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Impact of Prophylactic Ephedrine on Fetal Heart Tracing and Uterine Tetanic Contraction After CSE

NCT05873218 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: PHASE4 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 100

Last updated 2026-05-06

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Labor analgesia is an important component of the care of laboring patients. A known side effect of combined spinal and epidural anesthesia (a type of labor analgesia) is an increased incidence of category II fetal heart rate tracing (defined below) and low blood pressure. The study team aims to study if a prophylactic dose of ephedrine will decrease the occurrence of this type of tracing after combined spinal epidural (CSE) anesthesia placement. Ephedrine is not currently routinely used as prevention for category II tracings or low blood pressure. The use of Ephedrine in this study is investigational (this is the first time that the drug has been studied for its effect on these conditions).

Fetal heart rate (FHR) tracings are classified into three categories. In clinical practice, FHR tracing categories are used as a guide to obstetric management and suggest the following approach:

* Category I tracing is "reactive" and reassuring → may continue labor
* Category II tracing is neither category I nor category III. For obvious reasons, category II is the broadest and largest category, consisting of various FHR tracing patterns that do not fit into either category I or category III.
* Category III tracing is non-reassuring → expedited vaginal or cesarean delivery recommended.

A Category II tracing is not diagnostic. Most pregnancies have at least one Category II tracing. There is not always an identifiable reason for a Category II tracing.

Ephedrine is a medication that causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure while also causing some degree of relaxation of the uterus therefore improving uterine blood flow. It has been used in the obstetric population for over 50 years without issues. The dose that the research team will administer, 7.5 mg, is below the dose the research team will often administer to treat hypotension (low blood pressure).

Conditions

  • Labor

Interventions

DRUG

Ephedrine

The intervention will be up to two 7.5 mg doses of ephedrine given after the placement of a combined spinal epidural with 25 mcg intrathecal fentanyl timed 3 and 15 minutes after intrathecal opiate administration.

DRUG

Normal Saline Placebo

Placebo will be administered at matching rate.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Principal Investigators

  • James Leader · Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Model
SEQUENTIAL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
55 Years
Sex
FEMALE
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-06-26
Primary Completion
2027-05-31
Completion
2027-05-31
FDA Drug
Yes

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Entities

Companies

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT05873218 on ClinicalTrials.gov