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Preovulatory uterine flushing with saline as a treatment for unexplained infertility: a randomised controlled trial protocol
  1. Sarah Maheux-Lacroix1,2,
  2. Sylvie Dodin1,2,
  3. Lynne Moore2,
  4. Emmanuel Bujold1,2,
  5. Jessica Lefebvre1,2,
  6. Marie-Ève Bergeron1,2
  1. 1Département d'obstétrique, gynécologie et reproduction, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
  2. 2Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, Canada
  1. Correspondence to Dr Sarah Maheux-Lacroix; sarah.maheux.lacroix{at}gmail.com

Abstract

Introduction In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is the treatment of choice for unexplained infertility. Preovulatory uterine flushing could reduce intrauterine debris and inflammatory factors preventing pregnancy and constitute an alternative to IVF. Our objective is to assess the efficacy of preovulatory uterine flushing with physiological saline for the treatment of unexplained infertility.

Methods and analysis We will perform a randomised controlled trial based on consecutive women aged between 18 and 37 years consulting for unexplained infertility for at least 1 year. On the day of their luteinising hormone surge, 192 participants will be randomised in two equal groups to either receive 20 mL of physiological saline by an intrauterine catheter or 10 mL of saline intravaginally. We will assess relative risk of live birth (primary outcome), as well as pregnancy (secondary outcome) over one cycle of treatment. We will report the side effects, complications and acceptability of the intervention.

Ethics and dissemination This project was approved by the Ethics committee of the Centre Hospitatlier Universitaire de Quebec (no 2015–1146). Uterine flushing is usually well tolerated by women and would constitute a simple, affordable and minimally invasive treatment for unexplained infertility. We plan to communicate the results of the review by presenting research abstracts at conferences and by publishing the results in a peer-reviewed journal.

Trial registration number NCT02539290; Pre-results.

  • Unexplained infertility
  • Uterine flushing
  • Tubal flushing

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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