Ephedrine Versus Norepinephrine and Fetal Acid-Base Status During Cesarean Delivery Under Spinal Anesthesia (NEO-FET)

October 4, 2026 updated by: mehmet özkılıç

Comparative Effects of Ephedrine and Norepinephrine on Fetal Acid-Base Status During Cesarean Delivery Under Spinal Anesthesia: A Randomized Double-Blind Study

This study compares ephedrine and norepinephrine for the treatment of low blood pressure (hypotension) that may occur during cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia. Maternal hypotension can reduce uteroplacental blood flow and may affect fetal well-being. Both medications are commonly used to restore blood pressure. The primary aim of this study is to compare their effects on neonatal acid-base status, assessed by umbilical arterial pH measured immediately after birth. Secondary outcomes include other umbilical arterial blood gas parameters, maternal blood pressure and heart rate, vasopressor requirements, maternal adverse events, and neonatal Apgar scores.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial designed to compare the effects of ephedrine and norepinephrine on fetal acid-base status during elective cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia. Maternal hypotension is a common complication of spinal anesthesia and may reduce uteroplacental perfusion. Ephedrine and norepinephrine are both used to restore maternal blood pressure, but their comparative effects on fetal acid-base balance and maternal hemodynamics remain incompletely defined.

The primary aim of the study is to compare umbilical arterial pH between patients treated with ephedrine and those treated with norepinephrine for postspinal hypotension. Secondary outcomes include other umbilical arterial blood gas parameters, including pCO₂, bicarbonate, base excess, and lactate; the incidence of neonatal acidosis defined as umbilical arterial pH <7.20; Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes; maternal systolic blood pressure and heart rate; vasopressor requirements; and maternal adverse events.

A total of 155 parturients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio before spinal anesthesia. Because the study drugs were administered only when postspinal hypotension occurred, the analysis population consisted of randomized participants who developed hypotension and received the allocated vasopressor. This resulted in 102 participants in the final analysis population, including 50 in the ephedrine group and 52 in the norepinephrine group.

All randomized participants underwent a standardized spinal anesthesia protocol. Postspinal hypotension was treated with repeated intravenous boluses of either ephedrine 5 mg or norepinephrine 5 µg according to the allocated treatment arm. The study was designed to compare fetal acid-base effects and maternal hemodynamic responses associated with these two vasopressor strategies.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
155

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Diyarbakır, Turkey (Türkiye), 21070
        • SBÜ Gazi Yaşargil Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 45 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

nclusion Criteria:

  • Women aged 18-45 years
  • Singleton term pregnancy (≥37 weeks of gestation)
  • American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-II
  • Scheduled for elective cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
  • Known systemic disease
  • Multiple gestation
  • Emergency cesarean delivery
  • Contraindication to spinal anesthesia
  • Known allergy to the study medications
  • Pre-diagnosed fetal growth restriction identified using standardized growth curves and pathological Doppler findings
  • Suspected fetal distress
  • Oligohydramnios
  • Known congenital fetal anomalies

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Ephedrine Group

Participants allocated to this group received intravenous ephedrine 5 mg boluses for the treatment of postspinal hypotension. Additional 5 mg boluses were administered at 1-minute intervals as needed until the predefined blood pressure target was achieved.
Drug: Ephedrine

Intravenous ephedrine 5 mg bolus administered for the treatment of postspinal hypotension during elective cesarean delivery. Additional 5 mg boluses were administered at 1-minute intervals as needed until the predefined blood pressure target was achieved.

Other Names:
  • Ephedrine hydrochloride
Experimental: Norepinephrine Group

Participants allocated to this group received intravenous norepinephrine 5 µg boluses for the treatment of postspinal hypotension. Additional 5 µg boluses were administered at 1-minute intervals as needed until the predefined blood pressure target was achieved.
Drug: Norepinephrine

Intravenous norepinephrine 5 µg bolus administered for the treatment of postspinal hypotension during elective cesarean delivery. Additional 5 µg boluses were administered at 1-minute intervals as needed until the predefined blood pressure target was achieved.

Other Names:
  • Steradin®

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Umbilical arterial pH
Time Frame: Immediately after delivery

Umbilical arterial pH measured immediately after delivery from an arterial blood sample obtained from a double-clamped segment of the umbilical cord and analyzed within 5 minutes using a blood gas analyzer.
Immediately after delivery

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Maternal hypotension
Time Frame: From spinal anesthesia until delivery

Postspinal hypotension was defined as a decrease in systolic blood pressure to less than 80% of the baseline value. The number and duration of hypotensive episodes were recorded.
From spinal anesthesia until delivery
Incidence of neonatal acidosis (UA pH <7.20)
Time Frame: Immediately after delivery

Incidence of neonatal acidosis, defined as an umbilical arterial pH <7.20, determined from an umbilical arterial blood sample obtained immediately after delivery and analyzed using a point-of-care blood gas analyzer.
Immediately after delivery
Maternal heart rate response
Time Frame: From spinal anesthesia until delivery / during surger

Maternal heart rate was recorded after spinal anesthesia and during periods requiring vasopressor administration. Temporal heart rate changes and the occurrence of tachycardia were recorded.
From spinal anesthesia until delivery / during surger

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Apgar score at 1 minute
Time Frame: At 1 minute after delivery

Apgar Score (Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration) will be assessed by the attending neonatologist. The score ranges from 0 to 10, where higher scores indicate better neonatal condition. The outcome is the distribution of Apgar scores at 1 minute after birth.
At 1 minute after delivery
Apgar score at 5 minutes
Time Frame: At 5 minutes after delivery

Apgar Score (Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration) will be assessed by the attending neonatologist. The score ranges from 0 to 10, where higher scores indicate better neonatal condition. The outcome is the distribution of Apgar scores at 5 minutes after birth.
At 5 minutes after delivery
Requirement for additional vasopressor doses
Time Frame: During surgery

The number of vasopressor boluses and the total amount of ephedrine (mg) or norepinephrine (µg) administered for treatment of postspinal hypotension were recorded.
During surgery
Neonatal heart rate after delivery
Time Frame: Immediately after delivery

Neonatal heart rate measured after delivery and compared between the ephedrine and norepinephrine groups.
Immediately after delivery

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
mehmet özkılıç

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Mehmet ÖZKILIÇ, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Specialist, MD, Gazi Yaşargil Training and Research Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 1, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 8, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 10, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 8, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 4, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • GYEAH-OB-NE-EF-001

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

IPD will not be shared because data sharing was not included in the approved study protocol.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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