liletta

Important safety information

Remove LILETTA if pregnancy occurs with LILETTA in place and LILETTA is in the uterus. If pregnancy occurs, there is increased risk of ectopic pregnancy (including loss of fertility), pregnancy loss, septic abortion (including septicemia, shock, and death), and premature labor and delivery. ( 5.1 , 5.2 ) Severe infection or sepsis, including Group A streptococcal sepsis (GAS), have been reported following insertion of LNG-releasing IUSs; strict aseptic technique is essential during insertion. ( 5.3 ) Before using LILETTA, consider the risks of pelvic infection. ( 5.4 ) Perforation may occur and reduce contraceptive effectiveness or require surgery. Risk is increased if inserted in patients who have fixed retroverted uteri, are postpartum, or are lactating. ( 5.5 ) Partial or complete expulsion may occur. ( 5.6 ) Evaluate persistent enlarged ovarian follicles or ovarian cysts. ( 5.7 ) Bleeding patterns can become altered, may remain irregular, and amenorrhea may ensue. ( 5.8 ) 5.1 Ectopic Pregnancy Evaluate patients for ectopic pregnancy if they become pregnant with LILETTA in place because the likelihood of a pregnancy being ectopic is increased with use of an IUS. Approximately half of pregnancies that occur with an IUS in place are likely to be ectopic. Also consider the possibility of ectopic pregnancy in the case of lower abdominal pain, especially in association with missed menses or new onset bleeding in an amenorrheic patient. If an ectopic pregnancy is confirmed, LILETTA should be removed. The incidence of ectopic pregnancy in the clinical study on contraception with LILETTA, which excluded participants with a history of ectopic pregnancy who did not have a subsequent intrauterine pregnancy, was approximately 0.12 per 100 women-years. There were no ectopic pregnancies in the clinical study on heavy menstrual bleeding with LILETTA. The risk of ectopic pregnancy in patients who have a history of ectopic pregnancy and use LILETTA is unknown. Patients with a previous history of ectopic pregnancy, tubal surgery, or pelvic infection have a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy may require surgery and may result in loss of fertility. Patients who use LILETTA should be informed about recognizing the signs and symptoms of ectopic pregnancy and promptly reporting them to their healthcare professional, and about the associated risks of ectopic pregnancy (e.g., loss of fertility). 5.2 Intrauterine Pregnancy If pregnancy occurs while using LILETTA, determine if LILETTA is in the uterus. If LILETTA is in the uterus, attempt to remove LILETTA because leaving it in place may increase the risk of spontaneous abortion and preterm labor. Removal of LILETTA or probing of the uterus may also result in spontaneous abortion. In the event of an intrauterine pregnancy with LILETTA, consider the following: Septic A bortion If a patient becomes pregnant with an IUS in place, septic abortion—potentially including septicemia, septic shock, and death—may occur. Septic abortion typically requires hospitalization and treatment with intravenous antibiotics. Septic abortion may result in spontaneous abortion or a medical indication for pregnancy termination. Should severe infection of the uterus occur, hysterectomy may be required, which will result in permanent infertility. LILETTA is contraindicated in patients who have had an infected abortion in the prior 3 months. Continuation of P regnancy If a patient becomes pregnant with LILETTA in place and if LILETTA cannot be removed or the patient chooses not to have it removed, warn the patient that failure to remove LILETTA increases the risk of miscarriage, sepsis, premature labor, and premature delivery. Prenatal care should include counseling about these risks and instructions to immediately report any flu-like symptoms, fever, chills, cramping, pain, bleeding, vaginal discharge or leakage of fluid, or any other symptom that suggests complications of the pregnancy. 5.3 Sepsis Severe infection or sepsis, including Group A streptococcal sepsis (GAS), have been reported following insertion of LNG-releasing IUSs. In some cases, severe pain occurred within hours of insertion followed by sepsis within days. Because death from GAS is more likely if treatment is delayed, it is important to be aware of these rare but serious infections. Aseptic technique during insertion of LILETTA is essential to minimize serious infections such as GAS. 5.4 Pelvic Inflammatory Disease or Endometritis Insertion of LILETTA is contraindicated in the presence of known or suspected PID or endometritis. As well, it is contraindicated in patients with untreated acute cervicitis or vaginitis (including bacterial vaginosis), known chlamydial or gonococcal cervical infection, or other known lower genital tract infections, until the infection is controlled . IUSs have been associated with an increased risk of PID, most likely due to organisms being introduced into the uterus during insertion. Assess risk factors for infection accordingly. Patients who use LILETTA should be counseled to promptly notify a healthcare professional if they develop lower abdominal or pelvic pain, fever, chills, unusual or malodorous discharge, unexplained bleeding, genital lesions or sores, or dyspareunia. In such circumstances, perform a pelvic examination promptly to evaluate for possible pelvic infection. Remove LILETTA in cases of recurrent PID or endometritis, or if an acute pelvic infection is severe or does not respond to treatment. In the clinical study on contraception with LILETTA, pelvic infection was diagnosed in 0.8% of participants. Pelvic infection was diagnosed as PID in 0.5% of participants and as endometritis in 0.3% of participants. Infections occurred following variable duration-of-use. One participant diagnosed with PID and two participants diagnosed with endometritis developed the infection within a week of LILETTA insertion. One case of endometritis was diagnosed at 39 days after LILETTA insertion. The remaining 11 cases of PID and endometritis were diagnosed more than six months after insertion, including one at 30 days after IUS removal. In the clinical study on heavy menstrual bleeding with LILETTA, there was one participant diagnosed with PID approximately 5 months after LILETTA insertion. Patients at Increased Risk for PID or Endometritis PID and endometritis are often associated with a sexually transmitted infection (STI), and LILETTA does not protect against STIs. The risk of PID or endometritis is greater for patients who have multiple sexual partners, and for patients whose sexual partner(s) have multiple sexual partners. Patients who have had PID or endometritis are at increased risk for recurrence or re-infection. Other risk factors for these infections include unprotected sex and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Asymptomatic PID or Endometritis PID or endometritis may be asymptomatic but still result in tubal damage and its sequelae. Treatment of PID or Endometritis In IUS users with suspected or diagnosed PID or endometritis, obtain microbial specimens, including those for sexually transmitted infections, and initiate antibiotic treatment promptly. After initiation of antibiotic treatment, the IUS may be removed or kept in place. The patient should continue to receive antibiotic treatment according to current recommendations and should have close clinical follow-up. Guidelines for PID or endometritis treatment are available from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia. 1 If the patient opts for discontinuing IUS use, remove LILETTA after initiation of antibiotic treatment to avoid the potential risk for bacterial spread resulting from the removal procedure. If the patient opts for ongoing IUS contraception, the patient may forego immediate removal of LILETTA after initiation of antibiotic treatment. However, the patient should have close clinical follow-up. If no clinical improvement occurs within 48–72…