Clinical Research Directory

Non-invasive Ventilation in Preterm Infants

This is a prospective, observational cohort study. For the study part on noninvasive neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NIV-NAVA) the design is interventional. For all participants prospective data collection will be conducted by chart review and by downloading ventilatory data from the ventilator. A registration of respiratory severity score will be done by a caregiver during the weaning period. This consists of a visual assessment of the work of breathing every 2 hours. For participants on NIV-NAVA consenting to the interventional part of the study a titration procedure will be conducted, afterwards serial electrical impedance tomography and lung and diaphragm ultrasound measurements will be done.

Baby ABS (Abdominal Binder Study)

The primary outcome of this study is to determine if the use of the FDA-approved DandleLion NeoBellyBand increases the thickness of the rectus abdominis muscle in premature babies receiving continuous positive pressure ventilation, leading to infants reaching full oral feedings at an earlier corrected gestational age.

Ventilator Pressure and Optimization of Compliance and Hemodynamics

In preterm infants \< 34 weeks' gestation at birth receiving respiratory support with invasive positive pressure ventilation, the positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of best compliance will increase the cardiac output and improve oxygenation. This study may emphasize using point-of-care echocardiography along with electrical impedance tomography (EIT) to optimize ventilator settings in preterm infants. Infants will be randomized to a 4-hour crossover period of increasing and decreasing PEEP in random order from baseline to determine compliance, oxygenation, and cardiac hemodynamics at each step using echocardiography (ECHO) and EIT measurements. There will be a 15-minute washout period after changes prior to data collection.

Caffeine as an Adjuvant Therapy for Late Preterm Infants With Respiratory Distress

Use of caffeine citrate in late-preterm infants with respiratory distress is questionable. Oliphant and colleagues found in a recently published study that caffeine therapy use in late-preterm infants at a loading dose of 20 and 40 mg/kg and maintenance dose of 10 and 20 mg/kg/day reduces the incidence of intermittent hypoxia events by 61 and 67% respectively. The investigators hypothesized that caffeine will improve respiratory drive, prevent apnea, shorten the hospital stay and improve arousal state in late preterm infants. The investigators aim to study the effect of caffeine citrate on late preterm babies as regard duration of respiratory support, duration of hospital stay, respiratory morbidity, incidence and frequency of apnea.

The Caffeine Therapy in the Fetal to Neonatal Transition

Introduction: The caffeine is used in the treatment for apnea of prematurity and it has several positive effects in the neurodevelopment of preterm babies. There are innumerable observational studies suggesting that initiating caffeine in the first hours of life may offer more benefits in the reduction of the necessity of intubation and in ventilation time. It is necessary to expand further research on the best time to start caffeine, which may improve the quality of care for premature infants. Objective: To evaluate the benefits of caffeine administration in the first two hours of life compared to administration at 24 hours of life in premature patients on noninvasive mechanical ventilation with birth weights less than 1250 grams. Methodology: Preterm newborn patients with birth weight \< 1250 grams born at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre who are not intubated in the delivery room will be included. Patients will be randomized into two groups. One arm of the study will receive caffeine at 2 hours of age and the other arm will receive caffeine at 24 hours of age (control). Patients in the control group will receive 0.9% SF at 2 hours of life in order to keep the study blinded. The following outcomes will be evaluated: need for intubation, time on invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation, BPD, necrotizing enterocolitis, need for ROP treatment, PDA with hemodynamic repercussions, peri-intraventricular hemorrhage, leukomalacia and death. The sample size calculation is 50 patients, 25 in each arm. Expected Results: It is expected to find a 43% reduction in the need for intubation in preterm infants who receive caffeine in the first two hours of life compared to administration at 24 hours of life. It is also expected to find a reduction in mechanical ventilation time, in addition to a possible reduction in negative outcomes associated with prematurity.

Evaluation of Nasal Non Invasive Ventilation in Management of Neonates With Respiratory Distress Using Lung Ultrasound

This study aims to evaluate the effect of non-invasive ventilation (nIPPV) , (nCPAP), and nasal high flow cannula (NHFC) as a primary mode of ventilation in preterm neonates \<37 gestational week with moderate to severe RD using LUS as regard: I. Primary outcomes: Duration of non-Invasive ventilation. II. Secondary outcomes: Evaluation LUS over the 1 st 7 days of life or weaning from ventilation. Need for intubation and invasive ventilation. Duration of respiratory support. Need for surfactant. Oxygen saturation index and oxygen index. Broncho-pulmonary dysplasia; grade. Duration of hospital stay