Blood Warming in Preterm Infants to Decrease Hypothermia

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · Dec 27, 2021

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how warming blood before it’s given to very preterm infants can help prevent low body temperatures, known as hypothermia, during blood transfusions. Hypothermia is a serious concern for these tiny babies, and researchers want to see if using a special blood warmer can keep their body temperatures safer during the process. They are looking for infants who are less than 32 weeks old and need a blood transfusion in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at PRISMA Health Richland hospital.

If eligible, participants will be randomly assigned to receive either warmed blood or blood at normal temperature during their transfusion. The goal is to see if the babies who receive warmed blood stay warmer and have fewer problems related to low body temperature afterward. This study could help improve care for very preterm infants across the country by highlighting the importance of warming blood before transfusions.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Any infant born at PRISMA Health Richland hospital
• • less than 32 weeks gestational age by obstetrical dating as indicated in the electronic medical chart
• • admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit receiving one PRBC transfusion within the first month of life.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Infants having neurological anatomical abnormalities or major brain hemorrhage (Grade III or IV), because neurological damage can interfere with thermal control.