Investigating the Impact of Sepsis Phenotypes on Antibiotic Treatment in Patients With Severe Pneumonia and Sepsis

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER · May 8, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The SIPRES Study is a research trial aimed at understanding why antibiotics work differently for patients with severe pneumonia and sepsis, which is a serious condition that can occur when pneumonia leads to a body-wide infection. Each year, many people in the UK become critically ill due to pneumonia, and our goal is to find out how to improve treatment with antibiotics. By studying adult patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) who are receiving a commonly used antibiotic called piperacillin/tazobactam, we will measure how well the antibiotic works and how long patients need to stay in the hospital. We will also look at patients' immune responses to infections, which may affect the levels of antibiotics in their blood.

To participate in this trial, individuals must be at least 18 years old, admitted to the ICU, and receiving care for a lower respiratory infection while being treated with piperacillin/tazobactam. Patients who are unlikely to survive for 24 hours or have already started antibiotics more than 24 hours before will not be eligible. Throughout the study, we will collect blood samples to track antibiotic levels and assess immune responses. We are collaborating with patients who have experienced severe pneumonia to ensure that their insights help shape the study. Ultimately, this research aims to personalize antibiotic treatment, helping more patients recover quickly and effectively while reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • age ≥ 18 years;
• • admitted to intensive care and receiving at least one-organ supportive care;
• • treated for presumed or confirmed lower respiratory infection;
• • receiving or about to receive piperacillin/tazobactam as part of standard clinical care;
• • valid informed consent or enrolment through deferred consent pathway appropriate.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • unlikely to survive 24 hours as judged by the treating physician;
• • study antimicrobial started more than 24 hours prior.