Oxytocin Use in Labor: Legal Implications

Oxytocin augmentation and neurotransmitters in prolonged delivery: An experimental appraisal

The uterus is a highly innervated organ, and during labor, this innervation is at its highest level. Oxytocinergic fibers play an important role in labor and delivery and, in particular, the Lower Uterine Segment, cervix, and fundus are all controlled by motor neurofibers. Oxytocin is a neurohormone that acts on receptors located on the membrane of the smooth cells of the myometrium. During the stages of labor and delivery, its binding causes myofibers to contract, which enables the fundus of the uterus to act as a mediator. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of oxytocinergic fibers in prolonged and non-prolonged dystocic delivery in a cohort of 90 patients, evaluated during the first and second stages of labor. Myometrial tissue samples were collected and evaluated by electron microscopy, in order to quantify differences in neurofibers concentrations between the investigated and control cohorts of patients. The authors of this experiment showed that the concentration of oxytocinergic fibers differs between non-prolonged and prolonged dystocic delivery. In particular, in prolonged dystocic delivery, compared to non-prolonged dystocic delivery, there is a lower amount of oxytocin fiber. The increase in oxytocin appeared to be ineffective in patients who experienced prolonged dystocic delivery, since the dystocic labor ended as a result of the altered presence of oxytocinergic fibers detected in this group of patients.

Is Oxytocin Administration During Childbirth Associated With Increased Risk for Postpartum Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms?: A Preliminary Investigation

INTRODUCTION

Synthetic oxytocin is one of the most regularly administered medications to facilitate labor induction and augmentation. The present study examined the associations between oxytocin administration during childbirth and postpartum posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In a multicenter longitudinal study, women completed questionnaires during pregnancy and at 2 months postpartum (N = 386). PTSS were assessed with the Impact of Event Scale. Logistic regression was used to examine the difference in PTSS at Time 2 between women who received oxytocin and women who did not.

RESULTS

In comparison with women who did not receive oxytocin, women who received oxytocin induction were 3.20 times as likely to report substantial PTSS (P = .036, 95% confidence interval: 1.08-9.52), and women who received oxytocin augmentation were 3.29 times as likely to report substantial PTSS (P = .036, 95% confidence interval: 1.08-10.03), after controlling for being primiparous, preeclampsia, prior mental health diagnosis, mode of birth, postpartum hemorrhage, and satisfaction with staff.

DISCUSSION

Oxytocin administration was associated with a 3-fold increased risk of PTSS. The findings may reflect biological and psychological mechanisms related to postpartum mental health and call for future research to establish the causation of this relationship.

Titrated oral misoprostol versus static regimen of oral misoprostol for induction of labour: a systematic review and meta-analysis

We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of titrated oral misoprostol versus static oral misoprostol for labour induction. We searched for the available randomised clinical trials (RCTs) in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, ISI web of science, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.gov. We included RCTs compared titrated oral misoprostol versus static regimen of oral misoprostol during labour induction. Our main outcomes were vaginal and caesarean delivery rates, uterine tachysystole, misoprostol side effects, and neonatal adverse events. Three RCTs met our inclusion criteria with a total number of 360 patients. The vaginal delivery rate did not significantly differ between both groups (p = 0.49). Titrated oral misoprostol was associated with significant increase in the caesarean delivery rate compared to static oral misoprostol (p = 0.04). Moreover, titrated oral misoprostol led to significant increase in the uterine tachysystole and misoprostol side effects (p = 0.01 & p = 0.003, respectively). There were no differences among both groups regarding different neonatal adverse events. In conclusion, titrated oral misoprostol increases the incidence of caesarean delivery, uterine tachysystole, and misoprostol side effects with a similar vaginal delivery rate compared to static dose misoprostol. Thus, static oral misoprostol should be used instead of titrated oral misoprostol during labour induction. Impact StatementWhat is already known on this subject? Different studies have evaluated titrated oral misoprostol administration for induction of labour and proved their efficacy in comparison with other induction methods. However, there is controversy among the published studies between titrated oral misoprostol and static oral misoprostol during induction of labour. A recent study concluded that hourly titrated misoprostol and static oral misoprostol are equally safe and effective when utilised for induction of labour with no fear of any adverse events. However, another study recommended static oral misoprostol administration for labour induction as it was linked to a lower caesarean section incidence, fewer drug side effects, and decline in complication rates in comparison with titrated oral misoprostol.What the results of this study add? Titrated oral misoprostol increases the incidence of caesarean delivery, uterine tachysystole, and misoprostol side effects with a similar vaginal delivery rate compared to static dose misoprostol.What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Static oral misoprostol should be used instead of titrated oral misoprostol during labour induction. More future trials are required to confirm our findings.

