Comparing the Effect of Dextrose and Oxytocin to Reduce Postpartum Haemorrhage: Randomised Controlled Trial

Introduction: Post-partum haemorrhage is a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. There are different management procedures adopted for the treatment of post-partum haemorrhage. Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of dextrose in Post-partum Haemorrhage (PPH) and compare it with Oxytocin (a conventional method). Materials and Methods: A two-arm randomised controlled trial was conducted among 120 pregnant women admitted to the delivery room of the Obstetric and Gynaecological Unit of a Teaching Hospital. Participants were randomised to receive either 20 unit of oxytocin in 1000 mL ringer lactate solution (routine administration, control group) or 200 mL of 10 dextrose solution (intervention group). The primary outcome measured in this study was amount of blood loss. The outcome was assessed at 1 hour and 2 hours. Data were analysed using SPSS version 22.0, chi-square and student's t-tests. Authors used expected maximisation to handle missing data to enable an intention-to-treat analysis. Results: At baseline, the groups were homogeneous in regards to socio-demographic variables. The average blood loss was significantly lower in the intervention group (dextrose 10) compared to the control group (oxytocin) (p<0.05). Conclusion: Administering of dextrose 10 to pregnant women at the third stage of labour was associated with lower postpartum haemorrhage than oxytocin.