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Early Surfactant to Reduce Use of Mechanical Breathing in Low Birth Weight Infants

Phase 3
Terminated
Conditions
Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Respiratory Insufficiency
Infant, Newborn
Interventions
Drug: Standard practice
Drug: Early surfactant
Registration Number
NCT00005774
Lead Sponsor
NICHD Neonatal Research Network
Brief Summary

Mechanical ventilation (MV) of preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is associated with lung injury and nosocomial infection. Moderately premature infants with mild respiratory distress do not routinely receive artificial surfactant early in their course of treatment. This multi-center, randomized trial tested whether early surfactant therapy and nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in infants 1,250-2,000g with RDS reduced mechanical ventilation usage without added complications. Infants with mild to moderate respiratory distress syndrome were enrolled in the trial and given either early administration of surfactant followed by extubation within 30 minutes and the use of CPAP, or standard practice (surfactant according to current center practice, only after initiation of mechanical ventilation), to see whether the experimental method would reduce the need for subsequent mechanical ventilation.

Detailed Description

Mechanical ventilation (MV) of preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is associated with lung injury and nosocomial infection. Moderately premature infants with mild respiratory distress do not routinely receive artificial surfactant early in their course of treatment. The role of surfactant therapy in the management of larger infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) was unclear. In many neonatal intensive care units, these infants were routinely managed with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) alone.

This trial tested whether early use of surfactant combined with CPAP would ameliorate the course of RDS without an increased risk of death. Primary study outcomes were measures of use of mechanical ventilation, and thereby likely reduction in risk of ventilator-associated morbidity.

Eligible infants were randomized before the infant is 12 hours of age to receive either: early surfactant followed by extubation within 30 minutes and application of CPAP (intervention group); or surfactant according to current center practice, only after initiation of mechanical ventilation (control group).

The trial was stopped after 7 months for lack of recruitment.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
TERMINATED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
61
Inclusion Criteria
  • Infants born at 1,250-2g000 grams birth weight
  • <12 hours of age
  • Clinical and radiographic diagnosis of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
  • Receiving supplemental oxygen with head-hood Fi02 of 0.35 to 0.50 or CPAP Fi02 of 0.25 to 0.50 to maintain oxygen saturation less than 90 percent and more than 96 percent
Exclusion Criteria
  • Receiving mechanical ventilation
  • Air leak
  • Pulmonary hemorrhage
  • Major congenital anomaly
  • Congenital non-bacterial infection
  • Parental refusal of consent
  • Refusal of attending neonatologist

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Standard Practice groupStandard practice-
Early surfactant groupEarly surfactant-
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Need for mechanical ventilation following randomizationUntil hospital discharge or 120 days of life
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Risk morbidities associated with mechanical ventilation and/or early surfactant administrationUntil hospital discharge or 120 days of life
Mean duration of mechanical ventilationUntil hospital discharge or 120 days of life

Trial Locations

Locations (13)

Case Western Reserve University, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital

🇺🇸

Cleveland, Ohio, United States

University of Alabama at Birmingham

🇺🇸

Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Stanford University

🇺🇸

Palo Alto, California, United States

Yale University

🇺🇸

New Haven, Connecticut, United States

University of Miami

🇺🇸

Miami, Florida, United States

Emory University

🇺🇸

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Wayne State University

🇺🇸

Detroit, Michigan, United States

Cincinnati Children's Medical Center

🇺🇸

Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

University of New Mexico

🇺🇸

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

🇺🇸

Houston, Texas, United States

University of Tennessee

🇺🇸

Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Indiana University

🇺🇸

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Brown University, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island

🇺🇸

Providence, Rhode Island, United States

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