Trends in Anesthesiology

An NIH-supported clinical trial found that intravenous acetaminophen reduced the risk of organ injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in sepsis patients, particularly benefiting the sickest individuals. Sepsis often leads to high rates of red blood cell injury, releasing cell-free hemoglobin into the blood, which can cause organ damage. Acetaminophen has been shown to block the harmful effects of cell-free hemoglobin on the lungs. The trial enrolled 447 adults with sepsis and respiratory or circulatory dysfunction across 40 hospitals. Patients received either acetaminophen or a placebo intravenously every six hours for five days and were monitored for 28 days. The results showed that acetaminophen was safe and significantly reduced organ injury and the rate of ARDS onset within seven days of admission. Specifically, only 8% of patients with high levels of cell-free hemoglobin in the acetaminophen group required assisted ventilation, compared to 23% in the placebo group. Identifying high levels of cell-free hemoglobin as a biomarker could help determine which sepsis patients at high risk for organ damage might benefit from acetaminophen therapy.

Source: asamonitor.pub/4c9XD63