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CompletedNCT01318278Updated Feb 20, 2019Results posted

Study of Dopamine Versus Vasopressin for Treatment of Low Blood Pressure in Low Birth Weight Infants

An interventional study of Dopamine and Arginine Vasopressin in Hypotension, sponsored by Baylor College of Medicine. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged Up to 24 Hours. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2019-02-20.

Sponsored by Baylor College of Medicine · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
70
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
Up to 24 Hours
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Low blood pressure or hypotension is a very important problem that is often seen in premature babies, especially those with low birth weight. Severe hypotension leads to significant problems including brain bleeds, developmental delays, kidney and liver problems, and other issues that can affect babies for the rest of their lives. An important aspect in the management of infants with hypotension is the decision of when to treat and with what agent. Research is being conducted to try to find the best medication to use in these situations. Dopamine is often used first, but it does not always prove to be effective, and it has several concerning side effects. This study will look at vasopressin, which has fewer side effects, as a first-line medication for low blood pressure in extremely low birth weight infants.

Hypotheses and Specific Aims: This study will show superiority of vasopressin to dopamine in preterm, extremely low birth weight infants who have hypotension within the first 24 hours of life. We will specifically look at its ability to raise blood pressure values, improve clinical symptoms seen, any adverse effects, and clinical outcomes of babies being treated.

Read the detailed description

Hypotension in the low birth weight (LBW) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infant is often encountered in the postnatal adaptation phase. Severe, prolonged hypotension contributes to cellular dysfunction and cell death. Systemic hypotension affects close to half of all ELBW infants and a significant portion of LBW infants. The true definition of hypotension remains to be a question. There is a linear association between birth weight, gestational age, and mean blood pressure but blood pressure can vary significantly in the first day of life. The critical period tends to be the first 24-36 hours of life as blood pressure tends to rise significantly in the first 72 hours of life regardless of gestational age. Preterm infants suffering from hypotension have a higher incidence and increased severity of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), and long-term neurodevelopmental sequelae compared to normotensive preterm infants. Effects on other organ systems can result in renal injury, hepatic injury, and the development of necrotizing enterocolitis among other complications. An important aspect in the management of infants with hypotension is the decision of when to treat and with what agent. Dopamine is commonly used as first-line therapy, but issues with efficacy and its side effect profile have lessened its favorability over the years. Few studies compare dopamine to other agents as a first -line treatment. This study hopes to contribute to the literature information on vasopressin as a potential first-line agent for treatment of neonatal hypotension in low birth weight infants.

02

Conditions studied

  • Hypotension

Keywords

  • Hypotension
  • Low blood pressure
  • Neonate
  • Dopamine
  • Vasopressin
  • Extremely Low Birth Weight Infant
03

In context

Hypotension

1,021 studies on the registry are indexed under Hypotension; 172 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 70 is below the median of 80 across 686 interventional studies indexed under Hypotension.

Browse Hypotension studies →

Lead sponsor

Baylor College of Medicine is the lead sponsor of 747 studies on the registry; 111 are open to participants now.

Of its 84 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 45 (54%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Up to 24 Hours
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Infants less than 24 hours of age
  • Infants with birth weight of \<1001 grams and/or gestational age of \<29 weeks
  • Not initiated on any continuous pressor therapy prior to enrollment
  • Intravenous line in place
  • Outborn infants meeting eligibility criteria

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Infants not meeting eligibility criteria
  • Infants with life-threatening congenital defects
  • Infants with congenital hydrops
  • Infants with frank hypovolemia (perinatal history consistent with decreased circulating blood volume plus clinical signs of hypovolemia)
  • Infants with other unresolved causes of hypotension (air leaks, lung overdistention, or metabolic abnormalities).
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
70 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Dopamine treatment

    Dopamine treatment beginning at 5 mcg/kg/min and titrated by 5 mcg/kg/min to effect up to maximum of 20 mcg/kg/min

