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Gastroesophageal RefluxPhase 3NCT00131248

Medical Treatment for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) in Preterm Infants

A Phase 3 study testing Metaclopramide and Ranitidine in people with Gastroesophageal Reflux, run by The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Study Question: In premature infants with apnea and/or bradycardia attributed to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), does treatment with medications (acid blockers and motility agents), compared to placebo, reduce the frequency of apnea and bradycardia? Background: Many clinicians believe that apnea and… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 1 month to 6 months
Conditions the study is for
Gastroesophageal Reflux
What is being tested?
Metaclopramide and Ranitidine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
18 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Apr 2004to Mar 2008
Phase
Phase 3
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 1 month to 6 months
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Premature infants < 37 weeks gestation at birth; currently less than 44 weeks postmenstrual age.
  • Not currently receiving mechanical ventilation
  • Clinical diagnosis of GER and apnea/bradycardia suspected by the clinicians to be related to the GER. (Supporting diagnostic test information, such as upper gastrointestinal series [UGI] studies and pH probes will be recorded but not required for study enrollment.)
  • Attending physician plan to begin anti-reflux medications
  • Infants may be included in the study if they are on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or methylxanthines for treatment of apnea only if the clinicians are willing to maintain the same regimen for the two-week duration of the study.
  • Stable feeding regimen

Who cannot join

  • History of congenital neurological defect
  • Imminent discharge (within 2 weeks)
  • Parent refusal

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Memorial Hermann Children's Hospital

    Houston, Texas, 77030

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Cross-over Trial of Medical Treatment for GERD in Preterm Infants

Study Question: In premature infants with apnea and/or bradycardia attributed to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), does treatment with medications (acid blockers and motility agents), compared to placebo, reduce the frequency of apnea and bradycardia?

Background: Many clinicians believe that apnea and bradycardia in preterm infants may be caused by gastroesophageal reflux (GER), however, studies have failed to demonstrate even a temporal association between episodes of GER and apnea. There have been no prospective randomized trials of treatment for GERD in preterm infants with apnea or other symptoms attributed to GER.

Methods: A randomized, cross-over study will be performed. This cross-over design will provide the patient's clinician with unbiased information about the patient's response to treatment. The clinician can use this information in deciding whether or not to continue treatment after the two-week study period.

Read the detailed description

Study Question: In premature infants with apnea and/or bradycardia attributed to GERD, does treatment with H2 blockers and prokinetic agents, compared to placebo, reduce the frequency of apnea and bradycardia?

Background: The incidence of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) has been reported in as many as 50% of healthy term infants and 63% of preterm infants. Anecdotal observations of apnea and bradycardia clustered around feedings or with an episode of vomiting have suggested to clinicians that apnea and bradycardia in preterm infants may be caused by reflux, however, studies have failed to demonstrate even a temporal association between episodes of GER and apnea. One retrospective study concluded that anti-reflux medications did not reduce the frequency of apnea in premature infants. There have been no prospective randomized trials of treatment for GERD in preterm infants with apnea or other symptoms attributed to GER. Despite the lack of evidence supporting a causal relationship between GER and respiratory problems in preterm infants and the lack of data regarding the efficacy or safety of the treatments for GERD, many clinicians continue to believe that GER causes respiratory symptoms in preterm infants and these infants are commonly treated with medications for GERD.

Specific aims: To determine whether medications for GER are effective in reducing respiratory symptoms attributed to GER.

Methods: A randomized, controlled masked cross-over study will be performed. The cross-over design will prevent evaluation of long-term outcomes but will increase the power to evaluate short-term outcomes by using the patient as his/her own control. This cross-over design will also provide the patient's clinician with unbiased information about the patient's response to treatment. The clinician can use this information in deciding whether or not to continue treatment after the two-week study period. This approach for making therapeutic decisions in individual patients has been described as an "N of 1" trial.

Being tested
Metaclopramide, Ranitidine, placebo
Medical subject headings
Gastroesophageal Reflux

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • MetaclopramideDrug

  • RanitidineDrug

  • placeboDrug

Study groups in NCT00131248
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Anti-reflux Medications, then Placebo (group 1)Other3-day course of anti-reflux medications, followed by 7-day course placebo, followed by 4-day course anti-reflux medications. All study medication administered via nipple or orogastric (OG) tube. Metaclopramide (anti-reflux) given in 0.1mg/kg/dose q6hrs, 30min. prior to feedings. Ranitidine, 3mg/kg/dose, q12hrs. Saline placebo at same respective volumes.
Receives: Drug: Metaclopramide; Drug: Ranitidine; Drug: placebo
Placebo, then Anti-reflux MedicationsOther3-day course placebo, followed by 7-day course anti-reflux medication, followed by 4-day course placebo. All study medication administered via nipple or OG tube. Metaclopramide (anti-reflux) given in 0.1mg/kg/dose q6hrs, 30min. prior to feedings. Ranitidine, 3mg/kg/dose, q12hrs. Saline placebo at same respective volumes.
Receives: Drug: Metaclopramide; Drug: Ranitidine; Drug: placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Bradycardia Episodes/Day

    Measured: 7 days

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted17 Aug 2005 (estimated)
  2. Study startApr 2004
  3. Primary completionMar 2008
  4. Study completionMar 2008

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator
Enrolment
18 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00131248
Sponsor's protocol ID
GERD
Status last verified
Dec 2013
First submitted
15 Aug 2005
Last updated
15 Jan 2014

Publications

  • Wheatley E, Kennedy KA. Cross-over trial of treatment for bradycardia attributed to gastroesophageal reflux in preterm infants. J Pediatr. 2009 Oct;155(4):516-21. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2009.03.044. Epub 2009 Jun 21.

    PubMed 19540518

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 3 study testing Metaclopramide and Ranitidine in people with Gastroesophageal Reflux, run by The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 15 Jan 2014. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 15 Jan 2014). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Bradycardia Episodes/Day (time frame: 7 days). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00131248, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 15 Jan 2014.

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