Sepsis is the body's extreme response to infection, where the immune system overreacts and starts damaging its own tissues. It kills about 350,000 Americans each year and is the most expensive condition hospitals treat. Current care centers on antibiotics, fluids, and support for failing organs, but many survivors face long-term problems with thinking, strength, and organ function.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing immune-modulating drugs that might calm the body's harmful overreaction without suppressing infection-fighting ability. Researchers are also studying early detection methods using biomarkers, precision approaches that tailor treatment to immune profiles, and therapies to prevent or reverse organ damage. Several trials focus on improving outcomes for sepsis survivors, who often struggle with cognitive problems and new physical limitations.
Immune modulation
New drugs aim to dampen the harmful immune response while preserving the body's ability to fight infection. Early trials are testing agents that target specific inflammatory pathways activated during sepsis.
Biomarker-guided care
Studies are testing whether blood tests showing immune status can guide which patients need immune-suppressing versus immune-boosting approaches. This personalized strategy could replace the current one-size-fits-all treatment model.
Post-sepsis recovery
Trials are testing rehabilitation programs and medications to address the cognitive problems, weakness, and depression that affect many sepsis survivors. Some studies examine why certain people recover fully while others don't.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on sepsis severity, which organs are failing, time since symptoms started, and whether the infection source is known.
What types of trials are currently open
- Treatment trials — Testing new drugs added to standard antibiotics and fluids, often targeting the immune system's overreaction or protecting organs from damage.
- Diagnostic trials — Testing rapid blood tests or other tools to identify sepsis earlier or predict which patients will develop organ failure.
- Precision medicine trials — Using biomarkers to match patients with treatments based on their immune response patterns rather than treating all sepsis the same way.
- Organ support trials — Testing new approaches to kidney support, breathing support, or blood pressure management during sepsis.
- Recovery trials — Testing rehabilitation programs, cognitive therapy, or medications to help sepsis survivors regain strength and mental function.
Recently added Sepsis trials
Smart Discharges for Older Children
This study is an observational multi-country cohort study that aims to build algorithms that can identify children between 5 and 16 years of age admitted for proven or suspected sepsis who are at risk of mortality after they are discharged in East Africa. In low- and middle-income countries, about 5% of children discharged after hospitalization for sepsis will die in the weeks after returning home. Doctors and parents are often unaware of this period of vulnerability and are poorly equipped to identify or handle this critical situation. This project builds on past work that developed and evaluated models and the Smart Discharges program to predict, during hospitalization, an individual child's risk of recurrent illness and mortality, as well as to provide additional post-discharge support to at-risk children. Participants will be enrolled from facilities once they are admitted, collecting clinical and social variables. They will then be followed until 6 months post-discharge to understand what happens to them after they return home. This data will be evaluated to identify which variables collected at facilities can be predictive of mortality and recurrent illness after discharge.
Hemorrhage Elimination During Lumbar Puncture Using Ultrasound Measurements (HELPUS)
This is a clinical trial to determine the extent to which ultrasound-assisted lumbar puncture using a standardized procedure, including use of ultrasound to ascertain the presence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) at L3 - L5 and the optimal needle insertion distance, increases the acquisition rate of CSF that is interpretable for patient management.
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