Acetaminophen and Ascorbate in Sepsis: Targeted Therapy to Enhance Recovery

Hypothesis 1A: Acetaminophen (APAP) or Vitamin C infusion will increase the days alive and free of organ support to day 28.

Hypothesis 1B: APAP or Vitamin C will have a favorable effect on other secondary outcomes including pulmonary and non-pulmonary organ dysfunction and biomarkers of inflammation and endothelial injury

The investigators plan to carry out two multi-center phase 2b randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trials of two different pharmacologic therapies within a single platform trial.

• One trial will assess the efficacy of Acetaminophen (1 gram intravenously every 6 hours) for 120 hours in patients with sepsis who have evidence of either hemodynamic or respiratory organ failure.
• A second trial will assess the efficacy of Vitamin C (50 mg/kg every 6 hours) infused intravenously for 120 hours in patients with sepsis who have evidence of either hemodynamic or respiratory organ failure.

A total of 900 participants who meet all of the inclusion criteria and none of the exclusion criteria, were planned be randomized in a 2:1:2:1 fashion (APAP-Active: APAP-Placebo: Vit C-Active: Vit C-Placebo). The APAP and Vitamin C trials were planned to be resulted separately. With the closure of the Vitamin C arm in June 2022; the study proceeded with the APAP and Placebo arms with a 1:1 randomization scheme. The total sample size for the APAP trial was 447 participants (227 in the active arm and 220 in the placebo arm). The total sample size for the Vitamin C trial was 79 (40 in the active arm and 39 in the placebo arm). The total combined number in the 4 arms of the ASTER trial was 526 (227 APAP active, 220 APAP placebo, 40 Vit C active, 39 Vit C placebo), although a total of only 487 patients were actually randomized (this is due to the 39 pooled placebo patients that appear in both trials).

Inclusion criteria

• Age ≥ 18 years
• Sepsis defined as:

• Clinical evidence of a known or suspected infection and orders written to administer antibiotics AND
• Hypotension as defined by the need for any vasopressor (and 1 liter of fluid already administered intravenously for resuscitation) OR respiratory failure defined by mechanical ventilation, BIPAP or CPAP at any level, or greater than or equal to 6 liters/minute of supplemental oxygen (criterion b must be met at time of enrollment)
• Admitted to a study site ICU (or intent for the patient to be admitted to a study site ICU) within 36 hours of presentation to the ED or admitted to the study site ICU within 36 hours of presentation to any acute care hospital

Exclusion criteria

• No consent/inability to obtain consent from the participant or a legally authorized representative
• Patient unable to be randomized within 36 hours of presentation to the ED or within 36 hours of presentation to any acute care hospital
• Diagnosis of cirrhosis by medical chart review
• Liver transplant recipient
• AST or ALT greater than five times upper limit of normal
• Diagnosis of ongoing chronic alcohol use disorder/abuse by chart review; if medical record unclear, use Appendix F
• Clinical diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis or other condition such as profound hypoglycemia that requires hourly blood glucose monitoring (applicable to the 4 arm (Vitamin C/placebo vs. Acetaminophen/placebo) phase of the trial)
• Hypersensitivity to Acetaminophen or Vitamin C
• Patient, surrogate or physician not committed to full support (Exception: a patient will not be excluded if he/she would receive all supportive care except for attempts at resuscitation from cardiac arrest)
• Home assisted ventilation (via tracheotomy or noninvasive) except for CPAP/BIPAP used only for sleep-disordered breathing
• Chronic dialysis
• Current active kidney stone (applicable to the 4 arm (Vitamin C/placebo vs. Acetaminophen/placebo) phase of the trial)
• Multiple (>1) episodes of prior kidney stones, known history of oxalate kidney stones, or history of oxalate nephropathy. (applicable to the 4 arm (Vitamin C/placebo vs. Acetaminophen/placebo) phase of the trial)
• Kidney transplant recipient (applicable to the 4 arm (Vitamin C/placebo vs. Acetaminophen/placebo) phase of the trial)
• Use of home oxygen >3L/minute via nasal cannula for chronic cardiopulmonary disease
• Moribund patient not expected to survive 24 hours
• Underlying malignancy or other condition with estimated life expectancy of less than 1 month
• Pregnant woman, woman of childbearing potential without a documented negative urine or serum pregnancy test during the current hospitalization, or woman who is breast feeding
• Prisoner
• Treating team unwilling to enroll because of intended use of Acetaminophen or Vitamin C
• Treating team unwilling to use plasma (as opposed to point of care testing) for glucose monitoring (applicable to the 4 arm (Vitamin C/placebo vs. Acetaminophen/placebo) phase of the trial).