Trial Review

Technical difficulties have been reported by some users of the search function and is being investigated by technical staff. Thank you for your patience and apologies for any inconvenience caused.

The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been endorsed by the ANZCTR. Before participating in a study, talk to your health care provider and refer to this information for consumers
Trial registered on ANZCTR


Registration number
ACTRN12621001000897
Ethics application status
Approved
Date submitted
24/02/2021
Date registered
30/07/2021
Date last updated
30/07/2021
Date data sharing statement initially provided
30/07/2021
Type of registration
Prospectively registered

Titles & IDs
Public title
Can Caffeine prevent the cessation of breathing in preterm newborn babies?
Scientific title
Comparing the prophylactic effects of Caffeine versus placebo on the apnea of prematurity in neonates of Kabul City: A randomized clinical trial
Secondary ID [1] 303538 0
None
Universal Trial Number (UTN)
U1111-1265-3116
Trial acronym
PECAPNT
Linked study record

Health condition
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied:
Prematurity 320876 0
Apnea of Prematurity 320877 0
Low Birth Weight 320880 0
Condition category
Condition code
Reproductive Health and Childbirth 318693 318693 0 0
Complications of newborn
Respiratory 318696 318696 0 0
Other respiratory disorders / diseases

Intervention/exposure
Study type
Interventional
Description of intervention(s) / exposure
65 preterm neonates in group A will manage by Caffeine citrate 20 mg/kg (2ml/kg) intravenously as the initial dose on the 1st day, and then 5 mg/kg (0.5ml/kg) intravenously daily as the maintenance dose for 10 days. The Caffeine citrate solution will be prepared as 10mg/ml by a pharmacist and coded by a statistician before the intervention. This coded solution would be administrated by a trained nurse under the observation of a Neonatologist.
Intervention code [1] 319821 0
Prevention
Intervention code [2] 321141 0
Treatment: Drugs
Comparator / control treatment
65 other preterm newborns in group B will take distilled water (2ml/kg) intravenously as the initial dose on the 1st day and then (0.5ml/kg) intravenously daily as the maintenance dose for 10 days. The solution of distilled water will be prepared and coded by a pharmacist and a statistician before the intervention. This coded solution would be administrated by a trained nurse under the observation of a Neonatologist.
Control group
Placebo

Outcomes
Primary outcome [1] 326633 0
The risk of apnea is defined as a cessation of breathing for 20 seconds or longer or a shorter pause accompanied by bradycardia (heart rate less than 100 beats per minute), cyanosis, or low blood oxygen saturation. The apnea will be diagnosed and assessed by Cardio-respiratory Monitor.
Timepoint [1] 326633 0
10days. The risk of apnea would be calculated from the number of preterm neonates with newly diagnosed apnea during 10days of intervention divided by the number of totals studied preterm neonates on this date.
Primary outcome [2] 326634 0
The total duration of apnea attacks will be demonstrated in days. The duration of apnea attacks will be calculated from the starting day up to the ending day of apnea. The apnea would be assessed and diagnosed by Apnea Monitor or Cardio-pulmonary Monitor.
Timepoint [2] 326634 0
The duration of apnea attacks will be calculated from the starting day up to the ending day of apnea. The observation period is 10days. The assessment and diagnosis of apnea would be done by Apnea Monitor or Cardio-pulmonary Monitor.
Primary outcome [3] 328234 0
The frequency of apnea attacks in 24hr
Timepoint [3] 328234 0
The neonates will be observed for 10days and the mean number of apnea in 24hrs would be obtained. The number of apnea in 24hrs will be monitored and assessed by an Apnea Monitor and a recording sheet.
Secondary outcome [1] 392214 0
The risk of neonatal death during the intervention.
Timepoint [1] 392214 0
10 days. The risk of neonatal death would be calculated from the number of dead preterm neonates during 10days of intervention divided by the number of totals studied preterm neonates on this date.

