Paracetamol And Ibuprofen/Indomethacin in Closing Patent Ductus Arteriosus

Paracetamol And Ibuprofen/Indomethacin in Closing Patent Ductus Arteriosus of Preterm Infants - Randomised, Placebo-controlled Multicentre Trial

The purpose of this pilot trial is to study efficacy and safety of simultaneous intravenous (iv) ibuprofen/indomethacin and paracetamol medications in the closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants. It is randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, phase 1, multicenter, clinical trial.

Premature infants (born before 37 weeks gestational age) with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) are the focus of the study since no trials on the additive efficacy of these two medications on the contraction of ductus arteriosus are available. Preterm infants who are diagnosed to have a hemodynamically significant PDA and who, according to the decision of the attending clinician, need ibuprofen/indomethacin therapy, are eligible to this trial.

If the parents deny the consent, the patient will be treated according to the standard PDA treatment: three days' iv ibuprofen Pedea® 5mg/ml solution infusion (Oulu, Helsinki, Tartu) dosing: 10mg/kg + 5mg/kg + 5mg/kg (q24h); or three days' iv indomethacin (Turku) 0.2mg/kg + 0.1mg/kg + 0.1mg/kg (q24h). In case of any contraindications for ibuprofen/indomethacin, the treatment would be surgical ligation.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Preterm infants (born before 37+0 gestation weeks) who are diagnosed to have a hemodynamically significant PDA and who, according to the decision of the attending clinician, need ibuprofen therapy, are eligible to this trial.

Exclusion Criteria:

• severe malformation or suspected chromosomal defect
• other very severe life-threatening disease (e.g. very severe birth asphyxia or persistent pulmonary hypertension, etc.)