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NCT03700606

Physiological Changes With High-Flow Nasal Cannula

Completed NA Results posted Last updated 17 April 2026
What this trial tests

NA trial testing High flow nasal cannula in Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Premature Infant in 80 participants. Completed in 14 February 2022.

Timeline
15 March 2019
Primary endpoint
20 December 2021
14 February 2022

Quick facts

Lead sponsorSharp HealthCare
PhaseNA
StatusCompleted
Study typeINTERVENTIONAL
Allocationnon randomized
Designcrossover
Maskingnone
Primary purposesupportive care
Enrollment80
Start date15 March 2019
Primary completion20 December 2021
Estimated completion14 February 2022
Sites1 location across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

Conditions studied

Sponsor

Sharp HealthCare

Who can join

Adults 23 Weeks to 28 Weeks, any sex, with Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Premature Infant. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Results — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov

Per-arm endpoint measurements with 95% confidence intervals where reported. Source: trial results section.

Percent of Unventilated Lung as Assessed by Electrical Impedance Tomography Primary · Primary outcome was measured during each study period: baseline on nCPAP, 30 minutes after starting HFNC, at 6 hours on HFNC or earlier if failure, and 60 minutes after returning to nCPAP.

Atelectasis will be calculated using the percentage of the lung fields that are not engaged in tidal volume.(VT) In Period 1 (nCPAP Baseline), infants on nCPAP at 5-7 cmH₂O in the supine position underwent up to 15 minutes of quiet-breathing EIT recording. In Period 2 (30 min on HFNC), infants were transitioned to HFNC at 8 L/min, and if tolerated, up to 15 minutes of EIT were collected at \~30 minutes. In Period 3 (6 hr on HFNC or earlier if failure), infants who tolerated HFNC underwent EIT at 6 hours; those meeting failure criteria returned immediately to nCPAP and were analyzed as Period 3

Period 1
GroupValue95% CI
Participants With Electrical Impedance Tomography Measurements During Each Period of Enrollment2.18± 0.33
Period 2
GroupValue95% CI
Participants With Electrical Impedance Tomography Measurements During Each Period of Enrollment2.32± 0.33
Period 3
GroupValue95% CI
Participants With Electrical Impedance Tomography Measurements During Each Period of Enrollment1.72± 0.35
Period 4
GroupValue95% CI
Participants With Electrical Impedance Tomography Measurements During Each Period of Enrollment2.17± 0.33
Geometric Center of Ventilation (CoV) - Ventral Dorsal Secondary · This secondary outcome was measured during each study period: baseline on nCPAP, 30 minutes after starting HFNC, at 6 hours on HFNC or earlier if failure, and 60 minutes after returning to nCPAP.

Spatial center of tidal volume distribution in the thorax during ventilation

Period 1
GroupValue95% CI
Participants in HFNC Trial60.76± 0.31
Period 2
GroupValue95% CI
Participants in HFNC Trial59.98± 0.31
Period 3
GroupValue95% CI
Participants in HFNC Trial60.19± 0.34
Period 4
GroupValue95% CI
Participants in HFNC Trial60.01± 0.32
End-expiratory Lung Impedance Secondary · This secondary outcome was measured during each study period: baseline on nCPAP, 30 minutes after starting HFNC, at 6 hours on HFNC or earlier if failure, and 60 minutes after returning to nCPAP.

End-expiratory lung impedance was measured using electrical impedance tomography (EIT) to assess changes in end-expiratory lung volume. EELI reflects the sum of impedance values across all ventilated lung pixels at the end of expiration and provides an estimate of lung aeration. Values were derived from artifact-free tidal breaths captured during quiet breathing using the neonatal EIT belt and LuMon EIT system.

Period 1
GroupValue95% CI
Participants in HFNC Trial9.68± 0.39
Period 2
GroupValue95% CI
Participants in HFNC Trial9.45± 0.39
Period 3
GroupValue95% CI
Participants in HFNC Trial10.12± 0.42
Period 4
GroupValue95% CI
Participants in HFNC Trial9.7± 0.39
Relative Tidal Stetch Secondary · This secondary outcome was measured during each study period: baseline on nCPAP, 30 minutes after starting HFNC, at 6 hours on HFNC or earlier if failure, and 60 minutes after returning to nCPAP.

Measurement of how much stretch the lung tissue undergoes during inspiration relative to baseline impedance

Period 1
GroupValue95% CI
Participants in HFNC Trial0.61± 0.005
Period 2
GroupValue95% CI
Participants in HFNC Trial0.62± 0.006
Period 3
GroupValue95% CI
Participants in HFNC Trial0.61± 0.006
Period 4
GroupValue95% CI
Participants in HFNC Trial0.60± 0.005
Oxygenation Ratio Secondary · Study Period 1 through 4

Values \<+3 → poor oxygenation relative to ventilation (inefficient V/Q matching) Values 4-6 → moderate efficiency Values \>6 → good oxygenation efficiency relative to ventilation

Period 1
GroupValue95% CI
Participants in HFNC Trial4.12± 0.08
Period 2
GroupValue95% CI
Participants in HFNC Trial3.96± 0.08
Period 3
GroupValue95% CI
Participants in HFNC Trial3.99± 0.09
Period 4
GroupValue95% CI
Participants in HFNC Trial4.07± 0.08

Adverse events — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov

Time frame: Adverse events were collected from enrollment through the end of the infant's hospital admission, up to 6 months of corrected gestational age. Adverse events are reported for the overall study population only, as all participants underwent the same study procedures in a crossover design and there were no differences in exposure between arms.. Reporting threshold: 0%. Adverse-event reports describe events observed during the trial — not all are caused by the drug.

Participants in HFNC Trial
Serious: 0/80 (0%)
Deaths: 0/80
Other adverse events (7 terms — click to expand)

ReactionSystemParticipants in HFNC Trial
Diagnosed Patent Ductus Arteriosus and required treatmentCardiac disorders
Diagnosed Chronic Lung DiseaseRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
SepsisGeneral disorders
Diagnosed Necrotizing EnterocolitisGastrointestinal disorders
Intraventricular HemorrhageGeneral disorders
Diagnosed Spontaneous Intestinal PerforationGastrointestinal disorders
Periventricular LeukomalaciaGeneral disorders

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03700606 adverse events section.

Sponsor's own description

To measure changes in physiologic parameters in extremely low birthweight (ELBW) infants on high-flow nasal cannula compared to nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP).

Publications & conference data

2 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

  1. Changes in lung aeration with high-flow nasal cannula compared to nasal CPAP in preterm infants.
    Katheria A, Ines F, Hough J, Rich W, et al · · 2025 · cited 2× · PMID 40122991 · DOI 10.1038/s41372-025-02267-4
  2. Changes in Lung mechanics with High-Flow Nasal Cannula compared to nasal CPAP in Preterm Infants
    Katheria A, Ines F, Hough J, Rich W, et al · · 2024 · DOI 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5327300/v1

Verify or expand the search:

Other trials of High flow nasal cannula

Trials testing the same drug.

Other recruiting trials for Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Premature Infant

Currently open trials in the same condition.

Other Sharp HealthCare trials

Trials by the same sponsor.

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Data sources for this page

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Primary sources · FDA · ClinicalTrials.gov · EMA · SEC EDGAR · ChEMBL · Wikidata · full sourcing