A Pragmatic Clinical Trial Comparing the Risk of Acute Kidney Injury During Treatment With Vancomycin and Piperacillin-Tazobactam vs. Vancomycin and Cefepime in Hospitalized Patients

NCT ID: NCT06954129

Last Updated: 2025-05-01

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: PHASE4
• Total Enrollment: 750 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-10-31
• Study Completion Date: 2029-07-31

Brief Summary

Hospitalized patients with suspected or confirmed infection are commonly treated with vancomycin (VN) in combination with either piperacillin-tazobactam (PT) or cefepime (CP). Although these regimens have similar effectiveness, recent observational evidence suggests they may differ in terms of the risk for acute kidney injury (AKI). Interpretation of existing evidence is complicated by the limitations of creatinine, the standard biomarker used to monitor kidney function, which has poor sensitivity and specificity for drug induced AKI. To address this important knowledge gap, the investigators propose to conduct a pragmatic, open-label, non-inferiority trial that will examine the comparative risk of AKI between these standard-of-care antibiotic combinations using sensitive and specific markers of drug-induced AKI. We hypothesize that the regimen of VN in combination with PT (VN+PT) is noninferior to the regimen of VN in combination with CP (VN+CP) in terms of AKI risk.

Conditions

Acute Kidney Injury

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Vancomycin with Piperacillin-Tazobactam

Participants in the Vancomycin with Piperacillin-Tazobactam arm will be randomized to initial treatment with Vancomycin with Piperacillin-Tazobactam. Subsequent management of antimicrobial treatment will be at the discretion of treating clinicians

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Vancomycin

Intervention Type: DRUG

Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic used to treat infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria, including those due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Dosing of vancomycin will follow standard of care procedures, including the use of individualized dosing regimens developed in consultation with clinical pharmacists, based on participant body weight and renal function, and dosage titration guided by therapeutic drug monitoring. Vancomycin is administered via intermittent intravenous infusions of 60-90 minutes.

Piperacillin-tazobactam

Intervention Type: DRUG

Piperacillin-tazobactam is an anti-pseudomonal penicillin with a dose range of 2.25 g or 4.5 g and frequency of every 6 or 8 hours based on a participant's body weight, renal function, and clinician discretion. Piperacillin-tazobactam is administered via extended-duration (4 hours) intravenous infusions

Vancomycin with Cefepime

Participants in the Vancomycin with Cefepime arm will be randomized to initial treatment with Vancomycin with Cefepime. Subsequent management of antimicrobial treatment will be at the discretion of treating clinicians

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Vancomycin

Intervention Type: DRUG

Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic used to treat infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria, including those due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Dosing of vancomycin will follow standard of care procedures, including the use of individualized dosing regimens developed in consultation with clinical pharmacists, based on participant body weight and renal function, and dosage titration guided by therapeutic drug monitoring. Vancomycin is administered via intermittent intravenous infusions of 60-90 minutes.

Cefepime

Intervention Type: DRUG

Cefepime is an anti-pseudomonal cephalosporin with a dose range of 500 mg, 1,000 mg, or 2,000 mg, and frequency every 8, 12, or 24 hours based on a participant's body weight, renal function, and clinician discretion. Cefepime is administered via extended-duration (4 hours) intravenous infusions

Interventions

Vancomycin

Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic used to treat infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria, including those due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Dosing of vancomycin will follow standard of care procedures, including the use of individualized dosing regimens developed in consultation with clinical pharmacists, based on participant body weight and renal function, and dosage titration guided by therapeutic drug monitoring. Vancomycin is administered via intermittent intravenous infusions of 60-90 minutes.

Intervention Type: DRUG

Piperacillin-tazobactam

Piperacillin-tazobactam is an anti-pseudomonal penicillin with a dose range of 2.25 g or 4.5 g and frequency of every 6 or 8 hours based on a participant's body weight, renal function, and clinician discretion. Piperacillin-tazobactam is administered via extended-duration (4 hours) intravenous infusions

Intervention Type: DRUG

Cefepime

Cefepime is an anti-pseudomonal cephalosporin with a dose range of 500 mg, 1,000 mg, or 2,000 mg, and frequency every 8, 12, or 24 hours based on a participant's body weight, renal function, and clinician discretion. Cefepime is administered via extended-duration (4 hours) intravenous infusions

Intervention Type: DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Age of at least 18 years

2. Suspected or confirmed infection based on clinical criteria, for which vancomycin with piperacillin-tazobactam or vancomycin with cefepime was prescribed by the treating clinician, as evidenced by orders being placed in the electronic health record

3. The treating clinician considers both vancomycin with piperacillin- tazobactam or vancomycin with cefepime as acceptable treatment

4. The treating clinician anticipates at least 48 hours of antibiotic treatment

Exclusion Criteria

1. Dialysis dependence or documented end stage kidney disease

2. AKI at baseline

3. Expected survival <24 hours and/or presence of do not resuscitate orders

4. History of antibiotic-resistant organisms (microbiological culture results showing bacterial isolates with resistant or intermediate susceptibility to any study drug within the prior 90 days)

5. Documented allergy to vancomycin, cephalosporins, or penicillin

6. Suspected central nervous system infection

7. Inability to provide informed consent or lack of proxy for consent

8. Prisoners/incarcerated individuals

9. Known pregnancy or breastfeeding

10. Previous enrollment in this study

11. Receipt of vancomycin, piperacillin-tazobactam, or cefepime for >24 hours within the preceding 7 days. At the time of screening, one-time doses of vancomycin, with or without piperacillin-tazobactam, or cefepime, will be allowed prior to randomization to avoid treatment delays; such patients must be enrolled within twelve hours of antibiotic administration.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Pennsylvania

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Todd Miano

Assistant Professor of Epidemiology

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Central Contacts

Todd Miano, PharmD, PhD

Role: CONTACT

todd.miano@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

215-573-5568

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Other Identifiers

858301

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id