Can High Flow Nasal Prongs therapy facilitate earlier establishment of full oral feeds in babies who are Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure dependent at 32 weeks gestation?

ISRCTN ISRCTN66716753
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN66716753
Secondary identifying numbers N/A
Submission date
29/01/2013
Registration date
14/03/2013
Last edited
17/12/2020
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Pregnancy and Childbirth
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) is a common condition in preterm infants. NCPAP (Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is a method of ventilatory support used for these infants. It provides a continuous flow and pressure of air/ oxygen through the airways into the air sacs to prevent them collapsing during expiration and reducing the work of breathing. However it is a cumbersome mask, and it can disrupt the facilitation of breast or bottle feeding when they would otherwise be ready for it.
High Flow Nasal Prong (HFNP) therapy provides a high flow of air/ oxygen through the airways and into the air sacs. This is done through smaller nasal prongs, which cause less obstruction.
Our objective is to show that when infants are ready to feed, they are more likely to feed successfully if they have the small nasal prongs as opposed to a larger mask. We aim to show that using the high flow nasal prong therapy will help them to feed sooner and to be feeding fully on breast/bottle 1 week earlier than those on NCPAP.

Who can participate?
1. Very Low Birth Weight Infants (1500g or less)
2. Born at less than 30 weeks gestation (24+0 to 29+6)
3. Neonates requiring respiratory support in the form of NCPAP at 32 weeks corrected gestational age with an oxygen requirements of less than 30%
4. Infants requiring positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP)<5 cm H2O and breathing in room air will first be offered a trial off NCPAP with no respiratory support, but if this fails they will then be eligible for randomization
5. Full enteral feeding (tube feeding)

What does the study involve?
Once eligible for the study, at 32 weeks corrected gestational age, the infant will be randomly allocated to one of two groups A or B, using a sealed envelope.
Group A will continue on NCPAP and Group B will be started on High Flow nasal prongs at 7L/min.
Both groups will receive the same 4 hourly observation monitoring.
We have estimated that we will need to recruit 22 babies in each group (total 44 infants).
We will follow them until they reach full bottle/breast feeds.

What are the possible risks and benefits from participating?
There are no specific risks or benefits from participating.
Side effects of High flow nasal prong therapy may be clinical deterioration of the infant which will be assessed by the senior doctor on call and if needed, the infant will be resumed on NCPAP.
A possible benefit of the HFNP therapy would reaching full bottle/breast feeds earlier.

Where is the study run from?
The neonatal unit in the Coombe Women and Infant’s University Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland is running this study.

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
The study is starting in February 2013 and is expected to run for 12 to 18 months.

Who is funding the study?
Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, Ireland

Who is the Main contact?
Dr. Jan Miletin
jmiletin@coombe.ie

Contact information

Dr Jan Miletin
Scientific

Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital
Dolphin's Barn
Dublin
D 8
Ireland

Email jmiletin@coombe.ie

Study information

Study designRandomized controlled parallel group trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typeTreatment
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet
Scientific titleHigh Flow Nasal Prongs (HFNP) therapy versus Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (NCPAP) in establishing full oral feeds in Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW) infants - randomized controlled trial
Study acronymHiFlow
Study objectivesWe hypothesize that infants on HFNP therapy will be established on full feeds 1 week earlier than infants on NCPAP.

Null hypothesis: is that there is no difference or less than 1 week difference between the two groups.
Ethics approval(s)Research Ethics Committee, Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland approved on the 27th of November 2012, ref: 18 - 2012
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedEstablishment of full oral bottle / breast feeding in preterm infants
InterventionIntervention Group: Use of High Flow Nasal Prongs therapy starting at 32 weeks of corrected gestational age

Control Group: Use of Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure at 32 weeks of gestation (current practice)
Intervention typeOther
Primary outcome measureThe establishment of full oral feeding - days from 32 weeks corrected gestational age
Secondary outcome measuresDuration of respiratory support - days from 32 weeks corrected gestational age
Overall study start date01/02/2013
Completion date01/07/2014

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupNeonate
SexBoth
Target number of participants44
Total final enrolment44
Key inclusion criteria1. Very Low Birth Weight Infants (1500g or less)
2. Born at less than 30 weeks gestation (24+0 to 29+6)
3. Neonates requiring respiratory support in the form of NCPAP at 32 weeks corrected gestational age with an oxygen requirements of less than 30%
4. Infants requiring positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP)<5 cm H2O and breathing in room air will first be offered a trial off NCPAP with no respiratory support, but if this fails they will then be eligible for randomization
5. Full enteral feeding (by nasogastric or orogastric tube)
Key exclusion criteriaSignificant congenital / respiratory / cardiac / airway abnormality at the time of randomization
Date of first enrolment01/02/2013
Date of final enrolment01/07/2014

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Ireland

Study participating centre

Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital
Dublin
D 8
Ireland

Sponsor information

Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital (Ireland)
Hospital/treatment centre

Dolphin's Barn
Dublin
D 8
Ireland

Phone +353 (0)1 408 5276
Email jmiletin@coombe.ie
Website http://www.coombe.ie/
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/00bx71042

Funders

Funder type

Hospital/treatment centre

Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital (Ireland)

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareNo
IPD sharing plan summaryNot provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination planNot provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Results article results 01/07/2017 17/12/2020 Yes No

Editorial Notes

17/12/2020: Publication reference and total final enrolment added.