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CompletedNCT01688440Updated Sep 19, 2012

ETCare: Safety and Preliminary Efficacy Trial

An Early Phase 1 interventional study of #1 Respiratory Care Solution in Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn, sponsored by Intermountain Health Care, Inc.. Completed at 2 sites in United States. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2012-09-19.

Sponsored by Intermountain Health Care, Inc. · Early Phase 1, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Early Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
10
Allocation
Not applicable
Sex
All
01

Study summary

When babies are sick, or are born prematurely, they sometimes need an endotracheal (ET) tube to assist their breathing and/or a nasal canula. The investigators must periodically irrigate the ET tube to prevent them from being plugged up by secretions. The investigators also, due to the drying effects of nasal canula, periodically moisten the nasal passages of babies. Presently 0.9% saline is the solution being used for moistening of the ET tube, nose, as well as oral cares will infant is not eating. However, scientists have recently learned that saline can destroy the body's natural antibacterial properties in the windpipe, nose, and mouth.

The investigators have developed a new solution to be used in place of saline for endotracheal (ET), nasal, and oral cares. The investigators' new solution is patterned after the natural fluid in the windpipe, nose, and mouth.

Study Hypothesis:

  1. Patients who receive ETCare will have no increase in adverse events related to its administration, compared with 0.9% saline.
  2. Patients who receive ETCare will have a lower proportion of tracheal aspirates where pathogens are reported.
  3. Patients who receive ETCare will have a lower proportion of tracheal aspirates where leukocytes are reported.
  4. Patients who receive ETCare will have fewer (risk-adjusted) days of supplemental oxygen.
Read the detailed description

Normal saline (0.9% sodium chloride) is used by virtually all neonatal intensive care units to periodically irrigate the endotracheal tube of neonates who require mechanical ventilation. This practice is intended to reduce the risk that thick secretions will occlude the endotracheal tube. Normal saline is also occasionally used to periodically clear the nasal passages of neonates on nasal CPAP or nasal canula oxygen. It is also occasionally used as a means of periodically moistening the mouth of neonates who have an endotracheal tube in place, because the tube prevents lip apposition and results in a dry mouth.

The problem with the current method of using normal saline for periodic endotracheal, nasal, and/or oral care is that high concentrations of sodium and chloride have recently been found to rapidly and completely inactivate the natural antimicrobial properties of tracheal effluent, nasal secretions, and saliva. Tracheal secretions, nasal secretions, and saliva contain potent antibacterial substances. One such that was recently described is a 37 amino acid peptide with widespread antimicrobial properties, termed "LL-37". It has recently been shown that 0.9% saline inactivates the antimicrobial properties of LL-37 and significantly damages the overall antibacterial actions of tracheal secretions, nasal secretions, and saliva. Further research has shown that the high sodium and chloride content of saliva of patients with cystic fibrosis inactivates the antimicrobial properties, thus partly explaining the high incidence of airway infections in these patients. Moreover, a family with deficient LL-37 has been described in Sweden, and these individual all have chronic gingivostomatitis and airway infections. Therefore, our current practice of instilling 0.9% sodium chloride likely inactivates the major innate anti-microbial defense system of the upper airway. Perhaps reducing immune capacity in the upper airway with this practice unwittingly contributes to the high incidence of upper airway infections among intubated neonates.

02

Conditions studied

  • Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn

Keywords

  • Endotracheal Cares
  • Neonate
  • TAC's
  • Endotracheal Suctioning
  • Tracheal Aspirate Culture
  • Oral Cares
  • Neonate oxygen Therapy
03

In context

Respiratory Distress Syndrome

1,597 studies on the registry are indexed under Respiratory Distress Syndrome; 312 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 10 is below the median of 60 across 961 interventional studies indexed under Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Browse Respiratory Distress Syndrome studies →

Lead sponsor

Intermountain Health Care, Inc. is the lead sponsor of 118 studies on the registry; 15 are open to participants now.

Of its 9 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 3 (33%) have results posted.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Child (0–17), Adult (18–64), Older adult (65+)
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Be a patient in the NICU of either McKay-Dee Hospital or LDS Hospital.
  • Be \<24 hrs old at the time of study entry.
  • Have an endotracheal tube in place.
  • Be expected, by declaration of the attending neonatologist, to have an endotracheal tube for at least the next 48 hrs.
  • Have the informed consent document signed by the parent or responsible guardian

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • They have what the attending neonatologist judges to be a "lethal" congenital abnormality.
  • They have a condition that is likely (by judgment of the attending neonatologist) to require transfer to Primary Children's Medical Center before the endotracheal tube has been electively removed.
05

Study design

Phase
Early Phase 1
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
10 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    #1 Respiratory Care Solution

    Low sodium physiologically based airway care solution.

    Other: #1 Respiratory Care Solution

Interventions

  • Other#1 Respiratory Care Solution

    Respiratory care solution.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. The incidence of adverse events related to administration.

    Renal hematological and hepatic function.

    Time frame: To discharge home (about one month).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Feasibility and immediate intolerance

    Desaturation, bradycardia, tachydardia, hypotension, or hypertension or skin rashes.

    Time frame: Day of administration (one day)

07

Study locations

2 sites
  • McKay-Dee Hospital Center
    Ogden, Utah 84403, United States
  • LDS Hospital Center
    Salt Lake City, Utah 84143, United States
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 19, 2012, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01688440
Lead sponsor
Intermountain Health Care, Inc.
Collaborators
Deseret Foundation
Responsible party
Robert D. Christensen, MD (Director, Neonatology Research, Intermountain Health Care, Inc.) — Principal investigator
First posted
Sep 19, 2012
Start date
Jun 2005
Primary completion
Sep 2005
Completion
Sep 2005
Last update
Sep 19, 2012

Study contacts

Robert D. Christensen, MD
principal investigator · Interountain Healthcare

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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