Authors

Waleed El-Khayat, M.D., Mostafa Elsadek, M.D.

Volume 103, Issue 1, Pages 101-105

Abstract

Objective:

To evaluate the role of calcium infusion as a preventive strategy of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in women at high risk in in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment cycles.

Design:

Double-blinded randomized controlled trial.

Setting:

University hospital department of obstetrics and gynecology and private IVF center.

Patient(s):

Two hundred women at risk to develop OHSS undergoing IVF/ICSI treatment cycle.

Intervention(s):

The intervention group (group 1; n = 100) received intravenous infusion of 10 mL 10% calcium gluconate in 100 mL 0.9% saline solution on the day of ovum pick-up (OPU) and days 1, 2, and 3 after, and the placebo group (group 2; n = 100) received 100 mL 0.9% saline solution on the day of OPU and days 1, 2, and 3 after.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

Incidence of OHSS.

Result(s):

OHSS incidence was significantly higher in the placebo group (group 2) than in the calcium infusion group (group 1): 23 (23%) vs. 7 (7%); moderate OHSS was significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1: 8 (8%) vs. 1 (1%); and severe OHSS was significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1: 4 (4%) vs. 0.

Conclusion(s):

Intravenous calcium infusion effectively reduced the incidence of OHSS development without reduction in the pregnancy rate.

Clinical Trial Registration Number:

NCT01427335.

Read the full text at: http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(14)02266-3/fulltext