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Lung Ultrasound-Guided Positioning Strategy for the Prevention of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Neonates

Evaluation of Lung Ultrasound-Guided Posture Management for Improving Outcomes in Neonatal Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07254507
Acronym
LUS-POSforVAP
Enrollment
80
Registered
2025-11-28
Start date
2024-01-01
Completion date
2025-10-01
Last updated
2025-11-28

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

Conditions

Pneumonia

Keywords

Pulmonary ultrasound, Body position management, Neonatal ventilator-associated pneumonia

Brief summary

This study aims to determine if using lung ultrasound to guide personalized positioning for ventilated newborns is more effective than standard repositioning at preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Detailed description

This research study is testing a new strategy to help prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia(VAP) in newborns who need a breathing machine (mechanical ventilator). VAP is a serious lung infection that can sometimes occur in the hospital.We are using abedside Lung Ultrasound (LUS). This is a safe, painless, and radiation-free imaging tool. It allows doctors to see how well different parts of a baby's lungs are inflated in real-time, much like a window into the lungs.Based on the lung ultrasound pictures,our healthcare team will create a personalized positioning plan for the baby (for example, placing them more on their side or on their tummy). The goal is to use gravity to help open up the lungs and drain any fluid, which may lower the risk of infection. We will compare this new method to the standard practice of turning babies every two hours.We believe this personalized,evidence-based care strategy could be more effective in preventing pneumonia. It may potentially help babies get off the breathing machine sooner and reduce their time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).Lung ultrasound is a well-established and safe bedside procedure.This study has been carefully reviewed and approved by the hospital's Ethics Committee. All procedures will be performed by trained doctors and staff, with the baby's safety and comfort as our top priority.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALstandard positioning management

Infants in the control group had their positions adjusted every two hours, alternating between supine, left lateral, right lateral, and prone positions.The head of the bed should be elevated 15°-30° with the body in a slightly flexed position-hips aligned along the midline, shoulders slightly forward, head centered, and arms free to move. Position adjustments should only be made when vital signs are stable and resuscitation is delayed, or when adjusting the ventilator, administering IV fluids, or managing deep sleep. If heart rate fluctuates more than 20 beats per minute or SpO₂ drops below 90% (excluding airway obstruction), the interval between position adjustments should be extended to 3-4 hours. This group did not undergo ultrasound evaluation.

BEHAVIORALLung Ultrasound Guided Localization

In addition to routine care, two LUS assessments are conducted at fixed times daily (08:00 and 18:00) to guide individualized position adjustments by monitoring regional ventilation.①If unilateral atelectasis or pulmonary edema is detected, the patient should first be maintained in dependent lateral position for approximately 1 hour, then transition to the contralateral or prone position for 3 hours.②For lesions previously managed by the department, the prone position duration is reduced to 1 hour, while supine or lateral positions are extended to 3 hours. ③For posterior lesions, the supine or lateral position should be limited to 1 hour, while the prone position should be extended to 3 hours.④Resume the standard two-hour shift system once the symptoms or edema have subsided.If SpO₂ remains persistently below 90% (excluding operational or feeding disturbances), the respiratory rate increases by more than 20 breaths per minute from baseline, an additional LUS evaluation is required.

Sponsors

Huiyi Li
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
1 Hours to 3 Months
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Eligible participants included term neonates (gestational age 37-42 weeks) who required invasive mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours.

Exclusion criteria

*

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in neonatesFrom randomization until VAP diagnosis, successful extubation, or death, whichever occurs first, assessed up to 100 days.Pneumonia that occurs 48 hours after mechanical ventilation (MV) and 48 hours after extubation is an important type of Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), in which pneumonia that occurs within MV≤4 days is early-onset VAP, and pneumonia that occurs within MV ≥5 days is late-onset VAP.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Pulmonary hemorrhageFrom the day of random grouping to the event, discharge or death, whichever comes first. The evaluation lasts for the whole invasive mechanical ventilation period and 24 hours after extubation, and the longest evaluation period is expected to be 100 daysIncidence of any grade of pulmonary hemorrhage
PneumothoraxFrom the day of random grouping to the event, discharge or death, whichever comes first. The evaluation lasts for the whole invasive mechanical ventilation period and 48 hours after extubation, and the longest evaluation period is expected to be 100 daysIncidence of pneumothorax
new intracranial hemorrhageFrom the day of random grouping to the end of discharge or study period, whichever comes first. Routine monitoring will last until the seventh day after birth, and the longest evaluation period is expected to be 120 days.The incidence of any new intracranial hemorrhage (including symptomatic and asymptomatic)
feeding intolerance in newbornsFrom the beginning of enteral feeding to the successful establishment of full enteral feeding, discharge or death. The evaluation will last until the end of the study, and the longest evaluation period for each participant is expected to be 100 days.Incidence of feeding intolerance at any level (mild+severe)
Duration of invasive mechanical ventilationTime is counted from invasive ventilation to successful extubation or death. The evaluation will last until the end of the study, and the longest evaluation period for each participant is expected to be 100 days.Duration of ventilator use: from start to successful extubation or death.
NICU hospitalization durationTime is counted from admission to transfer out of NICU or discharge. The evaluation will last until the end of the study, and the longest evaluation period for each participant is expected to be 120 days.Time from admission to discharge for hospitalization
MortalityFrom the day of random grouping to the end of discharge or study period, whichever comes first. The longest evaluation period is expected to be 120 days.Mortality during hospitalization

Countries

China

Outcome results

None listed

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