Report seizures or coma-like responses to the physician or nursing staff immediately
. Monitor any signs of fetal distress or asphyxia, such as decreased fetal heart rate, arrhythmias, meconium discharge, or decreased or absent fetal movements. Report these signs to the physician or nursing staff immediately.
When administering Pitocin or oxytocin What should the nurse monitor?
But while Pitocin strengthens and increases the frequency of contractions, this can pose risks to the fetus’s blood flow and flow of oxygen. This means doctors and nurses must monitor Pitocin levels with extreme care to avoid risks, including:
Fetal heartbeat arrhythmias or slowing
.
Neonatal jaundice
.
What administration considerations apply to oxytocin?
- nausea,
- vomiting, and.
- more intense or more frequent contractions (expected effect)
What are the nursing implications for oxytocin?
- can cause ICH in fetus.
- can cause asphyxia in fetus.
- may cause coma and seizures in mother.
- may cause painful contractions.
- assess fetus.
- assess contractions.
- monitor blood pressure.
- assess maternal electrolytes.
What are the major side effects of oxytocin that the nurse must be alert to when managing induction of labor?
In most cases, the benefits of inducing labor with oxytocin will outweigh the risks to the baby. Common side effects may include:
nausea, vomiting; or
.
more intense or more frequent contractions
(this is an expected effect of oxytocin).
When should oxytocin be administered?
Timing of oxytocin initiation
In the United States, oxytocin is the uterotonic most often administered
at birth
. It is commonly administered: 1) after delivery of the baby’s anterior shoulder, 2) after delivery of the baby but before delivery of the placenta, or 3) after delivery of the placenta.
Which assessment is most important for the nurse to do before the administration of oxytocin for labor induction?
Assess fetal presentation and station (fetal descent)
prior to the administration of oxytocin. During oxytocin infusion titration, assess fetal heart rate (FHR), contraction pattern, and intensity every 15 minutes.
What are the nursing responsibilities for safe administration of Pitocin?
| OXYTOCIN | DRUG NAME oxytocin (Pitocin) | INDICATIONS Induce or augment labor Control postpartum bleeding Manage incomplete or inevitable abortion |
|---|
What is the contraindication of Pitocin?
Antepartum use of Pitocin is contraindicated in any of the following circumstances: 1.
Where there is significant cephalopelvic disproportion
; 2. In unfavorable fetal positions or presentations, such as transverse lies, which are undeliverable without conversion prior to delivery; 3.
How do you administer Pitocin?
The initial dose should be
0.5–1 mU/min
(equal to 3–6 mL of the dilute oxytocin solution per hour). At 30–60 minute intervals the dose should be gradually increased in increments of 1–2 mU/min until the desired contraction pattern has been established.
What are the side effects of Pitocin?
- a fast, slow, or uneven heart rate;
- excessive bleeding long after childbirth;
- severe headache, blurred vision, pounding in your neck or ears; or.
- confusion, severe weakness, feeling unsteady.
What is the purpose of administering Pitocin during childbirth?
Pitocin is a synthetic version of the naturally-produced hormone oxytocin. This hormone’s main function is to help with milk excretion during breast feeding, but the hormone also plays an important role during
labor by stimulating the uterus and making it contract
.
What is the contraindication of oxytocin?
The induction or continuance of labor with oxytocin should be avoided when the following conditions or situations are present: evidence of
fetal distress, fetal prematurity
, abnormal fetal position (including unengaged head), placenta previa, uterine prolapse, vasa previa, cephalopelvic disproportion, cervical cancer, …
What happens when you get induced with pitocin?
Contractions
typically start about 30 minutes after starting Pitocin. You’re also not allowed to eat. This is because of the risk of aspiration in the event that you need an emergency cesarean delivery. Pitocin-induced contractions might interfere with rest, too, so both you and the baby can get tired out.
What is the pharmacological action of oxytocin?
Oxytocin has pharmacologic action on organs other than the uterus. It
causes milk ejection from the gravid or puerperal breast
. 1 Suckling, breast stimulation, and uterine manipulation cause oxytocin release and sub sequent contraction of myoepithelial cells in the breast.
Which IV fluid should be used for the administration of oxytocin?
