NCT07657715Not yet recruiting
Effects of Dexmedetomidine on Sublingual Microcirculation and Vascular Waterfall Phenomenon in Patients With Septic Shock
Effects of Dexmedetomidine on Sublingual Microcirculation and Vascular Waterfall Phenomenon in Patients With Septic Shock: A Prospective, Multicenter, Single-arm, Open-label, Pilot Physiological Study
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 18 Jun 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
This prospective, multicenter, single-arm, open-label interventional pilot study aims to evaluate the short-term physiological effects of intravenous dexmedetomidine on sublingual microcirculation and vascular-waterfall parameters in adult patients with septic shock. Eligible patients will have septic shock according to Sepsis-3 criteria, require norepinephrine support after adequate fluid resuscitation, receive invasive mechanical ventilation, and have PiCCO-based hemodynamic monitoring available before dexmedetomidine initiation. After baseline assessment, participants will receive intravenous dexmedetomidine according to the study protocol. Dexmedetomidine will be administered as a continuous intravenous infusion at 0.2-0.7 µg/kg/hour without a loading dose. The infusion rate may be adjusted according to the target sedation level, hemodynamic status, and adverse effects. Sublingual microcirculatory variables, including microvascular flow index, perfused vessel density, proportion of perfused vessels, and heterogeneity index, as well as vascular-waterfall parameters, including estimated critical closing pressure, estimated mean systemic filling pressure, and the Pcc-Pmsf gradient, will be measured at baseline, 3 hours, and 6 hours after initiation of dexmedetomidine. Systemic hemodynamic, perfusion, vasopressor, PiCCO-derived, sedation-related, and safety outcomes will also be collected. The primary objective is to characterize immediate changes in sublingual microcirculation and vascular-waterfall physiology after dexmedetomidine administration and to provide preliminary data for future controlled studies.
- Status (registry)
- Not yet recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 20 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 14 Jun 2026
- Start date
- 1 Aug 2026
- Primary completion date
- 1 Dec 2027
- Lead sponsor
- First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College
- NCT number
- NCT07657715
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 20
- From 1 Aug 2026 to the primary completion date, 1 Dec 2027
- 2 sites in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Other illness
- Known allergy or hypersensitivity to dexmedetomidine.
- Severe bradycardia or clinically significant conduction abnormality before enrollment, including heart rate \<50 beats/min, second-degree or third-degree atrioventricular block, sick sinus syndrome, or other conduction abnormality without a functioning pacemaker.
- Severe uncontrolled arrhythmia, acute coronary syndrome, or clinically significant myocardial ischemia before enrollment.
- Conditions interfering with sublingual microcirculatory assessment, including major oral or sublingual lesions, active oral bleeding, inability to access the sublingual area, or poor baseline image quality.
Other
- Shock primarily caused by non-septic etiologies, including cardiogenic, hypovolemic, obstructive, hemorrhagic, or anaphylactic shock.
- Expected death or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment within 24 hours.
- Severe hemodynamic instability judged unsuitable for dexmedetomidine by the treating physician, including refractory hypotension or rapidly escalating vasopressor requirement.
- Severe hepatic dysfunction judged by the investigator to substantially increase the risk of dexmedetomidine accumulation or adverse effects.
- Pregnancy or lactation.
- Participation in another interventional clinical trial that may affect study outcomes or safety.
Who the study is looking for
- Age 18-85 years.
- Diagnosis of septic shock according to Sepsis-3 criteria, defined as suspected or documented infection with vasopressor requirement to maintain mean arterial pressure ≥65 mmHg and serum lactate \>2 mmol/L after adequate fluid resuscitation.
- Enrollment within 24 hours after diagnosis of septic shock in the ICU.
- Receiving invasive mechanical ventilation.
- Receiving continuous intravenous sedative and/or analgesic therapy other than dexmedetomidine before enrollment, with a clinical decision to add dexmedetomidine for sedation management.
- Continuous norepinephrine infusion at enrollment.
- PiCCO catheter in place and PiCCO-based hemodynamic monitoring available before dexmedetomidine initiation.
- Written informed consent obtained from the patient or legally authorized representative.
Age in the registry: 18 years to 85 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (2)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Bengbu | China | Unknown status |
| The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College) Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Wuhu | China | Unknown status |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.