Grant: Project Grant

Septic shock, a life-threatening infection, is among the most common reasons for admission to intensive care units in Canada and is a leading cause of death. Septic shock leads to uncontrolled inflammation and coagulation abnormalities that leads to death in up to 50% of patients. Apart from antibiotics and supportive care, there are few treatments available to improve survival. Therapeutic plasma exchange is a commonly used procedure that, if used in septic shock, could potentially save lives by removing harmful substances and replacing missing blood components serving to restore balance. Plasma exchange appears to demonstrate positive benefit in several published foundational studies. In preparation for an international randomized controlled trial, we are planning a pilot study in Canada. The primary aim of this pilot study is to evaluate our ability to recruit enough patients per month to demonstrate the feasibility of a larger trial designed to answer the question "does plasma exchange reduce mortality in patients with septic shock". Our secondary aims are to evaluate adherence to the protocol, safety of the procedure and to study biologic signals to help understand how plasma exchange might be working.