NCT06469580

Neonatologist-performed Lung Ultrasound (NPLUS) to Guide Respiratory Therapy to Prevent Extubation Failure

Neonatologist-performed Lung Ultrasound (NPLUS) to Guide Respiratory Therapy to Prevent Extubation Failure in Term and Preterm Neonates- a Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Medical University of Graz · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 1 Minute – 6 Months
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The objective of the study is to evaluate the role of neonatologist-performed lung ultrasound (NPLUS) after weaning from invasive mechanical ventilation and extubation. Our aim is to study the diagnostic accuracy of NPLUS and investigate whether LUS leads to earlier actions before clinical deterioration and hence prevents extubation failure.

Detailed description

In the past few years, lung ultrasound has been established as a tool to dynamically assess the lungs in various clinical conditions. Standardized protocols have been compiled to allow for an easy and fast evaluation. The point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is easily accessible and allows the clinician a readily available bed-side evaluation. Although invasive mechanical ventilation displays a lifesaving strategy in neonatal intensive care, it is associated with numerous long-term complications especially in preterm infants. Despite a shift to lung-protective ventilation, time on mechanical ventilatory support should be kept as short as possible, considering timely weaning and switch to a non-invasive ventilation. Estimating the right time for discontinuation of invasive mechanical ventilation remains challenging and is influenced by several parameters. Extubation failure can be associated with respiratory failure following exhaustion on non-invasive ventilatory support. Collapse of alveolar units lead to hypo-aerated areas. Small airway size, obstruction due to secretion and muscular weakness predispose to the development of atelectasis in neonates. Atelectasis occurring post extubation are a frequent cause of extubation failure. Lung consolidations can be sonographically detected. A sensitivity of 100% for the detection of neonatal pulmonary atelectasis has been described. In recent studies Lung Ultrasound Severity Score (LUSS) has been shown to be an independent predictor of successful extubation in mechanically ventilated preterm infants. However, once extubated, only limited data is available if extubation failure later in the process can be predicted. Lung aeration decreased after extubation to spontaneous breathing. Early standardized evaluation of the lung via lung ultrasound can deliver important information on aeration of the lungs and whether action may be required. Using a standardized protocol (lung ultrasound score, LUS) on certain timepoints after extubation can lead to early detection of loss of aeration. Timely intervention with e.g., temporary PEEP increase for alveolar recruitment on non-invasive ventilatory support, positioning of the patient prior to clinical deterioration can impede the need of a reintubation and invasive mechanical ventilatory support.

Conditions

• Neonatal Disease

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	NPLUS (neonatologist performed lung ultrasound)	NPLUS is conducted with an ultrasound scanner using a high-frequency (12-15 MHz) linear transducer probe (scanning depth approximately 4-5 cm). The neonate is placed in a supine position. The anterior, lateral and posterior chest areas are scanned using the presets "lung" or "small parts". Landmarks are the anterior and posterior axillary line (longitudinal) on each hemithorax. A sequential scan from right to left, anterior to posterior is performed. (6 lung areas). In the study NPLUS is performed to quantify the lung ultrasound score at time points T0, T1 and T2. Sequences of 3-5 seconds are saved and assessed according to the lung ultrasound score adapted by Rodriguez-Fanjul et al. (0- to 3 point score for each area, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 18). To ensure inter-observer reliability the anonymous video sequences are then rated by two independent neonatologists.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-06-01
• Primary completion: 2025-05-01
• Completion: 2025-05-01
• First posted: 2024-06-21
• Last updated: 2024-06-21

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Austria