Could a simple protein infusion save more lives from septic shock?
NCT ID NCT05148286
First seen Jul 16, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial investigates whether giving the protein albumin together with standard intravenous fluids during the first hours of treatment can reduce deaths in people with septic shock. About 2,400 adults arriving at emergency departments with septic shock will be randomly assigned to receive either albumin plus crystalloid fluids or crystalloid fluids alone. The main goal is to see if adding albumin lowers the chance of dying within 28 days.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- a combination of 20% human albumin and crystalloid fluids given intravenously
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could establish a simple, widely available addition to initial fluid therapy that reduces deaths from septic shock.
- What could go wrong
- This is a single open-label trial; prior studies have shown mixed results for albumin in sepsis, and the benefit may be modest or absent.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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About 2,426 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2022
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adult patients (≥ 18 years) who visit an ED directly and are suspected of sepsis with shock * Shock is defined as hypotension (mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) \< 65 or systolic blood pressure \< 80) and tissue hypoperfusion such as an initial serum lactate level ≥ 4 mmol/dL. Exclusion Criteria: * patients who are transferred from another hospital after initial fluid administration * patients who have set limitations on treatment (e.g. patients with a signed do-not-resuscitate order) * patients with moribund conditions with life expectancy less than 28 days due to secondary diseases or advanced malignant disease and palliative situations with life expectancy less than 6 months * patients who have been administered albumin before enrollment * patients who have known hypersensitivity to albumin * Clinical conditions, where albumin administration may be unfavorable (e.g. pulmonary edema, congestive heart failure, traumatic brain injury) * lactation * patients who do not voluntarily consent to participate in the trial.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Asan Medical Center
RECRUITINGSeoul, 05505, South Korea
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a blood filter strip away toxins in septic shock?
- Which ultrasound tool spots fluid overload sooner in septic shock?
- Can a drug rev up the immune system to fight sepsis?
- Can an antidepressant stabilize blood pressure in septic shock?
- Can a simple leg raise guide sepsis fluid treatment?
- A new blood marker may outperform lactate in predicting septic shock survival