Dr Hemant Ambulkar and DGT's SurfON Trial team
Darent Valley Hospital has recently been registered as one of the sites for a new national multi-centre randomised controlled trial (RCT), SurfON. The trial is trying to determine how best to treat breathing problems in babies born two to six weeks early.
RCT's are regarded as gold standard to determine the efficacy and safety of a treatment and we are pleased to announce that the study is being led by the Trust’s Principal Investigator, Consultant Neonatologist and Paediatrician, Dr Hemant Ambulkar.
Despite the assumption that infants born between 34-38 weeks’ gestation have respiratory maturity, approximately 30-40% of these infants are admitted to the neonatal unit with respiratory problems and many are diagnosed with Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS). Recent studies have shown that this group of infants experience more respiratory problems in childhood and impaired lung function. Long term respiratory morbidity is an ongoing burden for families as well as healthcare providers. Further evidence suggests these problems persist even during adolescence and adulthood. The current practice of conventional treatment results in delay leading to worsened severity, ventilator need and prolonged intensive care need and hospital stay.
The SurfON trial is comparing surfactant treatment (which is rarely used), against conventional treatment to ascertain which is the best method in treating these late preterm infants. This study not only looks at the length of hospital stay, respiratory problems and ventilator need but also looks at mother infant separation, effects on breast feeding, maternal length of hospitalisation, future hospital attendances and healthcare costs.
Dr Hemant Ambulkar said: “I am extremely grateful to parents who have helped us in starting the journey of this trial in DVH by agreeing to contribute to this very high-quality research.
My team members consisting of Dr Bharath Gowda, Sister Kathy Woods, registrars, nurses from Walnut ward as well as the Research department, have been extremely enthusiastic and supportive of this study.”
The Trust hopes that this treatment will lead to better outcomes for the babies and their families.
Thank you to Valley Hospital Charity’s Little Buds Fund for purchasing the video laryngoscope equipment needed for the trial.