Conditions: Pulmonary Infections
Keywords: ventilator associated pulmonary infections
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 11
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
To evaluate the effect of Dornase alfa on preterm and late preterm neonates with ventilator associated pulmonary infections. Dornase alfa has been effective in the treatment of pulmonary infections in patients with cystic fibrosis by aiding mucus clearance. The bacteria causing pulmonary infections in cystic fibrosis patients is similar to those infecting preterm infants. The investigators expect that dornase alfa therapy will improve recovery from ventilator associated pulmonary infections in preterm infants.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: No therapy will be given to placebo arm. Respiratory therapist will shield infant from view and nebulize saline solution into incubator rather than into ventilator circuit. arm 2: Dornase alfa 2.5 mg nebulized endotracheally every 12 hours for 7 days or until extubation

Interventions: intervention 1: Dornase alfa intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: 2.5 mg nebulized endotracheally every 12 hours for 7 days or until extubation intervention 2: No therapy will be given to placebo arm

Protocol document: