RIC-NEC Randomized Controlled Trial

Description

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious intestinal disease of preterm and term neonates which remains a major cause of intestinal failure, and an unsolved clinical challenge in pediatrics. While overall mortality of preterm infants continues to decrease due to improvements in general neonatal care, mortality caused by NEC remains high (up to 30-50%) and survivors suffer from reduced quality of life, and long-term disabilities such as debilitating complications of intestinal failure, poor growth and neurodevelopmental delay. Besides prevention, there have been hardly any innovations in the treatment of NEC which underwent trial evaluation. NEC pathogenesis is multifactorial, but bowel ischemia is known to play an essential role in the development of NEC. Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) is a therapeutic maneuver that involves brief cycles of non-lethal ischemia and reperfusion applied to a limb, which protects distant organs (such as the intestine) from ischemic damage. The investigators have shown that in preclinical models of NEC, RIC effectively reduces intestinal damage and prolongs survival. The investigators have also demonstrated the safety of RIC in preterm neonates with NEC. Before the investigators can evaluate the effectiveness of RIC in treating neonates with NEC in a Phase III randomized clinical trial (RCT), a Phase II Feasibility RCT must be conducted to evaluate issues related to the enrollment and randomization of neonates, masking of the RIC intervention, and measurement of clinical outcomes. The investigators hypothesize that it is feasible to conduct a multicenter RCT to evaluate RIC during the management of neonates with medical NEC.

Conditions

Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious intestinal disease of preterm and term neonates which remains a major cause of intestinal failure, and an unsolved clinical challenge in pediatrics. While overall mortality of preterm infants continues to decrease due to improvements in general neonatal care, mortality caused by NEC remains high (up to 30-50%) and survivors suffer from reduced quality of life, and long-term disabilities such as debilitating complications of intestinal failure, poor growth and neurodevelopmental delay. Besides prevention, there have been hardly any innovations in the treatment of NEC which underwent trial evaluation. NEC pathogenesis is multifactorial, but bowel ischemia is known to play an essential role in the development of NEC. Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) is a therapeutic maneuver that involves brief cycles of non-lethal ischemia and reperfusion applied to a limb, which protects distant organs (such as the intestine) from ischemic damage. The investigators have shown that in preclinical models of NEC, RIC effectively reduces intestinal damage and prolongs survival. The investigators have also demonstrated the safety of RIC in preterm neonates with NEC. Before the investigators can evaluate the effectiveness of RIC in treating neonates with NEC in a Phase III randomized clinical trial (RCT), a Phase II Feasibility RCT must be conducted to evaluate issues related to the enrollment and randomization of neonates, masking of the RIC intervention, and measurement of clinical outcomes. The investigators hypothesize that it is feasible to conduct a multicenter RCT to evaluate RIC during the management of neonates with medical NEC.

RIC-NEC Phase II Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial: Remote Ischemic Conditioning in Necrotizing Enterocolitis

RIC-NEC Randomized Controlled Trial

Condition
Necrotizing Enterocolitis
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Cincinnati

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45229

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • 1. Preterm neonates with all gestational age at birth.
  • 2. Current weight ≥750 g
  • 3. Confirmed diagnosis of "medical" NEC based on the joint opinion of two attending experts in the field (two neonatologists or one neonatologist and one pediatric surgeon).
  • 4. NEC diagnosis established within the previous 24 hours.
  • 1. Indication for surgery in the joint opinion of the attending neonatologist and pediatric surgeon (i.e. surgical NEC). This diagnosis is based on the presence of pneumoperitoneum in the abdominal radiograph and/or failure of medical treatment for NEC
  • 2. Previous episodes of NEC
  • 3. Diagnosis of NEC established \>24 hours ago
  • 4. Major congenital heart disease which needs surgical repair
  • 5. Antecedent limb ischemia/limb thrombotic events, occlusive arterial or venous thrombosis
  • 6. Associated gastrointestinal anomalies including gastroschisis or congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Ages Eligible for Study

0 Weeks to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

The Hospital for Sick Children,

Agostino Pierro, OBE, MD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, The Hospital for Sick Children

Study Record Dates

2027-05-01