Tranexamic Acid Plus Buccal Misoprostol on Blood Loss During and After Cesarean Delivery

Overview

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is potentially life-threatening and is a significant contributor to maternal mortality and morbidity especially in developing countries. The risk of PPH is much higher for women undergoing cesarean delivery (CD). In the majority of cases, uterine atony is responsible for the occurrence of excessive bleeding during or following childbirth. The Millennium Development Goal of reducing the maternal mortality ratio by 75 % by 2015 will remain beyond our reach unless we prioritize the prevention and treatment of PPH in low-resource countries. Consequently, the administration of uterotonic drugs during cesarean section (CS) and in the third stage of labor for vaginal delivery has become essential to diminish the risk of PPH and improve maternal safety. Oxytocin is regarded as the gold standard uterotonic agent but only has a half-life of 4-10 min; therefore, at cesarean section oxytocin must be administered as a continuous intravenous infusion to attain sustained uterotonic activity throughout the surgical procedure and immediate postpartum period. Misoprostol is a prostaglandin E1 analog proven in several randomized controlled trials to be effective in preventing PPH because of its strong uterotonic effects. In addition, misoprostol is inexpensive, stable at room temperature, and easy to administer. Misoprostol has been broadly studied in the prevention and treatment of PPH after vaginal delivery; however, its use in conjunction with CD has not been investigated as much. The buccal route is recognized as having the greatest benefit due to its rapid uptake, long-acting effect, and greatest bioavailability compared with other routes of misoprostol administration. Tranexamic acid(TA) is a synthetic analog of the amino acid lysine,10 as an antifibrinolytic agent it has roughly eight times the antifibrinolytic activity of an older analog; ε-aminocaproic acid. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of combined buccal misoprostol and intravenous TA with intravenous oxytocin for the prevention of PPH in patients with risk factors during cesarean section.

Eligible and consenting participants were randomized via a computer-generated random number sequence into one of two groups: one group received a pre-prepared sealed and opaque packet containing 400 μg of misoprostol (2 tablets of 200 μg), 2 ampoules of TA (1 gm for infusion) and separate placebo ampoule (distilled water). The other group received similar packets containing two placebo tablets, two placebo ampoules (distilled water) and separate 2 ampoules of oxytocin (10 IU in each ampoule for infusion) for slow intravenous injection. The misoprostol and placebo tablets were similar in size, shape, and color, and ampoules of oxytocin will be also similar to placebo. Randomization was done by the investigator immediately before transfer to the theater, whereas the preparation of packets and confidential record maintenance was done by the labor room nursing staff. Study drug administration 400 μg misoprostol (2 tablets of 200 μg) or two placebo tablets were given buccally after spinal anesthesia and few minutes before skin incision; then 1 gm TA or separate placebo will be diluted in 100 mL normal saline and administered slowly (over 30-60 s) intravenously before skin incision, in group 2 20 IU oxytocin or placebo ampoules in 500 mL of intravenous solution infusion over 15 min after delivery of baby.