Clinical Research Directory

The Effect of Caffeine Therapy in Cardiovascular Stability in Preterm Neonates at Assiut University Children Hospital NICU

Preterm neonates younger than 37 weeks gestational age receiving caffeine therapy for apnea of prematurity in a NICU setting.

The Peripheral(-Muscle) Oxygenation and Perfusion Score as a New Non-invasive Tool to Predict Elevations in C-reactive Protein Levels in Neonates

This is a prospective, single-center Phase II observational study investigating the predictive value of the "Peripheral(-muscle) Oxygenation and Perfusion Score" (POP-Score), a novel non-invasive composite index, for early detection of infection/inflammation in neonates. The POP-Score combines peripheral muscle oxygenation measured via near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) with routinely monitored clinical parameters (heart rate, oxygen saturation, systolic blood pressure, and subcutaneous fat thickness). The study aims to determine the optimal cut-off value of the POP-Score measured within the first 6 hours after birth to predict elevated C-reactive protein (CRP ≥20 mg/L) within 48 hours. Additionally, multi-site NIRS measurements (cerebral, peripheral muscle, intestinal, and flank) will be evaluated to assess their association with inflammation. The study includes term and moderate-to-late preterm neonates (birth weight ≥2000g) with respiratory distress, admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at the Medical University of Graz.

Endocan and Copeptin Serum Levels in Preterm Neonates With Respiratory Distress Syndrome

This work aims to investigate and compare the levels of serum endocan and serum copeptin on the first day of life and correlate their levels to the severity of respiratory distress in preterm neonates suffering from respiratory distress syndrome.