Heart failure & cardiomyopathiesTrial design

Efficacy of perioperative recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide for preventing acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery: Rationale, design, and study protocol for a multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial (PROTECT-CS)

Am Heart JPublished

  • investigator-initiated, multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial
  • study protocol
  • 1:1 randomization

Study context

Population
High-risk patients undergoing elective on-pump cardiac surgeryplanned randomization
Participants
694 patients
Planned comparison
perioperative recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide (rhBNP) with placebo
Primary endpoint
Incidence of AKI defined by Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria
Follow-up
Within 7 postoperative days

No results yet. This paper sets out the design of a trial; its results are to come.

Further findings

Secondary endpoints: Acute kidney injury (AKI) severity and duration, renal replacement therapy during the index hospitalization, MAKE-30, MAKE-90, 30-day all-cause mortality, intensive care unit and total length of stay

  • planned; no results reported

Original publication

Efficacy of perioperative recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide for preventing acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery: Rationale, design, and study protocol for a multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial (PROTECT-CS). Am Heart J. Published 26 September 2026. doi:10.1016/j.ahj.2026.107615

Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it