    Drug: Dopamine

  • Active comparator
    Vasopressin treatment

    Arginine Vasopressin treatment beginning at 0.01 units/kg/hr and titrated up by 0.01 units/kg/hr to effect up to a maximum of 0.04 units/kg/hr

    Drug: Arginine Vasopressin

  • No intervention
    Comparison Arm

    Infants who did not require vasopressor support for hypotension during the first 24 hours of life

Interventions

  • dopamine at low/medium/and high dose (5, 10, 15, and 20 mcg/kg/min) given IV as a continuous infusion, titrated up for efficacy

    Also known as: Dopamine Hydrochloride

  • vasopressin at low/medium/and high dose (0.01, 0.02, 0.03, or 0.04 units/kg/hr) given IV as a continuous infusion, titrated up for efficacy

    Also known as: Vasopressin, Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH), Pitressin (US brand name), Pressyn;Pressyn AR (Canadian brand names), Argipressin

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Number of Subjects in Each Group Who Have Achieved an Optimal Mean Blood Pressure Value at 24 Hours of Life

    Optimal mean blood pressure (OMBP) will be defined as either a 10% increase in mean blood pressure value or a 2-3 mmHg rise in mean blood pressure value AND an improvement in tissue perfusion as demonstrated by a resolution in the specified clinical symptom (designated upon enrollment) within 4-6 hours of having reached OMBP

    Time frame: 24 hours of life

Secondary outcomes

  1. Heart Rate Change From Baseline

    Heart rate change from baseline during study drug administration

    Time frame: 96 hours or until hypotension completely resolved and medications stopped

  2. Acid-base Status

    Time frame: 96 hours or until hypotension resolved and medication completely stopped

  3. Hyponatremia

    Time frame: 96 hours or until medication completely stopped

  4. Urine Output

    Time frame: 96 hours or until hypotension resolved and medication completely stopped

  5. Evidence of Ischemic Changes

    Physical examinations were done on at least a twice daily basis to evaluate for any ischemic lesions (especially on the limbs) of all subjects. The presence of any lesion considered to be due to ischemia would have been reported in this data.

    Time frame: 96 hours or until medication completely stopped

  6. Necrotizing Enterocolitis

    Time frame: until hospital discharge, up to 12 weeks

  7. Ventilator Days

    Time frame: Until hospital discharge, up to 15 months

  8. Presence of Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)

    Time frame: until hospital discharge, up to 12 weeks

  9. Grade 3 Intraventricular Hemorrhage or Worse on Head Ultrasound

    Time frame: Until hospital discharge, up to 15 months

  10. Retinopathy of Prematurity Stage 3 or Higher

    All subjects were followed by an ophthalmologist with initial exam at 4-6 weeks of age. The Stages describe the ophthalmoscopic findings at the junction between the vascularized and avascular retina. Each subject is followed until cleared by ophthalmology. For this outcome measure, the most severe stage of disease was used in analysis. Stage 1 is a faint demarcation line. Stage 2 is an elevated ridge. Stage 3 is extraretinal fibrovascular proliferation (neovascularization). Stage 4 is sub-total retinal detachment. Stage 5 is total retinal detachment. Stages 1 and 2 do not lead to blindness. However, they can progress to the more severe stages.

    Time frame: Until hospital discharge, up to 15 months

  11. Presence of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)

    Infants were evaluated for oxygen need at 36 weeks postmenstrual age. If they required supplemental oxygen, they were diagnosed with BPD

    Time frame: 36 weeks postmenstrual age

  12. All Cause Mortality

    Time frame: admission to hospital discharge, up to 15 months

07

Results

Posted Mar 10, 2015

Participant flow

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestoneDopamine TreatmentVasopressin TreatmentComparison Arm
Started101050
Completed101050
Not completed000

Outcome measures

PrimaryNumber of Subjects in Each Group Who Have Achieved an Optimal Mean Blood Pressure Value at 24 Hours of Life

