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A Platform Trial for Gram Negative Bloodstream Infections

Gram-negative Bacteremia

BALANCE+ is a perpetual multiple domain randomized controlled platform trial to evaluate various treatment strategies for Gram-negative bloodstream infections (GN BSIs). Each domain addresses critical questions in the management of GN BSIs, aiming to refine treatment strategies, enhance patient outcomes, and reduce antimicrobial resistance.

The initial vanguard pilot RCT (NCT05893147) started on 29 August 2023 and has successfully completed the pilot phase on 24-Apr-2024. All patients enrolled in the vanguard phase are part of the main platform trial.

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Participation Requirements

  • Sex:

    ALL
  • Eligible Ages:

    0 and up

Participation Criteria

PLATFORM INCLUSION CRITERIA

Platform Inclusion Criteria:

* admitted to a participating hospital
* positive blood culture with Gram negative (GN) bacterium

Platform Exclusion Criteria:

* patient's goals of care are for palliation with no active treatment
* moribund patient, not expected to survive \> 72 hours
* previously enrolled in the platform trial
* not eligible for any domain at the time of screening

DOMAIN SPECIFIC INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA

1. De-escalation versus no de-escalation domain

Inclusion Criteria

- included in BALANCE+ platform

Exclusion Criteria
* receiving an empiric antibiotic regimen at the time of blood culture finalization to which the GN pathogen(s) are not sensitive
* arbapenem-non-susceptible
* no de-escalation option due to any or all of:

* antimicrobial resistance
* allergies
* medical contraindications
* drug-drug interaction risk
* other relevant reason
* patients with a suspected or proven polymicrobial source of infection
* \> 24 hours since index blood culture susceptibility results finalization
2. Beta-lactam versus non-beta-lactam oral/enteral treatment domain

Inclusion Criteria
* included in BALANCE+ platform
* initially treated with intravenous antibiotics, but clinical team transitioning patient to oral/enteral antibiotic within 7 days of starting treatment

Exclusion Criteria
* enrolled in an arm of another BALANCE+ platform domain which limits the use of oral/enteral therapy:
* no-de-escalation arm (patients in the no de-escalation arm cannot be randomized into this domain unless they are ready for discharge home, in which case de-escalation is allowable to oral agents at discharge)
* no non-beta-lactam options due to any or all of:

* resistance
* allergies
* medical contraindications
* drug-interaction risk
* other relevant reason
* no beta-lactam options due to any or all of:

* resistance
* allergies
* medical contraindications
* drug-interaction risk
* other relevant reason
* pregnancy
* already received \>24 hours of oral antibiotics after index blood culture finalization
3. Central vascular catheter replacement domain

Inclusion Criteria
* included in BALANCE+ platform
* has an indwelling central vascular catheter that was already in place within the 48-hour period before the onset of bloodstream infection (i.e. is not a new catheter placed within 48 hours of the onset of infection)

Exclusion Criteria
* patient has no ongoing need for a central vascular catheter
* patient has definite indication for central vascular catheter removal
* ongoing septic shock with definite/probable line source

* concomitant S. aureus bacteremia
* concomitant candidemia
* local suppurative signs (severe redness, warmth, pain, swelling or fluctuance/collection) necessitating catheter removal, or other clinical evidence of infected line (e.g. imaging/echocardiographic findings)
4. Low-risk AmpC domain

Inclusion Criteria
* included in BALANCE+ platform
* positive blood culture with GN bacterium, of the following species: i. Serratia spp. ii Morganella spp. iii Providencia spp. iv Proteus spp. other than P.mirabilis
* organism is susceptible to ceftriaxone

Exclusion Criteria
* severe allergy to beta-lactams (e.g., type 4 hypersensitivity reaction or DRESS)
* baseline phenotypic non-susceptiblity to ceftriaxone
* more than 1 calendar day beyond availability of susceptibility results
5. Follow up blood culture domain

Inclusion Criteria

- included in BALANCE+ platform

Exclusion Criteria

* patient died or discharged from hospital prior to day 4
* blood culture already collected by the treating team at day 4±1
* \>5 days since index positive blood culture collection
* definite indication for repeat blood culture testing

* concomitant S. aureus bacteremia
* concomitant Candidemia
* clinical suspicion for infective endocarditis

Study Location

Eastern Regional Health Authority
Eastern Regional Health Authority
Saint John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

Peter Daley, MD

Michael Garron Hospital
Michael Garron Hospital
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

Christopher Kandel, MD

Foothills Hospital
Foothills Hospital
Calgary, Alberta
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

Ranjani Somayaji, MD

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

Nick Daneman, MD

[email protected]
4164806100
Université de Sherbrooke
Université de Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke, Quebec
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

François Lamontagne, MD

The Ottawa Hospital
The Ottawa Hospital
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

Derek McFadden, MD

Mount Sinai Hospital
Mount Sinai Hospital
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

Michael Fralick, PhD

Niagara Health System
Niagara Health System
St. Catharines, Ontario
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

Aidan Findlater, MD

University Health Network
University Health Network
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

Bryan Coburn, MD

Study Sponsored By
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Participants Required
More Information
Study ID: NCT06537609