ALBumin Italian Outcome Septic Shock-BALANCED Trial (ALBIOSS-BALANCED)

The project will consist of a 2-by-2 factorial, investigator-initiated, open-label, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial, with PROBE design (Prospective Randomized Open Trial with Blinded Evaluation of Outcomes), in patients with septic shock, as defined according to clinical criteria. Patients will be randomized in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to one of the 4 study groups (Albumin + BAL, Albumin + NS, BAL, NS). Both the primary endpoints will include events evaluated objectively: 90-day mortality and incidence of AKI, as assessed by KDIGO criteria (KDIGO Acute Kidney Injury Work Group, 2012).