STeroids and Enhanced Spectrum Antibiotics for the Treatment of Patients in Africa With Refractory Sepsis

Sepsis, a life-threatening condition due to a dysregulated response to infection, is the leading cause of global mortality and is frequently driven by tuberculosis (TB) and drug-resistant bacteria in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly among people living with HIV. The prevailing standard of care in the region, ceftriaxone alone, is insufficient as it does not address TB, drug-resistant bacteria, or adrenal insufficiency, which is common in HIV-related sepsis. Therefore, the investigators propose a randomized 2x2 factorial clinical trial to compare 28-day survival from sepsis between study participants who along with a standard of care that includes immediate conventional anti-TB treatment receive 1) hydrocortisone to treat septic shock and 2) rifampin, isoniazid, levofloxacin and linezolid to treat TB and other drug-resistant bacteria in order to deliver important and scalable knowledge that may alter the standard of care for sepsis in HIV endemic settings of sub-Saharan Africa. Improving understanding of the physiology and treatment alternatives for HIV related critical illness globally will have reciprocal benefit for health in the U.S.