Vitamin D to Improve Outcomes by Leveraging Early Treatment

This variable was calculated in participants who were reported alive at day 28. Vital status of the patient at day 28 was determined using any of the following methods: medical record review, phone calls to patient, proxy or healthcare facility, or review of obituaries.

Analysis of the number of participants who died prior to hospital discharge up to study day 90.

This endpoint is the count of participants who have survived and are present at home, defined as pre-hospitalization level of care, at day 90.

Number of days from enrollment to the day of study hospital discharge up to day 90. Only calculated for patients that survived through day 90.

Healthcare facility length of stay is the time spent in another hospital or healthcare facility (e.g. long-term acute care [LTAC] hospitals or acute rehabilitation/skilled nursing facility), for the subgroup of participants that were discharged to another healthcare facility after the initial hospitalization. This measure is defined as the number of days from initial hospital discharge to the first facility discharge to home (pre-hospitalization level of care) up to day 90. Healthcare facility LOS is zero for patients discharged to home (pre-hospitalization level of care) from the study hospital. This endpoint will be analyzed only in survivors using SACE methods because healthcare facility length of stay in those who die during the follow-up period is non-informative for this endpoint.

In participants who survive 28 days, ventilator free days (VFDs) is defined as 28 minus duration of ventilation. Duration of ventilation is counted from the first study day of assisted breathing through the last day of assisted breathing provided the last day is prior to day 28. Or it is counted from the first study day of assisted breathing through day 28. For participants discharged with assisted ventilation prior to day 28, a phone call will be required to assess ventilator status at day 28. Participants discharged prior to day 28 (but not to home) on unassisted breathing will be assumed to remain on unassisted breathing through day 28. Isolated periods of ventilation briefer than 24 hours for surgical procedures and ventilation solely for sleep disordered breathing do not count towards duration of ventilation. In participants who never require assisted breathing, duration of ventilation is zero. Participants who do not survive 28 days will be assigned zero VFD.

Changes in Quality of life score by EuroQol from baseline to day 90. Change was calculated as the value at day 90 minus the value at baseline. The EuroQol score is based on 5 dimensions of perceived problems: Mobility, Self-Care, Anxiety/Depression, Pain/discomfort, and Usual Activities. Problems with each area are assigned a level from 1-5 with level 1 being no problem and level 5 indicating extreme problems. A unique health state score is defined by combining 1 level from each of the 5 dimensions. Responses can be used to calculate a health utility score55 associated with the given health state that ranges from -0.11 to 1.00 (higher scores are better; 1.00 is perfect health).

Presence of ARDS determined using the PaO2/FiO2 ratio or SpO2/FiO2 ratio (i.e., imputed P/F ratio) and chest x-ray confirmation. PaO2 = partial pressure of arterial oxygen; FiO2 = percentage of inspired oxygen; SpO2 = peripheral capillary oxygen saturation, an estimate of the amount of oxygen in the blood. For participants with P/F <300 or imputed P/F <300, FiO2 ≥40%, and PEEP ≥5 cm H2O, we determined if hypoxemia was valid, acute, and not fully explained by congestive heart failure (CHF) or fluid overload. PEEP = positive end expiatory pressure.

Severity of ARDS is determined using the PaO2/FiO2 ratio or SpO2/FiO2 ratio and confirmation of ARDS through chest x-ray reviews. The breakout of mild to severe was categorized as P/F or imputed P/F ratio of 201-300 (mild), 100-200 (moderate), or less than 100 (severe). This physiologic outcome is one of three key organ systems (respiratory, renal, and cardiovascular) used to assess change in organ failure severity from randomization up to study day 7.

This physiologic outcome is one of three key organ systems (respiratory, renal, and cardiovascular) used to assess change in organ failure severity from randomization up to study day 7. Worst AKI was determined by using highest daily creatinine values or new use of dialysis/ renal replacement therapy (chronic dialysis participants were excluded). Mild: On-study creatinine levels 1.5 times greater than baseline value or 0.3 mg/dL over the prehospital value. Moderate: On-study creatinine levels 2 times greater than the baseline pre-hospital value. Severe: On-study creatinine creatinine levels are 3 times greater than baseline prehospital value, or the on-study creatinine level is over 4 mg/dL with an acute (1 day) 0.5 mg/dL rise, or participant is on new renal replacement therapy.

Participants who were on chronic dialysis at baseline were excluded from the analysis. Participants who started renal replacement therapy on a study day after day 0 and inclusive of day 7 were considered as having new renal replacement therapy. Those who have never started renal replacement therapy over days 0-7 were considered as not having new renal replacement therapy.

The highest recorded creatinine values is taken from available levels reported across the 7 study days for each patient.

The number of subjects in each arm that are started on a vasopressor after randomization up to study day 7.

Cardiovascular score of the Organ SOFA score was used:

Score = 0: MAP* >= 70 mmHg and No Drug;

Score = 1: MAP < 70 mmHg and No Drug;

Score = 2: (Any MAP) ( dopamine<=5 OR any dobutamine ) AND no other drugs (include neosynephrine vasopressin);

Score = 3: (Any MAP) 5 < dopamine <= 15 OR epinephrine <= 0.1 OR norepinephrine <= 0.1 OR neosynephrine <=0.22 OR any dose vasopressin;

Score = 4: (Any MAP) dopamine > 15 OR epinephrine > 0.1 OR norepinephrine > 0.1 OR neosynephrine > 0.22

• MAP = mean arterial pressure

Baseline levels will be measured using LC/MS/MS methods (all randomized participants) and at day 3 (the first 300 randomized participants only).

Clinically available serum or ionized Ca levels were obtained through day 14 for all randomized patients. This time frame was selected to align with the 25OHD half life of two weeks.

Clinically available serum or ionized calcium levels through day 14 were collected for all randomized participants. This time frame was selected to align with the 25OHD half life of two weeks.

As the half-life of 25OHD is approximately 2 weeks, clinically available serum or ionized calcium levels through study day 14 were collected. The number of participants with hypercalcemia was reported.

Incident of kidney stones determined by chart review at the end of hospitalization and by self-report at day 90 phone call in those discharged from the hospital prior to day 90.

Incident of fall-related fractures will be determined by chart review at the end of hospitalization and by self-report at day 90 phone call for those discharged from the hospital prior to day 90. Most data suggest that high dose vitamin D in healthy outpatients may improve muscle function, balance, and bone mineral density, and thus decrease fall-related fractures, but other data suggest that high dose vitamin D supplementation may actually increase the incidence of falls/fractures. Because of this uncertainty and limited data in hospitalized patients, we assessed for incident of fall-related fractures.

We assessed for incidence of falls by chart review at the end of hospitalization and by self-report at the 90 day phone call. Most data suggest that high dose vitamin D in healthy outpatients may improve muscle function, balance, and bone mineral density, and thus decrease fall-related fractures, but other data suggest that high dose vitamin D supplementation may actually increase the incidence of falls/fractures.