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Gastric Residual VolumeNCT04062851

Routine Versus no Assessment of Gastric Residual Volumes in Preterm Infants

A study testing No Gastric residual volume monitoring in people with Gastric Residual Volume and Preterm Infant, run by AdventHealth 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

The practice of checking gastric residuals is not evidence based. The amount of gastric residual volume (GRV) does not correlate with either feeding intolerance or development of NEC. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 2 hours to 1 month
What is being tested?
No Gastric residual volume monitoring
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
80 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
3 May 2019to 31 Mar 2022
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

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 2 hours to 1 month
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Birth weight ≤1250g
  • Gestational age of < 33 weeks
  • Expected to receive feeds via gastric tubes

Who cannot join

  • Death expected within 72 hours of birth
  • Major chromosomal or congenital anomaly
  • Major GI anomaly such as gastroschisis, spontaneous perforation etc.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • AdventHealth

    Orlando, Florida, 32803

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Routine Versus no Assessment of Gastric Residual Volumes in Very Low Birth Weight Infants Receiving Enteral Feeding Via Intermittent Feeding Tubes: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The practice of checking gastric residuals is not evidence based. The amount of gastric residual volume (GRV) does not correlate with either feeding intolerance or development of NEC. We hypothesize that not monitoring GRV in infants with birth weights < 1,250 g, and who are being fed intermittently by gastric tube, will result in earlier attainment of full feeding. This is an unblinded randomized controlled trial where GRV will not be checked routinely in the intervention group.

Read the detailed description

The term "gastric residuals" in neonates refers to aspiration of gastric contents before each feeding in an infant receiving enteral feeding using an intermittent feeding tube. The presence of significant gastric residual volume (GRV) (Greater than 50% of the feeding volume) is a manifestation of delayed gastrointestinal maturation in a preterm neonate. The presence of GRV and its characteristics usually delays advancement of enteral feedings in premature infants because a large volume of undigested milk usually prompts the clinicians to hold the feeding.

Advancement of early enteral nutrition is delayed or discontinued for >24 hours in nearly 75% of all extremely preterm infants. This is despite clinical evidence showing that early establishment of enteral nutrition is associated with reductions in the severity of critical illness, and long-lasting benefits on linear growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes.

The magnitude and characteristics of GRV combined with specific findings based on abdominal examinations are usually considered by clinicians in decisions to continue with the scheduled enteral feeding plan. There are no studies to establish the normal volume of gastric residuals, its characteristics and whether routinely checking for them prior to each feed prevents necrotizing enterocolitis. A recent cohort study using retrospective controls showed that not monitoring GRV is associated with earlier attainment of full feeding in very low birth weight infants. Two small randomized studies conducted outside the United States and one study conducted in the United States showed no difference in outcomes when GRV are not checked routinely in preterm infants. These studies have several drawbacks and the practice of checking GRV continues.

Study Objectives

Primary Objective/Aim/Goal/Hypothesis

The primary objective of this study is to demonstrate that not monitoring GRV in infants with birth weights < 1,250 g, and who are being fed intermittently by gastric tube, will result in earlier attainment of full feeding.

Hypothesis:

In preterm infants, changing the clinical practice from routine gastric residuals evaluation to no aspiration for gastric residuals will decrease the number of days to reach full enteral feeds.

Secondary Objective/Aim/Goal/Hypothesis

A secondary objective is to show that there will be no difference in the incidence of NEC (necrotizing enterocolitis) in the experimental vs the control group.

Sample Size Determination

Our NICU database shows that for infants <1,250 g the days to full feeding was 16.4 ±7.3 days. To detect a relative decrease of 20% in the experimental group will require 73 infants in each group with an alpha of 0.05 and a power of 0.8.

Statistical Analysis Plan

Primary Objective Analysis

The primary outcome analysis is the number of days to reach full feeding volume, defined as volume > 120 ml/kg/d. This time will be compared between the two groups using analysis of variance.

Secondary Objective Analysis

Secondary analysis will be focused the frequency of feeding interruptions, incidences of NEC between the two groups using analysis of variance.

Being tested
No Gastric residual volume monitoring
Keywords
gastric residuals, feeding, very low birth weight infants
Medical subject headings
Premature Birth

What participants receive

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

  • No Gastric residual volume monitoringOther

    Gastric residual volumes will not be monitored

Study groups in NCT04062851
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
GRV groupNo interventionGastric residuals will be checked prior to feeds
NO GRV groupExperimentalGastric residuals will not be checked prior to feeds
Receives: Other: No Gastric residual volume monitoring

What is being measured

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

  1. Days to reach full enteral feeds

    Days to reach enteral feeding volume of 120ml/kg/day

    Measured: 1 month after enrollment

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Necrotizing enterocolitis

    Stage 2 NEC and higher grade

    Measured: Until hospital discharge, an average of 2-6 months

  2. weight gain

    Weight gain velocity in gm/kg/d

    Measured: 4 weeks chronological age and 36 weeks corrected gestation

  3. frequency of feeding interruptions

    Number of timed feeds are withheld

    Measured: Until full feeds are reached, usually between 2 weeks - 2 months

Timeline

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

  1. First posted20 Aug 2019
  2. Study start3 May 2019
  3. Primary completion26 Jul 2021
  4. Study completion31 Mar 2022

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 N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Unblinded Single center Randomized controlled trial
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
80 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04062851
Sponsor's protocol ID
1255832
Status last verified
Apr 2022
First submitted
9 Apr 2019
Last updated
26 Apr 2022
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Li YF, Lin HC, Torrazza RM, Parker L, Talaga E, Neu J. Gastric residual evaluation in preterm neonates: a useful monitoring technique or a hindrance? Pediatr Neonatol. 2014 Oct;55(5):335-40. doi: 10.1016/j.pedneo.2014.02.008. Epub 2014 Aug 14.

    PubMed 25129325
  • Torrazza RM, Parker LA, Li Y, Talaga E, Shuster J, Neu J. The value of routine evaluation of gastric residuals in very low birth weight infants. J Perinatol. 2015 Jan;35(1):57-60. doi: 10.1038/jp.2014.147. Epub 2014 Aug 28.

    PubMed 25166623
  • Parker L, Torrazza RM, Li Y, Talaga E, Shuster J, Neu J. Aspiration and evaluation of gastric residuals in the neonatal intensive care unit: state of the science. J Perinat Neonatal Nurs. 2015 Jan-Mar;29(1):51-9; quiz E2. doi: 10.1097/JPN.0000000000000080.

    PubMed 25633400

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing No Gastric residual volume monitoring in people with Gastric Residual Volume and Preterm Infant, run by AdventHealth 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 3 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 26 Apr 2022. 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.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

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?

Days to reach full enteral feeds (time frame: 1 month after enrollment). 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 NCT04062851, which also lists 3 linked publications.

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 26 Apr 2022.

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