Positioning and Gastric Aspiration in Ventilated Premature Infants

Cairo University (CU)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Respiratory Aspiration of Gastric Contents

Treatments: Behavioral: Right side position

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02016651

20120101

Details and patient eligibility

About

Gastro-esophageal reflux and aspiration is a common problem in premature infants receiving mechanical ventilation. Pepsin measured in tracheal aspirate (TA) emerged as a specific marker for aspiration. The objective of this study is to examine if TA pepsin will change when ventilated premature infants are positioned in two different positions; on their back vs. on their right side.

Enrollment: 34 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 3 to 28 days old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Infants born between 28 and 32 weeks gestational age
• postnatal age > 72 hours
• tracheally intubated and receiving conventional mechanical ventilation
• feeding enterally more than 20 ml per day.

Exclusion criteria

• neurological insult in the form of perinatal asphyxia (pH <7, base deficit more than 12, Apgar score at < 3 at 5 minutes of life), intracranial hemorrhage grades 3 or 4 at 72 hours of age or periventricular leucomalacia
• major congenital anomalies, or gastrointestinal anomalies such as tracheoesophageal fistula, or necrotizing enterocolitis ,
• receiving xanthine derivatives, H2 blockers, prokinetics, proton pump inhibitors or sedation

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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34 participants in 2 patient groups

Right side position

Experimental group

Description:

Premature infants on mechanical ventilation are kept on their right side

Treatment:

Behavioral: Right side position

Supine position

No Intervention group

Description:

Premature infants on mechanical ventilation are kept on their back