Feticide clinical trials

Use of Ultiva ® Associated With Xylocaine ® in the Procedures of Feticide

The feticide is a legal and ethical obligation during a termination of pregnancy after 22 weeks' gestation. This method raise concerns about the fetal pain, maternal complications and the fetopathologic analysis. There are few studies on the subject. Investigators want to evaluate a drug in order to facilitate this method technically and emotionally challenging. They want to achieve a quick fetal asystole, a fetal analgesia, a maternal security and a optimal fetopathologic analysis. A drug, remifentanil Ultiva®, seems could meet its properties, it is a powerful morphine. A phase 2 clinical trial has assessed the feasibility, efficacy and safety of Ultiva®. They had not been able to prove bradycardia or lethal effect of Ultiva injected alone but the feasibility and safety were good. Investigators want to set up a randomized clinical trial with 2 arms : Ultiva® and lidocaine versus sufentanil and lidocaine (standard protocol), it is a bicentric study. The primary outcome is the interval between the vascular injection of lidocaine and fetal asystole. The secondary outcomes are the success rate of method, the number of puncture of the umbilical cord, the maternal side effects and the quality of fetopathologic analysis. The previous observational study showed a median interval of 2,3 minutes and a success rate of 55% (lower interval to 2 minutes). From the results they calculate a necessary inclusions to 66 patients. They believe that the bradycardia property of Ultiva® allow a potentiation of the efficacy of lidocaine. If the results are satisfactory, the use of Ultiva® can be generalized to other fetal medicine team.