In patients on mechanical ventilation for moderate-to-severe adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), early continuous neuromuscular blockade does not reduce mortality compared with a usual care approach with lighter sedation, clinical trial results show.

In the ROSE trial of more than 1000 patients with moderate-to-severe ARDS, US researchers evaluated the efficacy and safety of early neuromuscular blockade with cisatracurium infusion and concomitant heavy sedation for 48 hours.

This was measured against a strategy of usual care with lighter sedation targets.

After the second interim analysis, the unblinded randomised trial was discontinued for futility based on recommendations from the data and safety monitoring board, the authors reported at the American Thoracic Society’s International Conference and in the New England Journal of Medicine.