Ursodeoxycholic acid in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy: a summary of the PITCHES study and its clinical implications

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy is characterized by maternal itchiness and raised maternal serum bile acids. It affects 0.7% of pregnancies in the UK and is associated with increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. The mainstay of treatment has been ursodeoxycholic acid, despite limited evidence for its efficacy. PITCHES is the largest randomized controlled trial to date comparing ursodeoxycholic acid with placebo in women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, in which 605 women were randomized to active treatment or placebo.
Source: Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine - Category: OBGYN Authors: Tags: ETHICS/EDUCATION Source Type: research