Hypertonic Lactate After Cardiac Arrest

Background: In resuscitated patients after cardiac arrest, ischemic brain injury and cardiac depression due to the reperfusion injury are accountable for high mortality rate and poor outcome. Hypertonic sodium lactate (HSL) solutions have been proven to be safe in healthy volunteers and they have shown some benefits in patients with traumatic brain injury and those with myocardial ischemia and could decrease the burden of hypoxic lesions in these organs. The aim of this phase II study is to investigate whether HSL administration could reduce organ damage related biomarkers in serum and if the administrations of these solutions is safe and feasible in resuscitated patients after cardiac arrest.

Design: an investigator initiated, randomized, controlled, open label phase II clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of the infusion of HSL in resuscitated patients after cardiac arrest admitted to the hospital. After resuscitation from CA, comatose patients will be screened for eligibility and randomized to receive either study treatment as HSL 1M infusion for 24h or standard of care.

Expected outcomes: This controlled trial will assess the safety and efficacy of the 1M HSL infusion in a cohort of comatose resuscitated patients after cardiac arrest. The results of this trial may provide useful information for a larger phase III clinical trial.

Inclusion criteria

• Age > 18 years old
• Sustained (> 20 minutes) return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC)
• Comatose (GCS < 9)
• Time to ROSC > 15'

Exclusion criteria

• Protected categories (Pregnant women)
• Anticipated withdrawal of support within 24 hours
• Traumatic cause of cardiac arrest
• Body weight at admission > 120Kg