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Postpartum HemorrhageNCT03852797

Spontaneous and Oxytocin-induced Contractility After Exposure to Intravenous Anesthetic Agents: an In-vitro Study in Human Myometrium

A study testing Oxytocin, Ketamine and Propofol in people with Postpartum Hemorrhage, run by Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital at 1 site in Canada.

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

Poor uterine tone after the birth of a baby may cause serious bleeding (called postpartum hemorrhage or PPH). This is a major cause of maternal death worldwide. In the developed world the cesarean section rate is increasing. There are two modalities for anesthesia for cesarean section; general and regional (eg. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 19 to 50 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Postpartum Hemorrhage
What is being tested?
Oxytocin, Ketamine and Propofol
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
33 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
28 Mar 2019to 19 Jan 2022
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

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 19 to 50 years
  • Women only
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Patients who give written consent to participate in this study
  • Patients with gestational age 37-41 weeks
  • Patients of 19-50 years
  • Non-laboring patients, not exposed to exogenous oxytocin
  • Patients requiring primary Cesarean section or first repeat Cesarean section
  • Patients undergoing Cesarean section under spinal anesthesia

Who cannot join

  • Patients who refuse to give written informed consent
  • Patients who require general anesthesia
  • Patients who had previous uterine surgery or more than one previous Cesarean section
  • Patients with any condition predisposing to uterine atony and postpartum hemorrhage, such as abnormal placentation, multiple gestation, preeclampsia, macrosomia, polyhydramnios, uterine fibroids, bleeding diathesis, chorioamnionitis, or a previous history of postpartum bleeding
  • Emergency Cesarean section in labor
  • Patients on medications that could affect myometrial contractility, such as nifedipine, labetolol or magnesium sulphate.
  • Patients who have been exposed to oxytocin prior or during the cesarean section.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site
  • Mount Sinai Hospital

    Toronto, Ontario, M5G1X5

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Poor uterine tone after the birth of a baby may cause serious bleeding (called postpartum hemorrhage or PPH). This is a major cause of maternal death worldwide. In the developed world the cesarean section rate is increasing. There are two modalities for anesthesia for cesarean section; general and regional (eg. spinal anesthetic). General anesthesia has been associated with increased blood loss compared to regional and the reasons for this may be multifactorial. Some of the anesthesia gases have been studied and there is laboratory evidence to suggest that these gases may reduce the tone of the uterus and therefore cause increased blood loss due to poor uterine tone. To date there has been little study on the intravenous anesthesia agents. These agents are usually administered to anaesthetise the patient at the start of surgery (induction of anesthesia), however they can also be used instead of the gases to keep the patient asleep using a 'total intravenous anesthesia' technique. Laboratory work in rats has suggested that high doses of these intravenous drugs might reduce uterine tone, thus increasing the risk of blood loss. Interestingly, at low doses one of these drugs (ketamine) may actually increase uterine tone. Only one of these drugs has been studied in human uterine tissue. The investigators plan to compare three anaesthesia induction agents on human uterine tissue under physiological conditions in the laboratory.

This study will be the first to compare these three drugs on human tissue. The investigators plan to determine the impact of these drugs on spontaneous uterine contractility and also contractilty induced by oxytocin, which is the drug most commonly administered to help contract the uterus after birth. This is important as it will help inform anesthesiologists as to the best drug to use depending on the clinical circumstance.

The investigators hypothesize that the intravenous induction agents will cause a dose dependent decrease in spontaneous uterine contractility, similar to what has been described in the rat model. The investigators also expect that exposure to high concentrations of intravenous anesthesia induction agents will cause a blunted contractile response to oxytocin.

Read the detailed description

There is an increasing need to fully understand the mechanisms that contribute to the higher blood loss after general anesthesia during cesarean section therefore it is important the investigators identify all pharmacological contributors to poor uterine tone. Furthermore, anesthesiologists are increasingly called upon to care for women undergoing a range of in-utero fetal surgeries which require a careful balanced anesthetic and strict control of uterine tone.

