Exploring cardiac effects after oxytocin 2.5 IU or carbetocin 100 μg: A randomised controlled trial in women undergoing planned caesarean delivery

BACKGROUND Oxytocin can stimulate release of myocardial biomarkers troponin I and T, prolong QTc and induce ST-depression. OBJECTIVE To explore cardiac changes after either intravenous carbetocin or oxytocin. STUDY DESIGN Exploratory phase 4 randomised controlled trial. SETTING Obstetrics units of Oslo University Hospital, Norway between September 2015 and May 2018. PARTICIPANTS Forty healthy, singleton pregnant women aged 18 to 50 years at gestational age at least 36 weeks with a planned caesarean delivery. INTERVENTIONS Participants were randomised to receive either oxytocin 2.5 IU or carbetocin 100 μg immediately after delivery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary endpoint was the assessment of troponin I within 48 h of study drug administration. Troponin I and T, and creatine kinase myocardial band assessments were measured before spinal anaesthesia (baseline), and again at 4, 10 and 24 h after delivery. QTc, ST-depression and relative increase in heart rate were recorded from start of study drug administration to 10 min after delivery. All adverse events were monitored. RESULTS Compared with the carbetocin group, higher troponin I levels were observed in the oxytocin group at 4 h and 10 h after delivery. For both treatment groups, an increase from baseline in troponin I and T was most pronounced at 10 h after delivery, and it had begun to decline by 24 h. QTc increased with time after administratio...
Source: European Journal of Anaesthesiology - Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Obstetrics Source Type: research