Eligibility
Key inclusion criteria
Neonates with the following criteria:
1. The gestational age of 34 weeks or less.
2. The birth weight less than 1500g.
Minimum age
1 Days
Maximum age
7 Days
Sex
Both males and females
Can healthy volunteers participate?
No
Key exclusion criteria
Neonates with the following conditions:
1. Neonatal Meningitis diagnosed by CSF and complete blood count.
2. Neonatal Pneumonia diagnosed by infiltration on chest x-ray and complete blood count.
3. Visible CNS malformation.
4. Cyanotic Congenital Heart Diseases detected by echocardiography.
5. Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy detected by Levene or Sarnat-Sartant Scoring System.
6. Severe perinatal asphyxia diagnosed as an Apgar score less than 4.
7. Hypoglycemia or blood glucose level less than 40mg/dl.
8. Hypocalcemia or blood calcium level less than 7.5mg/dl.
9. Severe Anemia defined as hemoglobin less than 10g/dl
10. Intraventricular hemorrhage detected by ultrasonography.
11. Hyponatremia or serum sodium level less than 135mq/l
12. Hypernatremia or serum sodium level more than 145mq/l
13. Parents who declined the consents.

Study design
Purpose of the study
Prevention
Allocation to intervention
Randomised controlled trial
Procedure for enrolling a subject and allocating the treatment (allocation concealment procedures)
A list of randomized codes would be prepared for both products by a statistician, and the pharmacist will label the mentioned codes on the vials of Caffeine and distilled water. The vials will have a similar appearance. This will maintain concealment and double-blinded treatment allocation. After randomization, neither the patients nor the investigator or sponsor will be aware of the treatment allocation. Patients assigned to one of the double-blinded treatments will take the intravenous solution of Caffeine (10mg/ml) or distilled water. The involved statistician and pharmacists will be aware of the randomized treatment allocation sequence but they won’t involve in patient recruitment and keep the list and information concealed till the closure of the database.
Methods used to generate the sequence in which subjects will be randomised (sequence generation)
Permuted block randomization
Masking / blinding
Blinded (masking used)
Who is / are masked / blinded?
The people receiving the treatment/s
The people administering the treatment/s
The people assessing the outcomes
The people analysing the results/data
Intervention assignment
Parallel
Other design features
Phase
Phase 4
Type of endpoint/s
Efficacy
Statistical methods / analysis
Initially, raw data will collect in data collection sheets and then enter into SPSS software for statistical analysis. The efficacy of Caffeine citrate will assess by comparing the mean and risk ratio of data with the consideration of p-value. As we accepted the alpha errors of 0.05, therefore, the p-value less than 0.05 is significant.

Recruitment
Recruitment status
Not yet recruiting
Date of first participant enrolment
Anticipated
1/09/2021
Actual
Date of last participant enrolment
Anticipated
30/01/2023
Actual
Date of last data collection
Anticipated
28/02/2023
Actual
Sample size
Target
130
Accrual to date
Final
Recruitment outside Australia
Country [1] 23485 0
Afghanistan
State/province [1] 23485 0
Kabul

Funding & Sponsors
Funding source category [1] 307961 0
University
Name [1] 307961 0
Kabul University of Medical Science
Country [1] 307961 0
Afghanistan
Primary sponsor type
Individual
Name
Mansoor Aslamzai
Address
Department of Neonatology, Maiwand Teaching Hospital, 1st district, 1001, Kabul.
Country
Afghanistan
Secondary sponsor category [1] 308686 0
None
Name [1] 308686 0
Address [1] 308686 0
Country [1] 308686 0

Ethics approval
Ethics application status
Approved
Ethics committee name [1] 307956 0
Research Committee of Ministry of Higher Education
Ethics committee address [1] 307956 0
Ministry of Higher Education, 3rd district, 1003, Kabul.
Ethics committee country [1] 307956 0
Afghanistan
Date submitted for ethics approval [1] 307956 0
04/10/2020
Approval date [1] 307956 0
03/02/2021
Ethics approval number [1] 307956 0
letter no 664 date 3/2/2021

