Donner EJ, Guzel O, Jehle RS, Klepper J, Kang HC, Lambrechts DA, Liu YMC, Nathan JK, Nordli DR Jr, Pfeifer HH, Rho JM, Scheffer IE, Sharma S, Stafstrom CE, Thiele EA, Turner Z, Vaccarezza MM, van der Louw EJTM, Veggiotti P, Wheless JW, Wirrell EC; Charlie Foundation; Matthew's Friends; Practice Committee of the Child Neurology Society. Optimal clinical management of children receiving dietary therapies for epilepsy: Updated recommendations of the International Ketogenic Diet Study Group. Epilepsia Open. 2018 May 21;3(2):175-192. doi: 10.1002/epi4.12225. eCollection 2018 Jun.

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  • Correction to Lancet Respir Med 2020; published online Feb 21. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30079-5. Lancet Respir Med. 2020 Apr;8(4):e26. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30103-X. Epub 2020 Feb 28. No abstract available.

    PMID: 32119827BACKGROUND

Related Links

MeSH Terms

Conditions

COVID-19Coronavirus Infections

Interventions

Diet, KetogenicStandard of Care

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pneumonia, ViralPneumoniaRespiratory Tract InfectionsInfectionsVirus DiseasesCoronaviridae InfectionsNidovirales InfectionsRNA Virus InfectionsLung DiseasesRespiratory Tract Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Diet, Carbohydrate-RestrictedDiet TherapyNutrition TherapyTherapeuticsDietNutritional Physiological PhenomenaDiet, Food, and NutritionPhysiological PhenomenaQuality Indicators, Health CareQuality of Health CareHealth Services AdministrationHealth Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation

Study Officials

  • Mackenzie Cervenka, MD

    Johns Hopkins University

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
0

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
NA
Masking
NONE
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
SINGLE GROUP
Model Details: This is a single-center, open-label, clinical trial designed to determine whether a ketogenic diet improves gas exchange and reduces ventilator requirements in patients with coronavirus disease intubated for respiratory failure. The study team will prospectively enroll 15 intubated patients with COVID-19 infection and administer a 4:1 ratio enteral ketogenic formula within 48 hours of intubation. This study will compare outcomes to a retrospective cohort of intubated patients with COVID-19 who did not receive ketogenic diet. As other clinical trials begin, co-administration of other therapies as well as standard care treatments will be recorded. In addition, the study will compare clinical outcomes with patients receiving exclusively standard clinical care.
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

April 16, 2020

First Posted

April 24, 2020

Study Start

September 1, 2020

Primary Completion

September 1, 2021

Study Completion

December 31, 2021

Last Updated

August 25, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-08