Aim: to determine the prevalence of OHSS and clinical outcomes in high-risk
women undergoing ART following calcium IV infusion.
Methods: Double-blinded randomized controlled trial included two hundred women
at risk to develop OHSS undergoing IVF/ICSI treatment cycle subdivided randomly
into two equal groups; group I (intervention group (study/calcium infusion group,
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 group II (control/placebo group, n=100) received 100 mL 0.9% saline solution
on the day of OPU and days 1, 2, and 3 after.
Main Outcome Measure: Incidence of OHSS.
Results: OHSS incidence was significantly lower in the calcium infusion group
(group I) than in the placebo group (group II): 8 (8%) vs. 26 (26%); moderate OHSS
was significantly lower in group I than in group II: 3 (3%) vs. 10 (10%); and severe
OHSS was significantly lower in group I than in group II: 0 vs. 4 (4%).
Conclusion: IV calcium infusion has a significant preventive role against OHSS
without adverse effect on pregnancy outcomes.