Summary
Brief summary
Introduction
The neonatal mortality rate in Afghanistan is one of the highest in the world and it was reported by UNICEF in 2019, 37 deaths per 1000 live births. Prematurity is one of the major causes (35%) of early neonatal mortality in Afghanistan. Preterm and low birth weight neonates encounter a lot of serious problems including apnea. Although apnea is an important cause of mortality and brain damage in immature babies, the prophylactic effect of Caffeine on the apnea of prematurity in newborn infants is revealed by a few studies with conflicting results
We Hypothesized that Caffeine citrate can prevent or decline the attacks of apnea in preterm neonates. Therefore we want to compare the prophylactic effects of Caffeine citrate versus placebo on the duration and daily attacks of apnea of prematurity in neonates with a gestational age of equal or less than 34 weeks or birth weight less than 1500g in Kabul hospitals.
Research objectives: The primary objective is to compare the prophylactic effects of Caffeine citrate versus placebo on the duration and daily attacks of apnea of prematurity in neonates with a gestational age of equal or fewer than 34 weeks or birth weight less than 1500g in Kabul hospitals. The secondary objective is to evaluate the risk of neonatal death in both groups.
Research Hypothesis: Caffeine citrate can prevent or decline the attacks of apnea in preterm neonates with a gestational age of equal or fewer than 34 weeks or birth weight less than 1500g in Kabul hospitals. Caffeine citrate has a prophylactic effect on apnea in such neonates group.
Intervention: Totally,130 preterm neonates will be randomized to receive either Caffeine citrate (20mg/kg or 2ml/kg intravenously as the initial dose on the 1st day of life, and then 5 mg/kg or 0.5ml/kg intravenously daily as the maintenance dose for 10 days) or Placebo (distilled water 2ml/kg intravenously as the initial dose on the 1st day of life, and then(0.5ml/kg intravenously daily as the maintenance dose for 10 days) in this multisite, double-blind, controlled clinical trial.
Trial website
Trial related presentations / publications
Public notes
This study will find the prophylactic effects of Caffeine on the attacks of apnea in preterm babies with a gestational age of 34 weeks or less, or a birth weight of less than 1500gr in Kabul hospitals, Afghanistan. If the result of this research finds that Caffeine can decrease or prevent the attacks of apnea in preterm neonates, it will be suggested to policymakers to add Caffeine administration as a preventive measure in the management of such newborns. As apnea of prematurity may lead to hypoxia, multiple organ damage, and death; therefore, the prevention of apnea by Caffeine may decrease other complications, neonatal mortality, hospital stay, and extra charges. All of these are cost benefits to our government and people. In governmental and private hospitals, a lot of money and time spent due to the long management period of such an infant group. If needed, this study will come up with suggestions for further research studies.

Contacts
Principal investigator
Name 109034 0
Prof Mansoor Aslamzai
Address 109034 0
Department of Neonatology, Maiwand Teaching Hospital, 1st district, 1001 Kabul.
Country 109034 0
Afghanistan
Phone 109034 0
+93700603998
Fax 109034 0
Email 109034 0
mansooraslamzai@gmail.com
Contact person for public queries
Name 109035 0
Prof Mansoor Aslamzai
Address 109035 0
Department of Neonatology, Maiwand Teaching Hospital, 1st district, 1001. Kabul.
Country 109035 0
Afghanistan
Phone 109035 0
+93700603998
Fax 109035 0
Email 109035 0
mansooraslamzai@gmail.com
Contact person for scientific queries
Name 109036 0
Prof Mansoor Aslamzai
Address 109036 0
Department of Neonatology, Maiwand Teaching Hospital, 1st district, 1001, Kabul.
Country 109036 0
Afghanistan
Phone 109036 0
+93700603998
Fax 109036 0
Email 109036 0
mansooraslamzai@gmail.com

Data sharing statement
Will individual participant data (IPD) for this trial be available (including data dictionaries)?
Yes
What data in particular will be shared?
individual participant data underlying published results only
When will data be available (start and end dates)?
Beginning 3 months and ending 5 years following main results publication
Available to whom?
case-by-case basis at the discretion of Primary Sponsor
Available for what types of analyses?
for IPD meta-analyses
How or where can data be obtained?
access subject to approvals by Principal Investigator: mansooraslamzai@gmail.com


What supporting documents are/will be available?

Doc. No.TypeCitationLinkEmailOther DetailsAttachment
10795Study protocol  mansooraslamzai@gmail.com 381494-(Uploaded-24-02-2021-16-13-33)-Study-related document.pdf



Results publications and other study-related documents

Documents added manually
No documents have been uploaded by study researchers.

Documents added automatically
SourceTitleYear of PublicationDOI
EmbaseMethylxanthine for the prevention and treatment of apnea in preterm infants.2023https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013830.pub2
N.B. These documents automatically identified may not have been verified by the study sponsor.