Optimal mean blood pressure (OMBP) will be defined as either a 10% increase in mean blood pressure value or a 2-3 mmHg rise in mean blood pressure value AND an improvement in tissue perfusion as demonstrated by a resolution in the specified clinical symptom (designated upon enrollment) within 4-6 hours of having reached OMBP

Time frame:
24 hours of life
Reported as:
Number · participants
Number of Subjects in Each Group Who Have Achieved an Optimal Mean Blood Pressure Value at 24 Hours of Life
participantsDopamine TreatmentVasopressin Treatment
Number of Subjects in Each Group Who Have Achieved an Optimal Mean Blood Pressure Value at 24 Hours of Life99
SecondaryHeart Rate Change From Baseline

Heart rate change from baseline during study drug administration

Time frame:
96 hours or until hypotension completely resolved and medications stopped
Reported as:
Mean · beats per minute
Heart Rate Change From Baseline
beats per minuteDopamine TreatmentVasopressin Treatment
Heart Rate Change From Baseline31 ± 190 ± 10
SecondaryAcid-base Status
Time frame:
96 hours or until hypotension resolved and medication completely stopped
Reported as:
Mean · pH
Acid-base Status
pHDopamine TreatmentVasopressin TreatmentComparison Group
Acid-base Status7.18 ± .077.2 ± .077.25 ± .09
SecondaryHyponatremia
Time frame:
96 hours or until medication completely stopped
Reported as:
Number · participants
Hyponatremia
participantsDopamine TreatmentVasopressin TreatmentComparison Arm
Hyponatremia3311
SecondaryUrine Output
Time frame:
96 hours or until hypotension resolved and medication completely stopped
Reported as:
Mean · ml/kg/hr
Urine Output
ml/kg/hrDopamine TreatmentVasopressin TreatmentComparison Arm
Urine Output4.4 ± 1.43.5 ± 1.43.9 ± 1.4
SecondaryEvidence of Ischemic Changes

Physical examinations were done on at least a twice daily basis to evaluate for any ischemic lesions (especially on the limbs) of all subjects. The presence of any lesion considered to be due to ischemia would have been reported in this data.

Time frame:
96 hours or until medication completely stopped
Reported as:
Number · participants
Evidence of Ischemic Changes
participantsDopamine TreatmentVasopressin TreatmentComparison Arm
Evidence of Ischemic Changes000
SecondaryNecrotizing Enterocolitis
Time frame:
until hospital discharge, up to 12 weeks
Reported as:
Number · participants
Necrotizing Enterocolitis
participantsDopamine TreatmentVasopressin TreatmentComparison Arm
Necrotizing Enterocolitis012
SecondaryVentilator Days
Time frame:
Until hospital discharge, up to 15 months
Reported as:
Median · days
Ventilator Days
daysDopamine TreatmentVasopressin TreatmentComparison Arm
Ventilator Days52 (37 to 160)45.5 (23.5 to 56)17.5 (1 to 38)
SecondaryPresence of Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)
Time frame:
until hospital discharge, up to 12 weeks
Reported as:
Number · participants
Presence of Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)
participantsDopamine TreatmentVasopressin TreatmentComparison Arm
Presence of Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)5634
SecondaryGrade 3 Intraventricular Hemorrhage or Worse on Head Ultrasound
Time frame:
Until hospital discharge, up to 15 months
Reported as:
Number · participants
Grade 3 Intraventricular Hemorrhage or Worse on Head Ultrasound
participantsDopamine TreatmentVasopressin TreatmentComparison Arm
Grade 3 Intraventricular Hemorrhage or Worse on Head Ultrasound336
SecondaryRetinopathy of Prematurity Stage 3 or Higher

All subjects were followed by an ophthalmologist with initial exam at 4-6 weeks of age. The Stages describe the ophthalmoscopic findings at the junction between the vascularized and avascular retina. Each subject is followed until cleared by ophthalmology. For this outcome measure, the most severe stage of disease was used in analysis. Stage 1 is a faint demarcation line. Stage 2 is an elevated ridge. Stage 3 is extraretinal fibrovascular proliferation (neovascularization). Stage 4 is sub-total retinal detachment. Stage 5 is total retinal detachment. Stages 1 and 2 do not lead to blindness. However, they can progress to the more severe stages.

Time frame:
Until hospital discharge, up to 15 months
Reported as:
Number · participants
Retinopathy of Prematurity Stage 3 or Higher
participantsDopamine TreatmentVasopressin TreatmentComparison Arm
Retinopathy of Prematurity Stage 3 or Higher324
SecondaryPresence of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)

Infants were evaluated for oxygen need at 36 weeks postmenstrual age. If they required supplemental oxygen, they were diagnosed with BPD

Time frame:
36 weeks postmenstrual age
Reported as:
Number · participants
Presence of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)
participantsDopamine TreatmentVasopressin TreatmentComparison Arm
Presence of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)8431
SecondaryAll Cause Mortality
Time frame:
admission to hospital discharge, up to 15 months
Reported as:
Number · participants
All Cause Mortality
participantsDopamine TreatmentVasopressin TreatmentComparison Arm
All Cause Mortality2410

Adverse events

Collected over Participants were followed for the duration of hospital stay, up to 15 months. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
Dopamine Treatment2/10 (20%)8/10 (80%)3/10 (30%)
Vasopressin Treatment4/10 (40%)7/10 (70%)4/10 (40%)
Comparison Arm10/50 (20%)22/50 (44%)11/50 (22%)
Most frequent serious events
Most frequent serious events
EventDopamine TreatmentVasopressin TreatmentComparison Arm
SepsisInfections and infestations4/105/1011/50
Bowel PerforationGastrointestinal disorders3/102/104/50
Necrotizing EnterocolitisGastrointestinal disorders1/100/107/50
Most frequent other events
Most frequent other events
EventDopamine TreatmentVasopressin TreatmentComparison Arm
HyponatremiaRenal and urinary disorders3/104/1011/50

Baseline characteristics

Age, Continuous
Age, Continuous(weeks)Dopamine TreatmentVasopressin TreatmentComparison ArmTotal
Mean25.1 ± 125.7 ± 225.6 ± 125.6 ± 1.4
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)Dopamine TreatmentVasopressin TreatmentComparison ArmTotal
Female542837
Male562233
08

Study locations

1 site
  • Texas Children's Hospital
    Houston, Texas 77030, United States
09

References and documents

Publications

  • Rios DR, Kaiser JR. Vasopressin versus dopamine for treatment of hypotension in extremely low birth weight infants: a randomized, blinded pilot study. J Pediatr. 2015 Apr;166(4):850-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2014.12.027. Epub 2015 Jan 29. PubMed 25641242 ↗
10

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
Not marked actual or estimatedDates not marked actual or estimated

The record gives a start of Mar 2011, a primary completion of Jan 2013 and a completion of Sep 2013. It does not say whether these dates are actual or estimated.

Results were first posted in Mar 2015, 2 years 2 months after primary completion.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Mar 16, 2011
First posted
Mar 18, 2011
Start
Mar 2011
Primary completionActual
Jan 2013
CompletionActual
Sep 2013
Results first posted
Mar 10, 2015
Last update
Feb 20, 2019
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 20, 2019, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
11

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01318278
Collaborators
Thrasher Research Fund
Responsible party
Danielle Rios (Assistant Professor, Baylor College of Medicine) — Principal investigator
First posted
Mar 18, 2011
Start date
Mar 2011
Primary completion
Jan 2013
Completion
Sep 2013
Results posted
Mar 10, 2015
Last update
Feb 20, 2019

Study contacts

Danielle R Rios, M.D.
principal investigator · Baylor College of Medicine

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Studies of the drugs tested here: Dopamine · Arginine Vasopressin

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