Intraventricular Hemorrhage

Babies born very prematurely are at risk of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), which is bleeding in or around the fluid-filled spaces of the brain. Most IVH occurs during the first week after birth. Human colostrum and early breast milk contain growth factors, neurotrophic factors, immune-modulating substances, antioxidants, and other biologically active components that may have neuroprotective effects. This study will evaluate whether giving very small amounts of a baby's own mother's fresh breast milk as nasal drops during the first 7 days of life may help prevent IVH in infants born at 29 weeks' gestation or earlier. Approximately 67 eligible infants will be enrolled prospectively at Women's Hospital and St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. At each scheduled study care session, fresh mother's own milk will be administered intranasally at 0.2 mL per nostril (0.4 mL total) before routine nursing care and, if tolerated and the infant remains clinically stable, repeated after care. Thus, a completed care session provides up to 0.8 mL. Study administration will be coordinated with 2-4 routine care sessions per day for 7 consecutive days, corresponding to a planned total daily volume of 1.6-3.2 mL. The main study outcome is whether IVH of any grade is present on the routine cranial ultrasound performed at 4 to 7 days of life. Other outcomes include severe IVH, progression of IVH, post-hemorrhagic ventricular complications, mortality before hospital discharge, and the safety and tolerability of intranasal mother's own milk. Outcomes in the prospectively treated infants will be compared with those of eligible infants previously cared for at the same neonatal intensive care units between 2020 and 2025. Statistical methods using propensity score weighting will be used to account for measured differences between the prospectively treated infants and the historical comparison group.

This is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded-endpoint (PROBE) trial in Chinese patients with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), comparing early lumbar drainage added to standard care with standard care alone. The primary objective is to evaluate whether, in patients treated with external ventricular drainage (EVD) and intrathecal urokinase, the addition of early lumbar drainage improves functional outcomes at 180 days, as measured by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and reduces complications.

Background: While the intensive care of patients with life-threatening brain illnesses has advanced tremendously, a large number of therapies are still without proper scientific support. This can be partly explained by the fact that mechanisms of initial brain injury are still not well understood. Why additional neurological injury occurs during a patient's stay in the NeuroCritical Care Unit (NCCU) despite current best, evidence-based clinical practices, is also not well understood. However, over the past decade, better tools have become available to measure and monitor the impact of our clinical care on the rapidly changing physiology and chemistry of the injured brain. Some of these tools are CT, MRI, ultrasound, and catheter-based technology measuring blood flow and metabolism. These tools have enabled earlier detection of injury and complications and newer therapeutic strategies. Purpose: Examine disease pathways common to all brain injuries seen in the University of Maryland's 22-bed NCCU. Life-threatening neurological illnesses cared for in the NCCU include massive stroke, bleeding in and around the brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrhage), brain tumors, difficult to control seizures, neurologic infections, nerve and muscle diseases (such as myasthenia gravis or Guillain-Barre Syndrome), and spinal cord disorders among others. Many NCCU patients are comatose or paralyzed and may suffer injuries in other parts of the body as well. This effort will require the creation of a robust clinical database for the capture of data including patient characteristics (age, sex), clinical characteristics, medical treatments, surgical interventions, physiological data (such as vital signs, cerebral blood flow, intracranial pressure, cerebral oximetry, etc), laboratory data, and standard-of-care diagnostic studies such as electroencephalography (EEG), ultrasound, CT, MRI, and angiograms. Similar databases exist at other major centers for neurocritical care and have been instrumental to the identification of characteristics both predictive of and associated with outcomes of patients long after their stay in the NCCU. In addition, the samples collected will be included in the University of Maryland Medicine (UMM) Biorepository which is a shared resource to enable biomedical research by University of Maryland faculty.

Spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) accounts for approximately 10-15% of all strokes but stands for 50% of stroke-related morbidity and mortality. Approximately half of all patients with ICH have a decreased level of consciousness at hospital admission. Despite this, intensive care and neurosurgical interventions are uncommon. A study conducted in low- and middle-income countries has demonstrated a beneficial effect of a treatment package consisting of early intensive blood pressure lowering, as well as the treatment of pyrexia and elevated blood glucose levels. The I-CATCHER team is now planning to conduct a similar study in Sweden and Australia, as well as in other high-income countries. The study has a clear focus on implementation, aiming to improve treatment and prognosis for patients with ICH within a few years. The purpose of I-CATCHER is to investigate whether a structured treatment package (Care Bundle) improves 3-month prognosis in patients with spontaneous ICH compared to standard care.

This study aims to understand the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in extremely premature infants, those born before 28 weeks of gestation. EVs are tiny particles released by cells that carry important information about the body's condition. In extremely premature infants, blood vessels may not function properly, leading to serious health problems such as bleeding in the brain, lung injury, or severe infections. Researchers believe that analyzing EVs in the umbilical cord blood of these infants may help predict which babies are at higher risk of developing these complications. By studying the size, number, and type of EVs, the team hopes to identify early markers that can guide doctors in providing better care. The study will collect cord blood from 30 eligible infants born at the CHU of Montpellier. Blood samples will be processed to isolate platelet-poor plasma, which contains EVs. This plasma will be stored in a biobank, allowing future research on EVs and their role in extreme prematurity. EVs will then be analyzed in the laboratory to assess their characteristics and any links to severe health issues. The findings from this study could improve understanding of circulatory problems in extremely premature infants, help identify early predictors of severe complications, and inform better monitoring and treatment strategies. The creation of a plasma biobank also provides a valuable resource for future research to enhance care and outcomes for this vulnerable population.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a debilitating and fatal disease, especially when the hemorrhage is also entering the cerebral ventricles leading to acute hydrocephalus. In these cases, patients need a drainage through external ventricular drains (EVD). In the longer term, patients often need a permanent ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt to avoid hydrocephalus. Here we hypothesize that the early insertion of a lumbar drainage in addition to the EVD could lead to better functional outcome and avoidance of VP shunting by drainage of the blood which promotes inflammatory and adverse effects in the subarachnoid space. For that we propose a multi-center randomized clinical trial to investigate the hypothesis.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is one of the most devastating forms of stroke, with high rates of death and disability worldwide. Despite advances in medical and surgical care, effective therapeutic options remain limited. To address this gap, the RAINBOW-ICH trial has been designed as a nationwide, multicenter, randomized umbrella trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of AI-assisted, robotic-guided minimally invasive neurosurgery compared with conventional strategies across major ICH subtypes. Under a single master protocol, RAINBOW-ICH incorporates multiple parallel randomized controlled substudies, each targeting a distinct ICH population-large basal ganglia hemorrhage, moderate basal ganglia hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrhage, and brainstem hemorrhage. This umbrella design allows efficient use of resources while generating high-quality evidence tailored to the specific needs of different ICH subgroups, thereby supporting a more patient-centered approach to care.

In Canada, about 900 babies each year are born very early (\<26 weeks of gestation) and have a high chance of dying or having a serious bleed in the brain. Families of these extremely preterm babies consider preventing severe brain bleeding as critical to their child's health and well-being. A medicine called indomethacin, when given intravenously in 3-doses, is known to reduce severe brain bleeding. But use of this drug is variable among clinicians working in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) due to (a) its side effects on the gut; (b) possible harm when used with other medications; (c) a notion that despite reducing brain bleeds, the child's long-term brain development is not improved. Emerging evidence suggests that a single low-dose indomethacin regimen may be equally effective in reducing severe brain bleeding as compared to a traditional 3-dose regimen. The investigators propose a blinded randomized controlled trial, a study design where babies born \<26 weeks will be randomly assigned within 12 hours of birth to either a single dose of intravenous indomethacin or similar looking placebo in the form a saline solution. The study will test if a single dose indomethacin regimen is effective in improving survival of these babies without the devastating complication of severe brain bleeding. In this study the care providers and researchers will be unaware as to which baby receives indomethacin and which baby receives placebo to ensure no one's expectations or biases can influence the results. The investigators will conduct the study in multiple NICUs across Canada, the United States and Australia in 2 phases: First, an internal pilot phase that will enroll 104 babies born \<26 weeks or \<750 g birth weight over a period of 1 year. If the investigators are successful in achieving their target enrolment in the pilot phase, they will move on to the second phase and continue enrollment up to a total of 500 babies born \<26 weeks or \<750 g birth weight over a period of 3 years. The total of 500 babies will include the 104 babies enrolled in the first phase of the study. This study will help the investigators determine in the most unbiased way whether a single dose of indomethacin given immediately after birth in the smallest babies born \<26 weeks of gestation can safely and effectively reduce severe brain bleeding.