This will be the first study that compares the three commonly used intravenous anesthesia agents on human myometrium: ketamine, etomidate and propofol. This study is required to allow doctors make informed decisions about which anesthesia agent is most suitable to manage their patient depending on clinical circumstances.

The specific objective of this project is to investigate the pharmacological dose-response profiles of different anesthesia induction agents by in-vitro isometric tension measurements of contractions in gravid human myometrium. The investigators will study both spontaneous and oxytocin induced contractility.

Being tested
Oxytocin, Ketamine, Propofol, Etomidate
Keywords
uterine contraction, oxytocin, ketamine, propofol, etomidate
Medical subject headings
Postpartum Hemorrhage

What participants receive

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

  • OxytocinDrug

    Also called pitocin

    Oxytocin solution, 20nM concentration

  • KetamineDrug

    Also called ketamine HCl

    Ketamine in solution, 10-4M to 10-7M

  • PropofolDrug

    Propofol in solution, 10-4M to 10-7M

  • EtomidateDrug

    Etomidate in solution, 10-4M to 10-7M

Study groups in NCT03852797
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
KetamineActive comparatorThe myometrial samples are bathed in physiological salt solution (PSS) with increasing concentrations of ketamine (from 10 -7M to 10 -4M)
Receives: Drug: Ketamine
Ketamine + oytocinActive comparatorThe myometrial samples are bathed in an oxytocin solution (20nM) with increasing concentrations of ketamine (from 10 -7M to 10 -4M)
Receives: Drug: Oxytocin; Drug: Ketamine
PropofolActive comparatorThe myometrial samples are bathed in physiological salt solution (PSS) with increasing concentrations of propofol (from 10 -7M to 10 -4M)
Receives: Drug: Propofol
Propofol + oytocinActive comparatorThe myometrial samples are bathed in an oxytocin solution (20nM) with increasing concentrations of propofol (from 10 -7M to 10 -4M)
Receives: Drug: Oxytocin; Drug: Propofol
EtomidateActive comparatorThe myometrial samples are bathed in physiological salt solution (PSS) with increasing concentrations of etomidate (from 10 -7M to 10 -4M)
Receives: Drug: Etomidate
Etomidate + oytocinActive comparatorThe myometrial samples are bathed in an oxytocin solution (20nM) with increasing concentrations of etomidate (from 10 -7M to 10 -4M)
Receives: Drug: Oxytocin; Drug: Etomidate

What is being measured

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

  1. Motility index

    Motility index (MI) is a calculated outcome, based on the formula: frequency/(10 x amplitude).

    Frequency and amplitude are secondary outcome measures as described below.

    The analysis is undertaken by attaching myometrial strips between an isometric force transducer and the base of an organ bath chamber.

    Measured: 4 hours

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Amplitude of contraction

    The maximum extent of uterine muscle contraction, measured in grams (g). The analysis is undertaken by attaching myometrial strips between an isometric force transducer and the base of an organ bath chamber.

    Measured: 4 hours

  2. Frequency of contraction

    The number of contractions in uterine muscle (myometrium) over 10 minutes, spontaneously and in response to an agonist.

    The analysis is undertaken by attaching myometrial strips between an isometric force transducer and the base of an organ bath chamber.

    Measured: 4 hours

  3. Integrated area under response curve (AUC)

    Measured: 4 hours

Timeline

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

  1. First posted25 Feb 2019
  2. Study start28 Mar 2019
  3. Primary completion19 Jan 2022
  4. Study completion19 Jan 2022

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
Treatment
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
33 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03852797
Sponsor's protocol ID
19-01
Status last verified
Oct 2022
First submitted
21 Feb 2019
Last updated
25 Oct 2022
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Oxytocin, Ketamine and Propofol in people with Postpartum Hemorrhage, run by Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital at 1 site in Canada.

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 6 inclusion and 7 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 25 Oct 2022. 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 Canada. 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?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

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?

Motility index (time frame: 4 hours). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
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 25 Oct 2022.

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