A myofibre model for the study of uterine excitation-contraction dynamics

As the uterus remodels in preparation for delivery, the excitability and contractility of the uterine smooth muscle layer, the myometrium, increase drastically. But when remodelling proceeds abnormally it can contribute to preterm birth, slow progress of labour, and failure to initiate labour. Remodelling increases intercellular coupling and cellular excitability, which are the main targets of pharmaceutical treatments for uterine contraction disorders. However, the way in which electrical propagation and force development depend on intercellular coupling and cellular excitability is not fully understood. Using a computational myofibre model we study the dependency of electrical propagation and force development on intercellular coupling and cellular excitability. This model reveals that intercellular coupling determines the conduction velocity. Moreover, our model shows that intercellular coupling alone does not regulate force development. Further, cellular excitability controls whether conduction across the cells is blocked. Lastly, our model describes how cellular excitability regulates force development. Our results bridge cellular factors, targeted by drugs to regulate uterine contractions, and tissue level electromechanical properties, which are responsible for delivery. They are a step forward towards understanding uterine excitation-contraction dynamics and developing safer and more efficient pharmaceutical treatments for uterine contraction disorders.

Uterine Activity Impacts Fetal and Neonatal Outcomes

Uterine activity impacts fetal and neonatal outcomes. The value of analysis of contraction frequency and the duration of the resting interval were underappreciated until the last two decades. Misconceptions about electronic fetal monitoring and the cesarean section rate may be related to the lack of early research on the significant impact of abnormal uterine activity.

Oxytocin and emergency caesarean section in a mediumsized hospital in Pakistan: A cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

One of the most common complications during labor is prolonged labor (dystocia), which is associated with risks for the mother and fetus. Dystocia is usually treated with oxytocin, which is also used to induce labor. Oxytocin may not have the desired effect of progress and can negatively affect the fetus, thus resulting in an emergency caesarean section (CS). The aim of this study was to describe obstetric practice, use of oxytocin and its association with an emergency CS.

METHODS

A cross-sectional retrospective register study was conducted that included all women who gave birth during 2014 and 2015 at a hospital in a large city in Pakistan.

RESULTS

A total of 6652 women gave birth to 6767 newborns, 66.8% were multiparous and 33.2% primiparous women. Of the primiparous women, 78.9% had a spontaneous vaginal birth, 1.2% an elective CS and 14.4% an emergency CS. Of the multiparous women, 81.9% had a spontaneous vaginal birth, 8.0% an elective CS and 6.7% an emergency CS. Operative vaginal birth was 2.1% among primiparous and 0.2% among multiparous women. Oxytocin for induction or augmentation was administered to 60.0% of primiparous and 30.5% of multiparous women. Oxytocin during the first stage of labor was associated with an increased risk for emergency CS for both primiparous and multiparous women.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the association between oxytocin and emergency CS, the CS rate was low in this hospital. The majority of the women gave birth vaginally, even with a breech presentation. Few operative vaginal births were performed.

Promoting effective care: Reducing primary cesarean births through team engagement and standardization of care at a community hospital

BACKGROUND

The overuse of cesarean births (CBs) in the United States has led to increased rates of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality.

LOCAL PROBLEM

The nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex (NTSV) CB rate at this community hospital was 32.3% in 2017, well above the Healthy People 2020 target of 23.9%. The aim of this project was to decrease the NTSV CB rate by five percentage points in a 7-week period.

METHODS

Four plan-do-study-act cycles focused on team engagement and process changes. Team huddles utilizing the best practices checklist to standardize care for labor dystocia and abnormal fetal tracings, as well as audits of unplanned CB, were implemented. SQUIRE guidelines were used in the preparation of this manuscript.

RESULTS

Over 7 weeks, 13 of 55 NTSV patients gave birth by cesarean, resulting in an NTSV CB rate of 23.6%. Fifty-three huddles were held by 218 staff members for 28 patients. Team engagement scores improved from 85% to 98%. Although the effective care CB scores trended upward, the overall mean was 51%.

CONCLUSIONS

Interdisciplinary team huddles, coupled with the use of a best practices checklist and feedback from audits, achieved a more effective use of CB in the NTSV patient population.

Errors and pitfalls in reading the cardiotocographic tracing

Reading of fetal heart rate (FHR) tracing during labor remains one of the most controversial and problematic issues in Obstetrics. The incorrect interpretation of CTG can be due to errors and pitfalls. Some common errors are related to the incorrect use of oxytocin, specifically the failure to recognize tachysystole, to correct it and to use oxytocin to accelerate labor when the fetal heart rate tracing is not reassuring. A common error is also the incorrect interpretation of deceleration that leads to unnecessary and often dangerous interventions, despite the clarification of the significance of decelerations, which in themselves are not a sign of impending acidosis, except when they are accompanied by loss of variability. Another potential error that can be identified as a pitfall is the transition from fetal to maternal heart rate (MHR) recording. The misidentification of MHR as FHR can potentially mask pathological FHR traces, appearing as a falsely reassuring trace.