SafeBoosC - a Phase II Trial

Background 25,000 infants are born extremely preterm every year in Europe. This group of infants carries a high risk of death and subsequent cerebral impairment for the infant, especially in the first 72 hours of life. Mortality is about 20%, and about 25% of survivors live with either cerebral palsy or low intelligence quotient. Preventative measures are keys to reducing mortality and morbidity in this population. There is evidence that the cerebral oxygenation time spent out of range (time with hypoxia or hyperoxia) is associated with poor outcome in infants. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used to monitor tissue oxygenation since the mid-1980s, and quantification of oxygenation (rStO2) in a percentage from 0 to 100% has been possible for 10 years. From almost 400 preterm infants normal ranges of rStO2 has been determined to be from 55% to 85%. Still, there are no clinical trials and thus no solid evidence of the clinical utility of NIRS in preterm infants. Thus, research on the benefits and harms of cerebral monitoring using NIRS as a part of clinical management of premature infants is much needed. Objectives The primary objective of the SafeBoosC trial is to examine if it is possible to stabilise the cerebral oxygenation of extremely preterm infants during the first 72 hours of life through the application of cerebral NIRS oximetry and implementation of an rStO2-specific clinical treatment guideline. We hypothesise that by using the specified treatment guideline to respond to cerebral monitoring readings outside the target range, we would reduce the burden of hypo- and hyperoxia and consequently reduce brain injury. Trial design This is an investigator-initiated randomised, blinded, multinational, phase II feasibility clinical trial involving preterm infants from 12 European countries. Inclusion criteria The inclusion criteria are: neonates born more than 12 weeks preterm (gestational age up to 27 weeks and 6 days); decision to conduct full life su