Welcome
Support Centre
04 July 2009 
ISRCTN Register - International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number
Trial registration
Unique identification scheme
International databases
home  |   my details  |   ISRCTN Register  |   mRCT  |   UKCTG  |   links  |   information  |   press
Find trials
ISRCTN Register
tips on searching

Registration
New application
Updating record

Information
introduction
governing board
ISRCTN FAQs
data set
letter of agreement
request information
guidance notes

[ Print-friendly version ]
Randomised trial of rapid outpatient rehydration versus hospital admission for hyperemesis gravidarum
ISRCTN ISRCTN47846769
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier
Public title Randomised trial of rapid outpatient rehydration versus hospital admission for hyperemesis gravidarum
Scientific title
Acronym N/A
Serial number at source N/A
Study hypothesis Vomiting is a common symptom of early pregnancy, affecting approximately 52% of women. Hyperemesis gravidarum, or severe protracted vomiting appearing for the first time before the 20th week of pregnancy that is not associated with other coincidental conditions and is of such severity as to require the patients' admission to hospital, affects only 0.3 - 1.5% of pregnancies.

HG is associated with a decrease in ability to perform household activities, decreased interaction with existing children, decreased healthcare involvement and increased time off work. There is no consensus in the management and treatment of HG. The majority of the therapeutic anti-emetic treatment is empirical. Intravenous rehydration, correction of electrolyte imbalance, vitamin supplementation and anti-emetics remain the mainstay of treatment of severe disease.

Women with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) who have been unable to manage with anti-emetics alone and who need rehydration have conventionally been admitted as inpatients. Rapid rehydration within a gynaecology outpatient setting has potential advantages in terms of healthcare cost and maintaining the woman within her home and family environment. Some hospitals currently operate a policy of outpatient ('day case') intravenous rehydration for HG. To date no randomised studies have been conducted comparing outpatient management for rehydration with conventional inpatient treatment.

The aim of this study is therefore to assess the success of outpatient management versus inpatient management in patients with HG.

Study hypothesis:
Rapid outpatient rehydration is as effective as inpatient admission for the treatment for hyperemesis gravidarum.
Ethics approval Ethics approval received from the Royal Mardsen Research Ethics Committee on the 24th April 2007 (ref: 07/Q0806/2).
Study design Multicentre randomised controlled trial.
Countries of recruitment United Kingdom
Disease/condition/study domain Hyperemesis gravidarum
Participants - inclusion criteria All pregnant women up to 20 weeks gestation referred to the Acute Gynaecology Unit with persistent vomiting and at least 1+ ketonuria.
Participants - exclusion criteria 1. Women greater than 20 weeks gestation
2. Women with another medical condition manifesting as nausea and vomiting such as urinary tract infection (UTI)
3. Type 1 or 2 diabetes
4. Potassium less than 3.2 mmol/l
5. Sodium less than 130 mmol/l
6. Abnormal liver function tests (associated with increased severity of HG)
7. Abnormal thyroid function tests (associated with increased severity of HG)
Anticipated start date 17/03/2008
Anticipated end date 01/04/2009
Status of trial Completed
Patient information material Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet
Target number of participants 100 (50 in each arm of trial)
Interventions Comparison of conventional inpatient continuous intravenous rehydration for women with HG with daily attendance at the Acute Gynaecology Unit for rehydration over four hours. The same anti-emetic and vitamin supplementation will be given to both groups. Women are randomised by computer generated allocation.

All women will be given a single intravenous dose of cyclizine at first attendance followed by regular buccal prochlorperazine 3 mg (increased to 6 mg if ineffective). In addition, when tolerating oral input, all participants will be given oral thiamine 50 mg three times daily and folic acid 5 mg once daily. A single dose of intravenous ranitidine 50 mg will be administered to women reporting epigastric discomfort, followed by 150 mg orally twice daily. Both groups will receive intravenous fluids. The inpatient group will receive 4 litres normal saline over the first 24 hours followed by 3 litres per 24 hours. The outpatient group will receive 2 litres per day, each administered over 4 hours.

Treatment in both groups will continue until:
1. There is no ketonuria, and
2. The woman is able to tolerate food and drink, and
3. There has been no vomiting for at least 12 hours

For both groups, follow up 7 days after completion of treatment will be carried out by telephone to ascertain whether they are still using anti-emetics and whether they have had any re-admissions.
Primary outcome measure(s) A difference between the two groups in reduction in Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis (PUQE) score at 48 hours.
Secondary outcome measure(s) A difference between the two groups in:
1. Number of days intravenous fluid treatment needed
2. Number with ketonuria at 48 hours
3. Improvement, at two and seven days from start of treatment, in:
3.1. PUQE
3.2. Drinking and eating scores
3.3. Well-being rating
4. Weight change at seven days
5. Number still taking anti-emetics at one week following discharge
6. Re-attendance episodes for hyperemesis in the seven days following discharge
7. Costs of treatment
Sources of funding 1. St George's Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Discretionary Fund (UK)
2. St George's Healthcare NHS Trust (UK) - The Directorate of Women's Health
Trial website
Publications
Contact name Dr  Cecilia  Bottomley
  Address Academic Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
3rd Floor Lanesborough Wing
St George's University of London
Cranmer Terrace
  City/town London
  Zip/Postcode SW17 0QT
  Country United Kingdom
  Email ceciliabottomley@doctors.org.uk
Sponsor St George's Healthcare NHS Trust (UK)
  Address Blackshaw Road
  City/town London
  Zip/Postcode SW17 0RE
  Country United Kingdom
  Email tom.bourne@stgeorges.nhs.uk
  Sponsor website: http://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/
Date applied 18/03/2008
Last edited 30/06/2008
Date ISRCTN assigned 30/06/2008
Submit your trial protocol Submit to Trials journal
© ISRCTN


BioMed Central