SLURP
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Serial Lung Ultrasound in predicting the need for surfactant and Respiratory course in Preterm infants -Observational study (SLURP)
IRAS ID
322468
Contact name
Prakash Kannan Loganathan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
South Tees Hospitals NHS FT
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Babies born early (under 34 weeks) are at risk of developing lung problems after birth. A major reason for this is that the lungs are not fully developed (lung immaturity). One of the important components not yet produced by the lungs is the surfactant, which allows premature babies to breathe without much effort. Very often babies born early need some help with their breathing and also need surfactant. Surfactant is administered through a breathing tube which is placed into the baby’s airway. It is important that surfactant is administered early after birth when the baby cannot produce it. Early administration of surfactant provides better clinical outcomes.
Currently the decision to give surfactant is based on clinical parameters such as the level of oxygen that your baby requires. Current strategy of waiting for the baby to reach certain oxygen level, may delay in administering surfactant. But recent scientific data from other countries suggest that ultrasound of the chest/lungs can predict early which babies would need surfactant. This would help us to administer surfactant earlier and improve their respiratory outcome. In this study, we want to confirm the value of chest/Lung ultrasound (LU) to predict the need for surfactant in UK population. As a part of the study, we will perform early LU and serial LU in the first few days of life. In this current study, LU images will only be recorded and not used for clinical management.REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/WM/0276
Date of REC Opinion
5 Jan 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion