MedPath

Intranasal Dexmedetomidine for Pain Management During Screening for Retinopathy of Prematurity

Phase 3
Recruiting
Conditions
Retinopathy of Prematurity
Dexmedetomidine
Interventions
Registration Number
NCT06067958
Lead Sponsor
Assaf-Harofeh Medical Center
Brief Summary

Background: Preterm infants undergo serial eye examinations during their hospital stay to monitor for the development of a specific disease termed "retinopathy of prematurity". While those examinations are known to cause significant pain and stress, the current standard of care (sucrose and local anesthesia) is not adequate in terms of alleviation of pain.

Purpose: The goal of this clinical trial is to test the effectiveness of dexmedetomidine for pain management in preterm infants undergoing routine eye examinations.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does dexmedetomidine reduce the pain scores of preterm infants during and shortly after eye assessments in comparison to placebo (saline 0.9%).

* Does dexmedetomidine cause more adverse effects than placebo.

In this crossover study participants will receive either dexmedetomidine or saline 0.9% intranasally 30 minutes before the examination, on top of the current standard of care. The participants will be monitored closely for 5 hours to note differences in adverse effects. The researchers will use video monitoring to assess the pain scores using a standardized and validated scoring system.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
30
Inclusion Criteria
  • Gestational age < 31 weeks post-menstrual age, or birth weight < 1500 grams
  • Informed consent signed by one of the parents
Exclusion Criteria
  • Invasive ventilation at the time of the eye assessment
  • Multiple congenital anomalies
  • Chromosomal / genetic anomalies
  • Infant received a sedative drug in last 5 days
  • Eye examination for reasons other than retinopathy of prematurity screening
  • Attending physician deemed the patient not stable enough

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
CROSSOVER
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
PlaceboSalineSaline 0.9%, volume will change to match that of dexmedetomidine based on participants' weight. 30 minutes before eye examination
DexmedetomidineDexmedetomidineIntranasal Dexmedetomidine 2 microgram/kilogram, 30 minutes before eye examination
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
The Premature Infant Pain Profile: Revised, at peakPIPP-R score will be assessed 60 seconds after the insertion of the retractor

The Premature Infant Pain Profile: Revised (PIPP-R) is a scoring system for pain and discomfort in preterm infants. The maximum attainable PIPP-R score is 21 for preterm infants \<28 weeks GA and 18 for full-term infants. The higher the score, the greater the discomfort.

Every participant will be assessed using video recordings which will start 5 minutes before the administration of oral sucrose 24% and will continue until 5 minutes after the removal of the eyelid retractor.

The primary outcome will be the PIPP-R score one minute after the insertion of the retractor.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Duration of examinationUp to 30 minutes

The time between the insertion and the removal of the retractor

BradycardiaFrom time 0 until 5 hours after the examination

Number of bradycardias, defined as a drop of 20% from baseline heart rate

Heart rateAssessed every hour from time 0 until 5 hours after the examination

The average heart rate of the infant

Percent of crying timeThe duration of the video recording (up to 1 hour)

The percent of time in which the participant cried during the video recording

The Premature Infant Pain Profile: Revised, 5 minutes5 minutes after the insertion of the retractor

The Premature Infant Pain Profile: Revised (PIPP-R) is a scoring system for pain and discomfort in preterm infants. The maximum attainable PIPP-R score is 21 for preterm infants \<28 weeks GA and 18 for full-term infants. The higher the score, the greater the discomfort.

For this secondary outcome, PIPP-R score 5 minutes after the insertion of the retractor will be assessed.

The Premature Infant Pain Profile: Revised, at completion2 minutes after the removal the retractors

The Premature Infant Pain Profile: Revised (PIPP-R) is a scoring system for pain and discomfort in preterm infants. The maximum attainable PIPP-R score is 21 for preterm infants \<28 weeks GA and 18 for full-term infants. The higher the score, the greater the discomfort.

For this secondary outcome, PIPP-R score 2 minutes after the after the removal the retractors will be assessed.

ApneaFrom time 0 until 5 hours after the examination

Number of apneas or desaturations \< 90%

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Assaf-Harofeh Medical Center

🇮🇱

Be'er Ya'akov, Center, Israel

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