EMG for Uterotonic Efficiency Estimation
Postpartum HemorrhageStudies found conflicting results on efficacy of uterotonic agents used to prevent and treat uterine atony, the most common cause of postpartum hemorrhage. Uterine EMG can be used to objectively assess myometrial contractility and, consequently, efficacy of different uterotonics. The investigators are planning a single-center, randomized, open-label trial to compare uterine EMG parameters in women receiving oxytocin vs. those receiving carbetocin after cesarean delivery.
Carbetocin at Elective Cesarean Deliveries: A Dose-finding Study in Women With Twin Pregnancy.
Postpartum HemorrhageTwinPoor uterine tone after the birth of a baby can cause excess bleeding (called postpartum hemorrhage or PPH). This is a major cause of maternal death worldwide. Uterotonic drugs are used to improve the muscle tone of the uterus after birth, and these are effective at reducing the incidence of PPH. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC) has recommended a single dose of 100 mcg of carbetocin at elective cesarean delivery to promote uterine contraction. In a study performed at Mount Sinai Hospital, the investigators have shown that smaller doses of carbetocin (14.8 mcg) are effective in achieving adequate uterine tone at elective cesarean section. In these dose-finding studies, women with multiple pregnancies have been excluded. Because women with multiple pregnancy have a higher risk of severe PPH, uterine atony, hysterectomy, prolonged hospital stay and death, it is plausible that a higher dose of carbetocin is required. This question remains unanswered. The hypothesis is that the ED90 of carbetocin in women with twin pregnancy undergoing elective cesarean delivery under regional anesthesia is greater than 20 mcg but less than 100 mcg.
Oxytocin at Elective Cesarean Deliveries: A Dose-finding Study in Women With BMI ≥ 40kg/m2
Postpartum HemorrhageObesityPostpartum hemorrhage (PPH) due to uterine atony is a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Uterotonic drugs are used to improve the muscle tone of the uterus after birth, and these are effective at reducing the incidence of PPH. Oxytocin is the most commonly used uterotonic drug to prevent and treat PPH. Large doses of this drug are asociated with adverse effects like low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, abnormal heart rhythms and changes on ECG. Various international bodies recommend varying and high doses of oxytocin in elective cesarean sections. A study performed at Mount Sinai Hospital showed that a much smaller dose of oxytocin is required (ED95 being 0.35IU). However, most of the women included in this study were below a body mass index (BMI) of 40kg/m2. The investigators seek to find the best dose for patients with a BMI>40kg/m2, as a higher dose may be needed in this population to contract the uterus adequately.
Oxytocin Infusions and Blood Loss in Patients Undergoing Elective Cesarean Delivery.
Postpartum HemorrhageAlthough prior dose-finding studies have investigated the optimal bolus dose of oxytocin to initiate adequate uterine tone, it is unclear what oxytocin infusion regimen is required to maintain adequate uterine tone after delivery. The study investigators aim to compare two different infusion rates of oxytocin to assess the optimal infusion regimen for reducing blood loss in women undergoing elective Cesarean delivery.
Carbetocin at Cesarean Delivery for Labor Arrest
Postpartum HemorrhageIn 2009, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Canada, which produces national clinical guidelines on important women's health issues, recommended that a bolus of carbetocin 100 mcg into your vein should be used at elective cesarean delivery instead of oxytocin infusion for the prevention of bleeding after you deliver your baby. Similar to oxytocin, carbetocin has side effects that are dose-related. Although 100 mcg has been the recommend dose, studies in nonlaboring women suggest that doses lower than 100 mcg may be used to achieve the same degree of uterine contractility with less side effects. So far, the ideal dose to be used in cesarean sections for labouring women who have failure to progress in labour (failure of your cervix to dilate adequately to 10cm or the baby's head not descending the birth canal) has not been determined. This study is designed to determine the minimum carbetocin dose required during cesarean delivery for 'failure to progress' to achieve the best effect.
Reduction of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes With a Smartphone Application in Ghana
Postpartum HemorrhageDelivery4 moreThe purpose of this study is to determine whether use of the Safe Delivery smartphone application by midwives can reduce excess blood loss from bleeding, and infant death during childbirth in Ghanaian women. Moreover, it will be investigated whether the Safe Delivery application can increase midwives' knowledge and skills in managing childbirth. Fifteen hospitals in Greater Accra, Ghana, will be cluster randomized to either use the Safe Delivery application (intervention), or to no intervention (control). In the intervention hospitals, midwives will be educated in the use of Safe Delivery. Pregnant women will be enrolled at delivery and followed until 7 days postpartum. Data collection will begin July 2014 and is expected to be finished by October 2014.
Carbetocin Versus Oxytocin in the Management of Atonic Post Partum Haemorrhage (PPH) in Women Delivered...
Obstetrics200 women will be randomly divided into 2 equal groups using computer generated random numbers. Group 1 will receive Carbetocin 100 µgm (Pabal® Ferring, UK) and group 2 will receive oxytocin 5IU (Syntocinon®, Novartis, Switzerland).
Postpartum Hemorrhage Prevention in Patients With Preeclampsia (PHP3 Study)
PreeclampsiaEvaluation of the efficacy of postpartum 24 hour oxytocin infusion to reduce blood loss in patients with pre-eclampsia (PE)
Recovery of Oxytocin Responsiveness in Pregnant Human Myometrial Explants After Oxytocin-Induced...
Postpartum HemorrhagePostpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide and is caused most commonly by poor uterine muscle tone after delivery. The first line agent used in the prevention and treatment of PPH is oxytocin, which acts by binding with oxytocin receptors (OTR) found on myometrial cells to cause uterine contraction. Women who require augmentation of labour with oxytocin because of inadequate labour progression are at increased risk of PPH because they have received intravenous oxytocin which exposes the uterus (and OTR) to doses greater than would normally be found without medical intervention. This exposure results in OTR desensitization and decreased uterine sensitivity to oxytocin which may lead to the use of much higher doses of oxytocin (up to 9x) or other agents for preventing and treating PPH with the potential for causing serious drug-related morbidity or fatality to the mother. Currently, in women who have failed labour augmentation and need to have a Cesarean delivery, it is not known if it would be beneficial to wait a certain period of time after discontinuing intravenous oxytocin before proceeding with the operation. The goal of the waiting time would be to allow the OTRs to recover and resensitize the uterus to the effects of oxytocin to avoid the need for high doses or additional uterus-contracting agents. Our hypothesis is that there will be a positive correlation between the magnitude of recovery of the myometrium's response to oxytocin and the time elapsed from the desensitizing oxytocin pretreatment (simulated labour augmentation).
Treatment of Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH) Using Misoprostol in Home Births
Postpartum HaemorrhageA double-blind individual randomized controlled study of misoprostol vs. placebo for treatment in homebirths in the Chitral district, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan.