Inhalation of Low Concentration of CO2 in Preterm Infants Not Responding to Caffeine for the Treatment of Apnea

February 18, 2015 updated by: Ruben Alvaro, University of Manitoba

A Prospective, Controlled Trial of Inhalation of Low Concentration of CO2 in Preterm Infants Not Responding to Caffeine for the Treatment of Apnea of Prematurity

In premature infants, apnea of prematurity is one of their major clinical problems. Caffeine is currently a worldwide therapy to reduce the number and severity of these apneas. This practice has shown to be safe on cognitive and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 to 21 months of age. However, caffeine is not 100% effective, and may have little effect on hypoxemia and bradycardia. Infants with intractable apneas unresponsive to caffeine treatment may require endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. This procedure is invasive and has been associated with complications and increased risk for chronic lung disease and adverse neurodevelopmental outcome. Therefore, an alternative treatment modality would be preferable if it would prevent the infants from requiring endotracheal intubation. The investigators have been testing the overall hypothesis that small concentrations of inhaled CO2 (~1%) are effective in treating apnea of prematurity. The investigators have completed three studies in preterm infants showing that inhalation of low concentration of CO2, in infants not on caffeine, regularize breathing and decrease apneas significantly. The effects of inhalation of CO2 in infants already on caffeine, are unknown. The hypothesis to be tested is that inhalation of low concentration CO2 (1%) will significantly reduce apnea in infants treated with caffeine. The investigators have three specific aims in this proposal. 1) the investigators want to know if the apnea rate (number of apneas of ≥5 seconds/hour) is decreased with CO2 inhalation in preterm infants already on caffeine for the treatment of apnea of prematurity; 2) the investigators want to know whether inhalation of CO2 can make breathing more regular with less apneic time and whether it decreases prolonged apneas (>20 seconds) in infants already on caffeine for the treatment of apnea of prematurity; 3) the investigators want to assess the effect of inhalation of low concentration of CO2 on the regional oxygen saturation of the brain measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during apneas. This is to see whether CO2, by protecting cerebral blood flow, minimizes the decrease in cerebral oxygenation during apneas. This study entails a new and possibly more physiological method of treating apneas of prematurity that can be added to the present treatment of caffeine. These two treatments together, could minimize the number and severity of apneas and possibly decrease the need for mechanical ventilation in preterm infants.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Terminated

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
7

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2
  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Manitoba
      • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3E 0L8
        • University of Manitoba

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

3 years to 3 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • gestational age at birth < 33 weeks
  • on caffeine treatment for apnea of prematurity at a maintenance dose of 5 mg/kg/day
  • having apnea of prematurity (at least 5 self-resolved apneas or 2 apneas requiring intervention/12 hours)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • on mechanical ventilation
  • presence of congenital anomalies, sepsis or other known causes of apnea
  • failure to obtain parental consent

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Inhalation of low concentration of CO2
Other: Inhalation of low concentration of CO2
Inhalation of 1% CO2 through nasal prongs
Other Names:
  • Inhalatio of biological gas
Active Comparator: caffeine only
Other: Inhalation of low concentration of CO2
Inhalation of 1% CO2 through nasal prongs
Other Names:
  • Inhalatio of biological gas

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Effect of inhalation of low concentration of CO2 (1%) on the apnea rate (number of apneas of ≥5 seconds/hour) in preterm infants already on caffeine for the treatment of apnea of prematurity.
Time Frame: 3 hours
3 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Effect of low concentration of CO2 on apneic time in seconds per hour and duration of long apneas in seconds
Time Frame: 3 hours
3 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Manitoba

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Manitoba Institute of Child Health

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Ruben E Alvaro, MD, University of Manitoba

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2011

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 1, 2013

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 22, 2011

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 25, 2013

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 30, 2013

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 19, 2015

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 18, 2015

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • B2011:072

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