COMPARING THE USE OF OXYTOCIN TO HUMAN CHORIONIC GONADOTROPHIN AS A TRIGGER OF OVULATION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL STUDY

Abstract

SUMMARY W e conducted this study to clarify the possible role of new treatment strategy, role of oxytocin (OT) on ovulation and conception compared to human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), A total of 88 women who have a period of infertility were referred to the infertility clinic of Ain Shams Maternity Hospital. After baseline transvaginal sonography they were allocated into two equal groups to take clomiphene citrate plus HCG (10,000 IU) or clomiphene citrate plus oxytocin (5 IU) patients were followed up by vaginal sonography to determine the time of triggering by HCG or oxytocin. Patients were followed by transvaginal ultrasound after 48 hours of injection serum progesterone concentration was measured to provide evidence for ovulation. The ovulation and the pregnancy rate and side effects of the two groups were compared. There was no significant difference between the groups with respect to mean follicular size and number of follicles and endometrial thickness at time of triggering. The progesterone level 8 days after triggering was non-significantly higher among HCG group than among Oxytocin group (p = 0.245). Rate of Ovulation was non-significantly more frequent among HCG group than among Oxytocin group (88.7% vs. 84.1%, respectively, p = 0.269). The rate of pregnancy was higher in the hCG group compared with the oxytocin group (9.1% vs 6.8%) but it failed to reach statistical difference (p = 0.334). Mild pain was the only side-effect observed in the two groups. And it was significantly more frequent among Oxytocin group (56.8%) than among HCG group (9.1%), (p = <0.001). Oxytocin was found to be a viable alternative to hCG for triggering ovulation in infertile patients.