Mi-ECMO
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A FEASIBILITY STUDY TO CONSIDER THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MARKERS OF RED CELL DAMAGE, INFLAMMATION AND THE RECOVERY PROCESS OF NEWBORNS REQUIRING EXTRACORPOREAL MEMBRANE OXYGENATION (ECMO) FOR PERSISTENT PULMONARY HYPERTENSION OF THE NEWBORN (PPHN)
IRAS ID
191592
Contact name
Gavin J Murphy
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Respiratory failure in newborns is common and has high rates of death. Where conventional intensive care strategies have failed, newborn children are referred to treatment with Extra- Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO). This involves connecting children via large bore cannulas placed in their heart and major blood vessels to an artificial lung that adds oxygen to their blood and removes waste gases (carbon dioxide). Although this treatment saves lives, it still has some limitations. In particular, severe complications like bleeding, or damage to the kidneys can occur. These complications can lead to death in some cases and long-term disability in others. Based on our ongoing research in adults and children undergoing cardiac surgery we have identified a new process that may underlie some of the complications observed in ECMO. We have noted that when transfused blood is infused in an ECMO circuit, this results in the accelerated release of substances from the donor cells that cause organ damage; at least in adults. There are treatments that can reverse this process. Before we explore whether these treatments should be used in newborn children on ECMO, we must first demonstrate that we can measure the complex inflammatory processes that occur in these critically ill children. We therefore propose to conduct a feasibility study to identify the practical issues and challenges that would need to be overcome in order to perform a successful trial in this high-risk population.
REC name
North East - York Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NE/0398
Date of REC Opinion
23 Dec 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion