Implementation of AFL Monitoring in Clinical Use

Implementation of AFL Monitoring in Clinical (Lapsiveden Laktaattipitoisuuden Merkitys kliinisessä käytössä)

The overall objective of this randomized controlled trial is to develop a clinical standard procedure for measuring lactate in amniotic fluid (amniotic fluid lactate = = AFL) during childbirth before oxytocin stimulation is started. The aim is to reduce the need for emergency caesarean section during dysfunctional labour. The aim is also to study how different substances (oxytocin and Samarin®) affect uterine metabolic status during labour.

Labour dystocia, i.e. prolonged labour, occurs in up to 30% in primipara deliveries and in about 20% of all the deliveries. In 2016, in Finland oxytocin stimulation was used in 42% of all the deliveries.

The uterus, myometrium, is one of the largest muscles in the human body and consists mainly of smooth muscle cells. During the contractions the myometrial vessels also contract, causing momentary hypoxia and activation of anaerobic metabolism: O2 and pH levels of the muscle cell decreases and the lactate concentration increases. After the contraction, the blood circulation is restored and the anaerobic metabolites gradually dissolve. Myometrium requires a sufficiently long break between the contractions to recover. In dysfunctional labour the anaerobic metabolites accumulate in the myometrium. Accumulation of lactate has proved significantly to reduce the spontaneous contractions of myometrium and hinder myometrium calcium metabolism, which in turn reduces the strength of the contractions. Amniotic fluid lactate is known to reflect the metabolic state of the uterus during the labour.

Prolonged labour can in many aspects be compared to the athlete's tired muscles. Many of today's athletes try to control the accumulation of lactic acid in their muscles during training by drinking baking soda (bicarbonate) dissolved in water one hour before their physical activity. Bicarbonate is known to function as a lactic acid buffer. Bicarbonate is considered as food and is sold in grocery stores as baking soda and for example as Samarin®. Samarin® is safe to use during pregnancy because as a bicarbonate it does not pass through placenta and does not affect the fetus.

The trial aims to research if high AFL values (AFL > 12 mmol/L) in women with labour arrest are best treated by:

A) treating the labour according to the hospital's current guidelines during labour arrest, i.e. starting the stimulation with oxytocin and measuring the AFL again after one hour B) administering bicarbonate (Samarin®) dissolved in water one hour before starting the stimulation with oxytocin

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Labour Dystocia
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Samarin

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 200
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• gestational age at least 37 + 0 weeks
• singleton pregnancy
• cephalic presentation
• active labor (regular painful contractions, effaced cervix open at least 3cm)
• arrested labour progress according partogram and clinic guidelines

Exclusion Criteria:

• intra uterine fetal growth retardation (> 22%)
• intra uterine fetal death
• threat of fetal asphyxia
• severe vaginal bleeding
• disproportion between the fetal head and the mother's pelvis
• hypertonic contractions (more than 5 in 10 minutes)
• known allergy or hypersensitivity to oxytocin or to any of derivatives
• women who cannot understand the information of the study

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: A, Non-bicarbonate; When labour arrest is diagnosed and the first AFL > 12 mmol/L the participants will be randomized to two groups. In group A the labour is treated according to the hospital's current guidelines during labour arrest, i.e. the stimulation with oxytocin is started and AFL is measured again after one hour
Active Comparator: B, Bicarbonate group; When labour arrest is diagnosed and the first AFL > 12 mmol/L the participants will be randomized to two groups. In group B the participant will drink bicarbonate (2 packages of Samarin®) dissolved in 200 ml of water. Then after one hour the AFL will be measured again and the stimulation with oxytocin will be started if there is no progress in the cervix.	Other: Samarin; Arm: Active Comparator: B, Bicarbonate group When labour arrest is diagnosed and the first AFL > 12 mmol/L the participants will be randomized to two groups. In group B the participant will drink bicarbonate (2 packages of Samarin®) dissolved in 200 ml of water. Then after one hour the AFL will be measured again and the stimulation with oxytocin will be started if there is no progress in the cervix.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Spontaneus Vaginal delivery	by the end of the delivery

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Turku University Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Anticipated): September 15, 2018
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): December 31, 2020
• Study Completion (Anticipated): December 31, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 27, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 27, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): August 29, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 29, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 27, 2018
• Last Verified: August 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pregnancy Complications; Obstetric Labor Complications; Dystocia
• Other Study ID Numbers: T194/2018

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No