Comparing the Dose-response Profiles of Uterotonics After Initial Carbetocin Administration - an Ex-vivo Study in Desensitized Human Myometrium

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) remains to be one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. It has been noted that an increasing number of PPH is attributed to the increased incidence of uterine atony. Carbetocin is the first line therapy for prevention and treatment of uterine atony. Carbetocin is currently used as a single dose treatment without an option of redosing. It has been proven that exposure to oxytocin during labour results in a decrease in myometrial contractions, previous studies shows that the current dose of carbetocin (100 µcg) is insufficient for optimal uterine contraction in failure to progress caesarean section.

According to current guidelines for medical management of PPH, the first line therapy for post CD uterotonic agent in Canada is carbetocin. It is a reliable and safe agent; however, it is a "one shot" option for treatment due to its longer half-life (40 minutes). The clinicians are reluctant to re-dose carbetocin after an initial failure to achieve adequate uterine tone with the assumption that the oxytocin receptors would likely be saturated with the agonist. It is unknown whether re-dosing with oxytocics (carbetocin or oxytocin) would help augment myometrial contractions, thereby lowering post-partum bleeding and improving patient outcomes. It is also unknown if prior carbetocin administration would affect myometrial contractility induced by other second line uterotonics such as ergometrine or carboprost.

This study is essential to answer the clinical question of the efficacy of re-dosing with either oxytocics or second line agents uterotonics following the first prophylactic dose of carbetocin in women with previously desensitized myometrium. This will help us better understand the comparative myometrial contractility response for a range of uterotonics.

The primary hypothesis of this study is that treating a second dose of oxytocics(carbetocin/oxytocin) in oxytocin pre-treated myometrium, after the first standard bolus of 100 µcg carbetocin will cause enhanced myometrial contraction compared to control.

The second hypothesis is that the efficacy of second line agents (ergometrine or carboprost) would not be as effective, i.e. they are likely to be less effective than oxytocics.