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Postpartum HemorrhageNCT00462839

Accuracy of Blood Loss Estimation After Vaginal Delivery

A study testing blood loss estimation in people with Postpartum Hemorrhage, run by Northwestern University at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Post-partum hemorrhage (PPH) is defined as blood loss greater than 500 mL after vaginal delivery. Delayed diagnosis of PPH is a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Obstetricians estimate blood loss at delivery by visual estimation of blood collected in the obstetric drapes. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Postpartum Hemorrhage
What is being tested?
blood loss estimation
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
106 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Jul 2006to Apr 2008
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Any anesthesia or obstetric attending or resident may participate provided that they have rotated through obstetrics/obstetric anesthesia.

Who cannot join

  • Any provider that does not complete all of the stations will be excluded from analysis. Any participant who chooses to withdraw from the study will also be excluded from the analysis.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Northwestern University

    Chicago, Illinois, 60611

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: The Accuracy of Blood Loss Estimation After Simulated Vaginal Delivery

Post-partum hemorrhage (PPH) is defined as blood loss greater than 500 mL after vaginal delivery. Delayed diagnosis of PPH is a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Obstetricians estimate blood loss at delivery by visual estimation of blood collected in the obstetric drapes. Blood is often mixed with urine and surgical sponges. The urine, blood, and sponges collect in a cone shaped plastic bag that is suspended from the perineum during delivery. Visual estimation of blood loss is insensitive in diagnosing PPH. In one study visual assessment of blood loss underestimated postpartum blood loss by 33% to 50% compared to an objective measurement of blood loss using photospectrometry. Other studies have shown that the magnitude of underestimation increases as the amount of blood loss is increased. A limitation of previous studies is that there is no "gold standard" for blood loss determination in the third stage of labor. Care providers (obstetricians, anesthesiologists, and labor \& delivery nurses) need to be able to accurately estimate blood loss in order to better care for mothers and prevent morbidity and mortality. It is unknown whether provider type or experience (obstetric and anesthesiology resident, fellow, attending physicians, and nurses) influences the accuracy of blood loss estimation, or whether blood loss estimation can be improved by providing graduated markings on the vaginal delivery drape.

Read the detailed description

Packed red blood cells discarded by the blood bank will be mixed with normal saline to simulate whole blood with a hematocrit of 33%. A total of eight isolated study stations will be set up (study participants will only be able to visualize the vaginal delivery drape for one station at a time). The simulated blood will be mixed with urine and sponges and be placed in suspended blood collection drapes which are used during vaginal deliveries at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Two types of drapes will be used: drapes without calibrated markings and drapes with calibrated markings. Calibrated volume markings will begin at 500 mL at 500 mL intervals to 2500 mL.

Study participants will be randomized to one of two groups. Randomization will occur in blocks depending on provider type. Group 1 will view the unmarked vaginal collection drapes first and Group 2 will view the collection drapes with the calibrated markings first. Both groups will analyze the initial four study stations in random order. At the completion of the four study stations, the group which evaluated the drapes without markings will cross over to view the stations with calibrated markings and the group that views uncalibrated drapes will then view the calibrated drapes.

Each study participant will view a station and write his/her estimation of blood loss on a data card. Study participants will NOT be allowed to change answers once they have been recorded.

Demographic data on study participants will include provider type, level of training/years of practice, and gender.

Being tested
blood loss estimation
Keywords
Estimated Blood Loss, Obstetrics, postpartum hemorrhage
Medical subject headings
Postpartum Hemorrhage

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • blood loss estimationProcedure or surgery

    Also called Estimated Blood Loss (EBL)

    Participants were randomized in blocks, by provider type to view either the four calibrated stations or the four non-calibrated stations. The order of the volumes within each set of stations was randomized. Participants received a data card for each station on which they wrote the volume estimated. After each station, the data card was collected. Alterations to the estimations were not allowed once the answers were recorded. Subjects were then crossed over to the other group and asked to estimate the blood volumes in the non-calibrated drapes if they had first viewed the calibrated drape or the calibrated drape if they had viewed the non-calibrated drape. The order of viewing the four volumes was again randomized. The volumes were the same at the corresponding station for the calibrated and non-calibrated stations so the impact of the calibration markings on accuracy could be determined.

Study groups in NCT00462839
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Calibrated drapes viewed firstExperimentalCaregivers were shown calibrated drape demonstrating level of blood and asked to estimate amount of blood in collection bag. These same individuals were then crossed over and shown non-calibrated drapes and asked to estimate the amount of blood they contained.
Receives: Procedure: blood loss estimation
Non-calibrated drapes viewed firstActive comparatorStandard vaginal delivery drape (non-calibrated) was shown to caregiver who was asked to estimate amount of blood. These same individuals were then crossed over and shown calibrated delivery drapes and asked to estimate the amount of blood they contained.
Receives: Procedure: blood loss estimation

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Difference in Actual Blood Volume and Estimated Blood Volume in Milliliters.

    Two types of drapes were used: drapes with and without volume calibrations. Calibrated drapes had volume markings beginning at 500ml with 500ml increments to a total of 2500ml. The participants were asked to estimate the volume contained in the bag and the difference in milliliters between the estimate and actual volume was calculated.

    Measured: 1 hour

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Number and Type of Care Providers Assigned to Study Arms.

    Measured: 1 hour

  2. Level of Training

    Measured: 1 hour

  3. Number of Years of Clinical Experience Providing Patient Care Requiring Blood Loss Estimation.

    Measured: 1 hour

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted19 Apr 2007 (estimated)
  2. Study startJul 2006
  3. Primary completionApr 2008
  4. Study completionApr 2008

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Health services research
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Participant
Enrolment
106 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00462839
Sponsor's protocol ID
0524-029
Status last verified
Mar 2014
First submitted
17 Apr 2007
Last updated
14 Apr 2014
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • C. Beckman. Obstetrics and Gynecology. Post Partum Hemorrhage, Chapter 12. 3rd edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 1998; 154-161.

  • Cunningham FG, Leveno KL, Bloom SL, et al. Williams Obstetrics, 22th ed, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005.

  • Patel A, Goudar SS, Geller SE, Kodkany BS, Edlavitch SA, Wagh K, Patted SS, Naik VA, Moss N, Derman RJ. Drape estimation vs. visual assessment for estimating postpartum hemorrhage. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2006 Jun;93(3):220-4. doi: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2006.02.014. Epub 2006 Apr 12.

    PubMed 16626718
  • Prasertcharoensuk W, Swadpanich U, Lumbiganon P. Accuracy of the blood loss estimation in the third stage of labor. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2000 Oct;71(1):69-70. doi: 10.1016/s0020-7292(00)00294-0. No abstract available.

    PubMed 11044547

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing blood loss estimation in people with Postpartum Hemorrhage, run by Northwestern University at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Apr 2014. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 9 Dec 2011). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Difference in Actual Blood Volume and Estimated Blood Volume in Milliliters. (time frame: 1 hour). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00462839, which also lists 4 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Apr 2014.

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