Conditions: Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Keywords: Patent ductus arteriosus Respiratory outcome
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 105
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The investigators propose the present study with the following aims:

* to determine whether early patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) treatment with ibuprofen treatment at the onset of clinical symptoms is superior to late ibuprofen treatment only when symptoms of a hemodynamically significant PDA are present in the evolution of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) defined as duration of supplemental oxygen exposure during the first 28 days
* to determine whether early PDA treatment with ibuprofen will be superior to late treatment with ibuprofen in efficacy of PDA closure, need for rescue therapy, need for PDA ligation and incidence of major complications of prematurity.

Hypothesis: Early pharmacologic closure of PDA with ibuprofen will improve respiratory course and reduce BPD as reflected by a reduction in duration of supplemental oxygen during the first 28 days of age vs. late pharmacologic treatment with ibuprofen.

Outcome variables: The primary outcome of this study is the number of days spent on supplemental oxygen by each infant during the first 28 days.

Other outcomes to be determined between groups include:

* Mortality
* Other respiratory variables: total days on supplemental oxygen, days on mechanical ventilation, oxygen dependence at 36 weeks post menstrual age, age at final extubation.
* Other respiratory complications: pneumothorax, pulmonary interstitial emphysema, need for high frequency ventilation, pulmonary hypertension
* Efficacy of PDA closure: number of courses of medication required, need for ligation
* Other neonatal complications: intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), intestinal perforation, sepsis, renal dysfunction (oliguria, elevated creatinine)
* Time to achieving full enteral feedings, time to regain birth weight, weight at discharge.
* Length of hospital stay

Detailed description:
Study terminated when intravenous (IV) ibuprofen withdrawn for both clinical and research use.

Arms:
arm 1: Drug: Early ibuprofen

IBUPROFEN DOSING SCHEDULE: At the diagnosis of PDA, infants randomized to "early treatment" will receive blinded ibuprofen initial dose 10 mg/kg, then two doses 5 mg/kg each, after 24 and 48 h, slow IV infusion. Initial therapy will be blinded. This group will then be eligible to receive unblinded, open label ibuprofen for a hemodynamically significant PDA include: SIGNS OF PDA + Presence of significant pulmonary hemorrhage ALONE OR SIGNS OF PDA +: Pulmonary edema, plus a large heart on CXR + one of the following: Hypotension, Respiratory failure (not due to something other than PDA) defined as at least two of the following respirator settings: Need for supplemental O2 \> 50%; need IMV \>40; need for PIP \> 20; or need for HFOV. arm 2: Late ibuprofen expectant group (placebo): Ibuprofen schedule: At PDA diagnosis, infants randomized to "late expectant group" will receive blinded placebo. If hemo-dynamically significant PDA develops, infants now receive open label ibuprofen, initial dose of 10 mg/kg, then 2 doses 5 mg/kg each, after 24 and 48 h, slow IV infusion. Signs of a hemodynamically significant PDA: Signs of PDA + pulmonary hemorrhage alone or Signs of PDA + Pulmonary edema, plus a large heart on CXR + one of the following: Hypotension, Respiratory failure (due to PDA) defined as at least two of the following respirator settings: Need for supplemental O2 \> 50%; need IMV \>40; need for PIP \> 20; or need for HFOV. Infants who had received placebo will ibuprofen for the first time (thus, "late" ibuprofen or expectant).

Interventions: intervention 1: Early ibuprofen intervention 2: Late ibuprofen expectant group (placebo)
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: IBUPROFEN SCHEDULE: initial dose 10 mg/kg, then 2 doses 5 mg/kg each, after 24 and 48 h, slow IV infusion. Initial therapy is blinded. At PDA diagnosis, infants randomized to "early treatment" receive blinded ibuprofen. Infants randomized to "late treatment" receive blinded placebo. Hemodynamically significant PDA criteria: SIGNS OF PDA + pulmonary hemorrhage OR SIGNS OF PDA +: Pulmonary edema, plus a large heart on CXR + one of the following: Hypotension, Respiratory failure (due to PDA) defined as at least two of the following: Need for supplemental O2 \> 50%; need IMV \>40; need for PIP \> 20; or need for HFOV. Once hemodynamically significant PDA criteria met, if echo is positive, infants from both groups can receive open label ibuprofen. intervention 2: Drug: Late ibuprofen expectant group (placebo): DOSING SCHEDULE: At PDA diagnosis infants randomized to "late ibuprofen expectant group" will receive blinded placebo. If hemodynamically significant PDA develops, infants now receive open label ibuprofen at an initial dose of 10 mg/kg, then two doses 5 mg/kg each, after 24 and 48 h, slow IV infusion. Signs of a hemodynamically significant PDA include: SIGNS OF PDA + pulmonary hemorrhage ALONE OR SIGNS OF PDA +: Pulmonary edema, plus a large heart on CXR + one of the following: Hypotension, Respiratory failure (due PDA) defined as at least 2 of the following settings: Need for supplemental O2 \> 50%; need IMV \>40; need for PIP \> 20; or need for HFOV.

Protocol document: