Efficacy and Safety of Fentanyl for Pain Control in Newborns on Mechanical Ventilation

This Randomized Controlled Trial will be conducted in the Department of Neonatology, BSMMU, Dhaka after approval by Institutional Review Board (IRB). A Written informed consent will be obtained before enrollment in the study from the parents or guardians. . The study cohort will comprise all inborn and outborn newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) who receive mechanical ventilation administered through an endotracheal tube . The enrolled neonates will be randomly assigned with computer-generated random number tables via software named 'Random Allocation Software', to receive either of the intervention.

Once the parents will agree to the study and provide signed informed consent, all eligible neonates will be randomized to start treatment within 24 hours from the initiation of mechanical ventilation. Randomized infants will be allocated to the fentanyl group to receive a continuous infusion of fentanyl or to the placebo group to receive a continuous infusion of iv fluid.

Fentanyl will be administered as an intravenous loading dose of 1 microgram/kg in 30 minutes, followed by a continuous intravenous infusion of 1μg/kg/hour. The infusion will be administered through a peripheral line. Fentanyl infusion will be initiated within 24 hours after the start of mechanical ventilation and will be continued until the end of mechanical ventilation, and not longer than 5 days .