Early Treatment Versus Delayed Conservative Treatment of the Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA:TOLERATE)

University of California San Francisco (UCSF)

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Necrotizing Enterocolitis; Surgery; Intestinal Perforation; Patent Ductus Arteriosus

Treatments: Drug: NSAID; Other: pharmacologic treatment of the PDA; Other: no pharmacologic treatment of the PDA

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01958320

RC4

Details and patient eligibility

About

The primary goal of the trial is to compare two different Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) treatment approaches: 1) an "early treatment" approach or 2) a "conservative" approach. For the purposes of the study infants will be enrolled if they are delivered before 28 weeks gestation and have a moderate/large PDA present at 5-7 days after birth.

The hypothesis is: treatment of a moderate size patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) will decrease the time needed for assisted respiratory support, diuretic therapy, and gavage feeding assistance, in addition to decreasing the incidence of ductus ligations or need for future outpatient cardiology follow-up appointments. The investigators hypothesize that one or more of these benefits will occur without an increase in the time taken to achieve full enteral feedings or in the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) or spontaneous intestinal perforations (SIP).The investigators will be comparing the effectiveness of early pharmacologic treatment with a control group of conservatively managed infants who will only receive treatment if they meet specific criteria for "rescue treatment".

Full description

Prior studies showed that, if a moderate/large Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) is still present at 5 days after birth (among infants delivered at 23 and 0/7 to 25 and 6/7 weeks gestation) or at 7 days after birth (among infants delivered at 26 and 0/7 to 27 and 6/7 weeks gestation), it will persist for at least another 4-12 weeks if it is left untreated.

Enrollment: 202 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 5 to 14 days old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

This will be a prospective randomized, multi-center, controlled trial that will enroll infants delivered between 23 & 0/7 - 27 & 6/7 weeks gestation:

1. infants must be between 5-14 days old (if delivered between 23 and 0/7 - 25 and 6/7 weeks) or 7-14 days old (if delivered between 26 & 0/7 - 27 & 6/7 weeks) and

2. have a "moderate size PDA" (defined as a PDA on echocardiogram that has at least one of the following criteria: internal ductus diameter ≥1.5 mm/kg (or PDA:LPA ratio ≥0.5), ductus flow velocity ≤2.5 m/s or mean pressure gradient across the ductus <8 mm, LA/Ao ratio ≥1.5, left pulmonary artery diastolic (or mean) flow velocity >0.2 (or >0.42) m/sec, respectively, and/or reversed diastolic flow in the descending aorta)(13, 68, 69) and

3. are receiving respiratory support consisting of either mechanical ventilation, nasal CPAP, SiPAP, or nasal cannula flow ≥2 L/min.

   Exclusion Criteria:

   prior treatment with indomethacin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen, contraindications for the use of indomethacin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen (these include: hydrocortisone administration within 24 hrs, urine output < 1 ml/kg/h during the preceding 8 h, serum creatinine level >1.6 mg/dl, platelet count <50, 000/mm3, abnormal coagulation studies, or total bilirubin concentration (in mg/dL) > 8 x weight (in kg)), chromosomal anomalies, congenital or acquired gastrointestinal anomalies, prior episode of necrotizing enterocolitis or intestinal perforation.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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202 participants in 2 patient groups

Early treatment

Experimental group

Description:

Infants randomized to the early treatment group will receive "pharmacologic treatment of the PDA" to produce PDA closure. Within 24-36 hr following the last treatment dose an echocardiogram will be obtained to document the degree of ductus closure or patency. Echocardiograms will be obtained at 1) 10-14 days after study entry (if the PDA was open and of moderate size on the last echocardiogram), and 2) at the time of hospital discharge (if the PDA was open (any size) on the last echocardiogram). The echocardiogram obtained at discharge will be used to determine the need for outpatient follow-up.

Treatment:

Drug: NSAID

Other: pharmacologic treatment of the PDA

Conservative Treatment

Active Comparator group

Description:

Infants randomized to the Conservative Treatment approach will receive "no pharmacologic treatment of the PDA" but will be followed to determine if they meet criteria for later PDA "rescue treatment" (Infants will be eligible for rescue treatment of their persistent PDA if they meet the rescue treatment criteria.) Echocardiograms will be obtained at 1) 10-14 days after study entry (if the PDA was open and of moderate size on the last echocardiogram), and 2) at the time of hospital discharge (if the PDA was open (any size) on the last echocardiogram). The echocardiogram obtained at discharge will be used to determine the need for outpatient follow-up.

Treatment:

Drug: NSAID

Other: no pharmacologic treatment of the PDA