Comparison of Carbetocin versus Oxytocin in the Incidence of Post-Anesthesia Complications in High-Risk Pregnant Women Undergoing Cesarean Section: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Articles in Press

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 محبوبه حیدری: دستیار تخصص پاتولوژی، گروه پاتولوژی، دانشکده پزشکی، دانشگاه پزشکی شهید صدوقی یزد، یزد، ایران.( نویسنده اول)

2 الینا بایرامزاده: متخصص زنان و زایمان، دانشکده پزشکی، دانشگاه علوم پزشکی شهید بهشتی، تهران، ایران.( نویسنده دوم)

3 هژیر مهربان: دستیار تخصص بیماری های پوست، دانشکده پزشکی، دانشگاه علوم پزشکی کرمانشاه، کرمانشاه، ایران(نویسنده سوم)

4 احسان تصدیقی: پزشک عمومی، دانشکده پزشکی، دانشگاه علوم پزشکی جندی شاپور، اهواز، ایران.( نویسنده چهارم)

5 Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

10.22038/ijogi.2025.88247.6445

Abstract

Background: Given the discrepancies and conflicting results in previous studies comparing carbetocin and oxytocin regarding post-anesthesia side effects in high-risk pregnant women, a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis is essential to accurately assess the incidence of adverse events such as nausea, vomiting, headache, abdominal pain, fever, and hypotension between these two drugs. This aims to provide robust and generalizable evidence to guide clinical decision-making.

Methods: This study was a systematic review and meta-analysis conducted according to PRISMA guidelines, aiming to compare the incidence of post-anesthesia side effects in high-risk pregnant women undergoing cesarean section who received either carbetocin or oxytocin. Comprehensive searches were performed in major databases up to May 2025. Data were analyzed using odds ratios and mean differences, and heterogeneity was assessed with the I² statistic.

Results: Six studies including 1124 participants were analyzed. The odds ratio for nausea and/or vomiting was 0.59, indicating a relative but statistically non-significant reduction. Headache incidence was significantly lower in the carbetocin group with an OR of 0.53, showing high consistency among studies. The OR for abdominal pain was 0.69 without a significant difference. Fever occurrence showed an OR of 0.69 with no significant difference and high heterogeneity. Hypotension had an OR of 1.57, indicating no significant difference and considerable variability among results.

Conclusion: Carbetocin significantly reduces the incidence of headache following anesthesia compared to oxytocin, but no statistically significant differences were observed between the two drugs for other complications including nausea and vomiting, hypotension, abdominal pain, and fever.

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The Iranian Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 17 November 2025

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