This study is designed to answer one of the fundamental gaps in knowledge in the resuscitation of preterm infants at birth: What is the optimal target oxygen saturation (SpO2) range that increases survival without long-term morbidities? Oxygen (O2) is routinely used for the stabilization of preterm infants in the delivery room (DR), but its use is linked with mortality and several morbidities including bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). To balance the need to give sufficient O2 to correct hypoxia and avoid excess O2, the neonatal resuscitation program (NRP) recommends initiating preterm resuscitation with low (≤ 30%) inspired O2 concentration (FiO2) and subsequent titration to achieve a specified target SpO2 range. These SpO2 targets are based on approximated 50th percentile SpO2 (Sat50) observed in healthy term infants. However, the optimal SpO2 targets remain undefined in the preterm infants. Recent data suggest that the current SpO2 targets (Sat50) may be too low. The investigators plan to conduct a multicenter RCT of Sat75 versus Sat50 powered for survival without BPD. The investigators will randomize 700 infants, 23 0/7- 30 6/7 weeks' GA, to 75th percentile SpO2 goals (Sat75, Intervention) or 50th percentile SpO2 goals (Sat50, control). Except for the SpO2 targets, all resuscitations will follow NRP guidelines including an initial FiO2 of 0.3. In Aim 1, the investigators will determine whether targeting Sat75 compared to Sat50 increases survival without lung disease (BPD). In addition, the investigators will compare the rates of other major morbidities such as IVH. In Aim 2, the investigators will determine whether targeting Sat75 compared to Sat50 increases survival without neurodevelopmental impairment at 2 years of age. In Aim 3, the investigators will determine whether targeting Sat75 compared to Sat50 decreases oxidative stress.

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate efficacy and safety of evacuation of cerebrospinal fluid, blood, and harmful bacteria from the intraventricular, subdural and subarachnoid spaces by Active Controlled Irrigation and Drainage (IRRAflow) compared to Passive External Ventricular Drainage (EVD). Subjects with intraventricular hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural bleeding, and ventriculitis will be randomized to receive the IRRAflow device or EVD device and followed for one month post-procedure to compare outcomes between the subject groups.

The purpose of this pilot study is to determine the safety and optimal dose of clot lysis with rhTNK-tPA for intraventricular hemorrhage, using stereotactic guidance for extraventricular drain placement.

Study evaluating if active irrigation by IRRAflow® with infusion of tPA will reduce the time needed for clearance of intracerebral and intraventricular hemorrhage compared with passive drainage.

Acute obstructive hydrocephalus often complicates intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). The insertion of an external ventricular drain (EVD) is typically necessary in order to alleviate intracranial pressure by draining excess fluid. However, dysfunction of the EVD whether due to malposition or obstruction, can exacerbate hydrocephalus in an already compromised brain. EVD dysfunction must therefore be promptly detected and treated. Consequently, identifying high-risk patients and closely monitoring them is imperative. While IVH is known to increase the risk of obstruction in the natural cerebrospinal fluid outflow tract, its association with ventricular drain obstruction remains unproven.

The research endeavors to examine the critical composition of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) in premature infants across different gestational stages and under varying disease conditions, and delineate the metabolic attributes of PUFAs in premature infants and their interplay with the onset of diseases. This study anticipates furnishing a theoretical foundation for the rationalization of PUFAs supplementation in premature infants and for informing strategies related to disease prevention and management.