Carbetocin vs. Oxytocin: In-vitro Myometrial Contractions With and Without Oxytocin Pre-treatment

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2012-08-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: Female

Summary

The purpose of this study is to compare the ability of an isolated sample of uterine muscle tissue (in a tissue bath) to contract in the presence of various drugs. The drugs studied--uterotonics--are typically used to contract the uterus when a pregnant patient continues to bleed after delivery. Oxytocin is an old standard, but seems to suffer from a desensitization phenomenon. Carbetocin, a similar drug, has recently been suggested to clinicians as a replacement for oxytocin directly after certain types of Cesarean section.

The investigators will be testing isolated uterine muscle samples after pre-treatment with oxytocin OR nothing (control) to increasing concentrations of oxytocin OR carbetocin. Contractile measures will be measured and compared between all groups. The investigators hypothesize that oxytocin pre-treatment will reduce contractions in both oxytocin- and carbetocin-induced contractions, and oxytocin and carbetocin will induce different patterns of contractions.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital
• Collaborator: University of Toronto
• Treatments: Carbetocin; Oxytocin

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Gestational age 37-41 weeks

• Non-laboring patients, not exposed to exogenous oxytocin

• Patients requiring primary or first repeat Cesarean section

• Cesarean section under spinal anesthesia

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who require general anesthesia

• Patient who had previous myometrial surgery or more than one previous Cesarean section

• Patients with placental anomalies

• Emergency Cesarean section in labor

• Patients with multiple pregnancy (twins, etc.)