Clinical trial NCT01314742: Study of Biotene OralBalance Gel for Oral Care in Critically-Ill Mechanically Ventilated Neonates
Official title: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial of Two Different Oral Care Regimens Combined With Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) Bundle Strategy for Reduction of Duration of Mechanical Ventilation in a Neonatal Population
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: EARLY_PHASE1
Conditions: Ventilator-associated Pneumonia
Keywords: neonates
mechanical ventilation
oral care
duration of mechanical ventilation
feasibility
ventilator-associated pneumonia
Lead sponsor: Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2011-03-14
Enrollment: 41
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 7
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: The goal of this pilot study is to test the hypothesis that mechanically ventilated infants receiving Biotene OralBalance® gel for oral care would have a reduced intubation time compared to infants receiving oral care placebo. This study is also performed to test the feasibility as well the safety of Biotene OralBalance® gel.

Detailed description: Prolonged mechanical ventilation is a known risk factor strongly associated with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). As the fatality rates for VAP are high, prevention of VAP has focused on the use of "VAP bundles". Oral decontamination, by reducing the microbial burden within a patient's oral cavity, is an essential part of VAP bundle strategy for reducing VAP rates in mechanically ventilated adults and older children. However there are no published studies of oral care products for VAP prevention in mechanically ventilated neonates. Biotene OralBalance® gel contains antibacterial active ingredients, including lactoperoxidase, lysozyme and lactoferrin,all enzymes with bacteriostatic or bactericidal activity on selective oral microflora. We hypothesize that by directly reducing the oral microbial burden, we indirectly reduce the number of VAP. This will be reflected in the reduced time on mechanical ventilation in the group of infants receiving Biotene OralBalance® gel.

This is a prospective, randomized, unmasked, controlled trial with 40 mechanically ventilated infants recruited from level IV nursery at Forsyth Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC. The participants will be randomized to two equal groups, stratified by gestational age categories: \<28 weeks, and \>=28 weeks as well as multiple births. Twenty infants will receive Biotene OralBalance® gel (Intervention Group) and 20 infants will receive swabs with sterile water (Control Group) for timed oral care. Both study groups will receive the NICU standard ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) bundle, a combination of strategies aimed to reduce the rate of VAP.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Neonates who are mechanically ventilated between 7 and 10 days old. Signed parental informed consent is required for recruitment into the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Neonates with chromosomal anomalies or major congenital anomalies, neonates with terminal conditions, neonates for whom a decision has been made not to provide full medical support, neonates whose parents refused or are unable to provide consent, and/or attending physician refusal.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Feasibility
timeFrame: duration of study, for up to 30 months
measure: Duration of Mechanical Ventilation
timeFrame: 3 days
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Winston-Salem
country: United States
facility: Forsyth Medical Center
state: North Carolina
city: Winston-Salem
country: United States
facility: Brenner Children's Hospital
state: North Carolina
Study officials:
affiliation: Wake Forest University
name: Beatrice Stefanescu, MD, MS
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Tenovuo J. Clinical applications of antimicrobial host proteins lactoperoxidase, lysozyme and lactoferrin in xerostomia: efficacy and safety. Oral Dis. 2002 Jan;8(1):23-9. doi: 10.1034/j.1601-0825.2002.1o781.x.
citation: Tenovuo J, Lumikari M, Soukka T. Salivary lysozyme, lactoferrin and peroxidases: antibacterial effects on cariogenic bacteria and clinical applications in preventive dentistry. Proc Finn Dent Soc. 1991;87(2):197-208.
citation: Epstein JB, Emerton S, Le ND, Stevenson-Moore P. A double-blind crossover trial of Oral Balance gel and Biotene toothpaste versus placebo in patients with xerostomia following radiation therapy. Oral Oncol. 1999 Mar;35(2):132-7. doi: 10.1016/s1368-8375(98)00109-2.
citation: Apisarnthanarak A, Holzmann-Pazgal G, Hamvas A, Olsen MA, Fraser VJ. Ventilator-associated pneumonia in extremely preterm neonates in a neonatal intensive care unit: characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes. Pediatrics. 2003 Dec;112(6 Pt 1):1283-9. doi: 10.1542/peds.112.6.1283.
citation: Chlebicki MP, Safdar N. Topical chlorhexidine for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a meta-analysis. Crit Care Med. 2007 Feb;35(2):595-602. doi: 10.1097/01.CCM.0000253395.70708.AC.
citation: Stefanescu BM, Hetu C, Slaughter JC, O'Shea TM, Shetty AK. A pilot study of Biotene OralBalance(R) gel for oral care in mechanically ventilated preterm neonates. Contemp Clin Trials. 2013 Jul;35(2):33-9. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2013.03.010. Epub 2013 Apr 20.