Could a common steroid shorten hospital stays for severe pancreatitis?
NCT ID NCT05160506
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a short course of the steroid hydrocortisone can reduce inflammation and improve outcomes for people with severe pancreatitis. Researchers will give the drug or a placebo to 86 ICU patients and track their organ failure scores and hospital stay length. The goal is to see if this simple anti-inflammatory approach can prevent the disease from getting worse.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Hydrocortisone (a steroid anti-inflammatory drug)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a simple, short-term treatment to reduce complications and shorten hospital stays for severe pancreatitis.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial (86 people) testing a common drug, so results may not be definitive. Steroids also carry risks like infection or blood sugar changes.
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 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 86 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2022
- Expected to finish
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Apr 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 to 99 years
- 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: 1. Adult (≥18 years) 2. Acute pancreatitis as defined by a clinical diagnosis of pancreatitis and a lipase level ≥3x the upper limit of normal. 3. Admission or planned admission to an intensive care unit 4. SOFA disease severity score ≥3 (or at least 3 points above a known baseline) Exclusion Criteria: 1. Known diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis 2. Existing clinical indication for corticosteroids at a dose \>5mg of oral prednisone daily (or equivalent) 3. Contraindication to receiving corticosteroids 4. Protected populations (prisoners) 5. Pregnancy
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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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Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can a vast image library unlock better pancreatic diagnoses?
- Blood cell ratios may flag dangerous pancreatitis early