Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39920521›Full record

ArticleIntensive care medicine experimental2025

Can nebulised heparin reduce acute lung injury in patients with SARS‑CoV‑2 requiring advanced respiratory support in Ireland: the CHARTER‑Ireland phase Ib/IIa, randomised, parallel-group, open-label study.

David Cosgrave, Bairbre McNicholas, Ciara Hanley, John Robert Sheehan, Padraig Calpin, Maeve Kernan, Darragh Murphy, Alberto Alvarez-Iglesias, John Ferguson, Camilla Giacomini and 12 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Intensive care medicine experimental, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

22 authors.

David CosgraveDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Bairbre McNicholasDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Ciara HanleyDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland.
John Robert SheehanDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Padraig CalpinDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Maeve KernanAnaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Darragh MurphyAnaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Alberto Alvarez-IglesiasHRB Clinical Research Facility, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
John FergusonHRB Clinical Research Facility, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Camilla GiacominiDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Christine GreeneDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Connolly Memorial Hospital Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland.
Catriona CodyDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Connolly Memorial Hospital Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland.
Shane McGearyDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Connolly Memorial Hospital Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland.
Marion MurphyDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Marianne FitzgeraldDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Limerick University Hospital, Limerick, Ireland.
Gerard CurleyDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Barry DixonDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia.
Roger J SmithDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia.
Claire MastersonAnaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Daniel O'TooleAnaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Frank van HarenIntensive Care Unit, St George Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
John G LaffeyDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland. jlaffey@universityofgalway.ie.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1246-9573

Funding

Science Foundation Ireland 13/RC/2073
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNebulised unfractionated heparin may attenuate COVID-19 ARDS by reducing pulmonary microvascular thrombosis, blocking SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells, and decreasing lung inflammation. COVID-19 patients with a raised D-dimer have areas of pulmonary hypoperfusion on CT perfusion scans of the lung and have increased mortality risk.

methodsThis was a phase Ib/IIa open-label multi-centre, randomised controlled trial. The study was designed to evaluate whether nebulised unfractionated heparin decreased D-dimer concentrations, with safety as a co-primary outcome.

resultsForty patients were recruited, with 20 patients into each group. Mean age was 56.6 (SD 11.5) in the heparin group and 51.3 (SD 14.7) in the standard care group, while 60% of participants were male. There was no change in D-dimers from baseline to day 10 (heparin group mean change - 316.5, [SD 1840.3] and control group mean change - 321.7 [SD 3589.4]; p = 0.996). Fourteen patients suffered at least one serious adverse event, 9 patients the Heparin group and 5 in the control group. Eight patients had one or more bleeding events, 5 in the heparin group and 3 in the control group, but were no cases of pulmonary bleeding, of severe haemorrhage or of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Patients receiving heparin therapy had lower PaO

conclusionsNebulised unfractionated heparin was safe and well tolerated, but did not reduce D-dimer concentrations, and worsened oxygenation indices in patients with COVID-19 ARDS.

Indexed as

Acute respiratory distress syndromeAerosol deliveryCOVID-19HeparinNebulisedSafety study

Identifiers

PMID39920521
PMCPMC11806160

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.