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Dexmedetomidine Pharmacokinetics in Neonates During Therapeutic Hypothermia

Dexmedetomidine Use During Therapeutic Hypothermia Treatment for Neonates With Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy: The Cool DEX Study

Status
Completed
Phases
Early Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02529202
Enrollment
7
Registered
2015-08-20
Start date
2016-03-31
Completion date
2017-01-31
Last updated
2017-01-12

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy

Keywords

Dexmedetomidine, Neonate, Pharmacokinetics, Therapeutic Hypothermia, Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy, Adrenergic Agents, Adrenergic Agonists, Analgesics, Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists, Central Nervous System Agents, Central Nervous System Depressants

Brief summary

The goal of this proposal is to profile the pharmacokinetics of dexmedetomidine in newborns ≥36 weeks post-menstrual age during therapeutic hypothermia for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

Detailed description

The goal of this proposal is to determine the pharmacokinetics (PK) of dexmedetomidine (DEX) in newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) receiving therapeutic hypothermia (TH) for moderate to severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). In newborns with HIE, TH for 72 hours is the standard therapy to mitigate brain damage. Most HIE patients receive mechanical ventilation during TH and are thus sedated with morphine. Unfortunately, morphine has negative side effects and does not specifically prevent shivering. Prevention of shivering is critical to success of TH, as shivering negates cooling. DEX is a particularly promising alternative sedative because it does prevent shivering and is already used in NICUs for sedation and pain management. In newborns, DEX PK data in the setting of TH is not available and needs to be determined to properly dose DEX for HIE patients.

Interventions

DRUGDexmedetomidine

Dexmedetomidine infusion

Sponsors

Seattle Children's Hospital
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
1 Hours to 1 Days
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Newborns 36 weeks gestation or older with moderate to severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy identified and treated with therapeutic hypothermia in the Seattle Children's Hospital neonatal intensive care unit. 2. Cooled infants who are initially intubated and mechanically ventilated. 3. Infants anticipated to require 72 hrs of continuous sedation and/or treatment to prevent shivering. 4. Subject's parent(s) or legal guardian(s) has/have voluntarily signed and dated the informed consent document approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Independent Ethics Committee (IEC).

Exclusion criteria

1. Known chromosomal anomalies. 2. Newborns without central lines (e.g., lines not needed or unable to be successfully placed) or without a peripheral arterial line. 3. Patients with known cyanotic congenital heart defects 4. Patients who are participating in another clinical trial. 5. Patients who received DEX prior to enrollment in the study 6. At the discretion of the Investigator, subjects in whom the risk of Dexmedetomidine treatment is expected to exceed its benefits.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Pharmacokinetic (PK) parameter of area under the curve (AUC)Day 1 to Day 4Estimate PK parameter of AUC in newborns ≥36 weeks post-menstrual age with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treated with a continuous dexmedetomidine infusion during therapeutic hypothermia.
Pharmacokinetic (PK) parameter of clearanceDay 1 to Day 4Estimate PK parameter of clearance in newborns ≥36 weeks post-menstrual age with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treated with a continuous dexmedetomidine infusion during therapeutic hypothermia.
Pharmacokinetic (PK) parameter of terminal half-lifeDay 1 to Day 4Estimate PK parameter of terminal half-life in newborns ≥36 weeks post-menstrual age with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treated with a continuous dexmedetomidine infusion during therapeutic hypothermia.
Pharmacokinetic (PK) of volume of distributionDay 1 to Day 4Estimate PK parameter of volume of distribution in newborns ≥36 weeks post-menstrual age with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treated with a continuous dexmedetomidine infusion during therapeutic hypothermia.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Efficacy of dexmedetomidine at preventing shiveringDay 1 to Day 3Measure number of morphine doses given for shivering in neonates receiving a continuous dexmedetomidine infusion during therapeutic hypothermia for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
Safety of dexmedetomidine in neonatal subjects. (composite outcome will include: adverse events, physical examination findings, and vital signs)Day 1 to Day 4Safety assessments will include: adverse events, physical examination findings, vital signs including continuous heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and pulse oximetry monitoring in neonates receiving a continuous dexmedetomidine infusion during therapeutic hypothermia for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026