COVID-19-associated ARDS treated with DEXamethasone (CoDEX): Study design and rationale for a randomized trial.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVESThe infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) spreads worldwide and is considered a pandemic. The most common manifestation of SARS-CoV2 infection (Coronavirus disease 2019 - COVID-19) is viral pneumonia with varying degrees of respiratory compromise and up to 40% of hospitalized patients might develop Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Several clinical trials evaluated the role of corticosteroids in non-COVID-19 ARDS with conflicting results. We designed a trial to evaluate the effectiveness of early intravenous dexamethasone administration on the number of days alive and free of mechanical ventilation within 28 days after randomization in adult patients with moderate or severe ARDS due to confirmed or probable COVID-19. METHODSThis is a pragmatic, prospective, randomized, stratified, multicenter, open-label, controlled trial including 350 patients with early-onset (less than 48h before randomization) moderate or severe ARDS, defined by the Berlin criteria, due to COVID-19. Eligible patients will be randomly allocated to either standard treatment plus dexamethasone (intervention group) or standard treatment without dexamethasone (control group). Patients in the intervention group will receive dexamethasone 20mg IV once daily for 5 days, followed by dexamethasone 10mg IV once daily for additional 5 days or until Intensive Care Unit (ICU) discharge, whichever occurs first. The primary outcome is ventilator-free days within 28 days after randomization, defined as days alive and free from invasive mechanical ventilation. Secondary outcomes are all-cause mortality rates at day 28, evaluation of the clinical status at day 15 assessed with a 6-level ordinal scale, mechanical ventilation duration from randomization to day 28, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) Score evaluation at 48h, 72h and 7 days and ICU-free days within 28. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATIONThis trial was approved by the Brazilian National Committee of Ethics in Research (Comissao Nacional de Etica em Pesquisa - CONEP) and National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA). An independent data monitoring committee will perform interim analyses and evaluate adverse events throughout the trial. Results will be submitted for publication after enrolment and follow-up are complete. ClinicalTrials.gov identifierNCT04327401