Respondents indicated that when oxytocin was used to induce labor, a variety of intravenous fluids were used for dilution, including
lactated Ringer’s solution
, 5% dextrose in water, normal saline, and 0.45% saline (see Table 2). The most frequently used fluid for oxytocin dilution was lactated Ringer’s solution.
When should the nurse increase oxytocin?
Oxytocin should continue to be increased
until the contractions simulate
a spontaneous labor pattern in the active phase of labor. The pattern should be consistent with one contraction every 2-3 minutes and lasting 60 to 90 seconds in duration.
What is a true contraindication for misoprostol?
Contraindications include
pelvic infection or sepsis
, hemodynamic instability or shock, allergy to misoprostol, known bleeding disorder, concurrent anticoagulant therapy, and confirmed or suspected ectopic or molar pregnancy.
Which of the following are possible adverse maternal reactions when taking oxytocin?
| Anaphylactic reaction Premature ventricular contractions | Postpartum hemorrhage Pelvic hematoma | Cardiac arrhythmia Subarachnoid hemorrhage | Fatal afibrinogenemia Hypertensive episodes | Nausea Rupture of the uterus |
|---|
How can one improve safety of oxytocin use?
Remove outdated brand names, including Pitressin, from CPOE systems. Avoid using abbreviations such as “PIT” for either Pitocin or Pitressin or “OXY” for oxytocin or oxyCODONE/OxyCONTIN.
Limit verbal orders
. Limit verbal orders to emergencies or under sterile conditions.
What are the complications of oxytocin?
- Slow heart rate.
- Fast heart rate.
- Premature ventricular complexes and other irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias)
- Permanent central nervous system (CNS) or brain damage, and death secondary to suffocation.
- Neonatal seizure.
- Neonatal yellowing of skin or eyes (jaundice)
- Fetal death.
Is hyponatremia a contraindication to pitocin?
Oxytocin administration is
not an absolute contraindication
and must be used with sodium containing solutions. An acute fall in serum sodium can not only lead to cerebral oedema but can also have serious implications for the baby including neonatal hyponatraemia.
How do you augment Labour with oxytocin?
For augmentation of labor, national clinical guidelines recommend that the initial oxytocin infusion rate is
set at 1-4 milliunits/minute (2-8 drops/minute)
and that the infusion rate is gradually increased at intervals of at least 20 minutes until a contraction pattern of three to four contractions per 10 minutes is …
Can Pitocin affect breastfeeding?
Because Pitocin is often administered in relatively high doses, it can lead to breast engorgement, which
interferes with breastfeeding
by making it more difficult for the breast to conform to the baby’s mouth and for the baby to adequately latch on to the breast (Cotterman, 2004).
Does Pitocin elevate blood pressure?
Severe hypertension has been reported when oxytocin was given
three to four hours following
prophylactic administration of a vasoconstrictor in conjunction with caudal block anesthesia.
How do you deal with Pitocin contractions?
- Make sure your helpers give you continuous emotional and physical support.
- Actively seek comfort in response to the pain of contractions.
- Remember that your body knows how to give birth.
How safe is Pitocin?
Pitocin® is
generally a safe way to induce labor
and is successful 75 percent of the time. However, there are some reasons to be cautious. Additional stress. Pitocin® can make uterine contractions more difficult to manage, which can put more stress on the baby.
What is the difference between oxytocin and pitocin?
What’s the difference between pitocin and oxytocin? Oxytocin is a naturally occurring hormone in your body. Pitocin is the synthetic drug created to mimic one of this hormone’s primary actions: bringing about
labor
.
Do you need an epidural with pitocin?
Because Pitocin does not pass the blood–brain barrier, there is no endorphin release. The stronger, harder contractions are difficult for the mother to manage and put additional stress on the uterine muscle. To manage the very strong contractions, epidural analgesia is
often given as soon as the Pitocin is started
.
What do they give you before Pitocin?
Cervidil
comes in the form of a thin, gel-like package and is inserted vaginally. The drug is then gradually released over a 12-hour period, usually the night before doctors plan to give Pitocin.
How do you prepare for Pitocin induction?
- Ask questions. Before you agree to be induced, consider finding out the following from your healthcare provider: …
- Set realistic expectations. Maybe an induction isn’t what you had in mind. …
- Pack entertainment. …
- Eat something light and then try to go poo. …
- Give your partner permission to scoot.
