Could a blue dye help reverse septic shock?
NCT ID NCT06532240
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether methylene blue, a dye used in medicine, can help adults with septic shock recover faster. 88 participants received either methylene blue or a placebo for up to 5 days. The main goal was to see how quickly blood pressure stabilized without other drugs.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- methylene blue
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new way to treat septic shock and reduce time on blood pressure support.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with 88 participants. Results may not apply to all patients, and methylene blue can cause side effects like allergic reactions or interactions with other drugs.
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
-
Phase 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
-
88 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Aug 2024
- Finished
-
Oct 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
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
-
18 to 90 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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. age 18 years old or older; 2. diagnosis of septic shock within 12 h. Exclusion Criteria: 1. recent intake (4-weeks) of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors; 2. pregnant; 3. definitive pulmonary hypertension or chronic pulmonary heart disease; 4. known glucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6PD) deficiency; 5. known allergy to methylene blue, phenothiazines, or food dyes; 6. anticipated death from a preexisting disease within 90 days after randomization (as determined by the enrolling physician); 7. refusal of the attending staff or patient family; 8. participated in other study.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Northern Jiangsu people's hospital
Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225000, China
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Chilling fever: can cooling septic shock patients save lives?
- Bedside eye scans may reveal hidden blood flow problems in septic shock
- Can two blood markers catch sepsis before it turns deadly?
- Two cheap blood ratios put to the test as sepsis death predictors
- Can a bedside ultrasound predict which septic shock patients will stop breathing on their own?
- Can a computer model speed up sepsis blood tests?